press conference on sustainable-development challenges  facing intergovernmental panel on climate change

HUNDREDS FLEE NEW VIOLENCE IN STRIFE-TORN REGION OF DR CONGO, UN AGENCY SAYS New York, Apr 24 2008 6:00PM Renewed fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu province today has forced the United Nations refugee agency to halt the distribution of aid to internally displaced persons and to call off a drive to register newly displaced people in the Rutshuru area. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees suspended operations after reports of new fighting between Government soldiers and fighters from the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) near the Kinyandoni Anglican IDP site in North Kivu. Clashes on Saturday and Sunday left at least one woman dead. UNHCR field staff reported that IDPs were continuing to flock to sites around Kiwanja. The majority is sheltering in public buildings and most new arrivals are women and children. Some said their homes had been destroyed and their possessions looted, while some parents said they had lost touch with their children. The UN agency said that “medical assistance is of vital importance,” and added that suspected cases of cholera had been reported. The hundreds fleeing in recent days have added to an estimated existing IDP population of 860,000 in North Kivu, which lies next to the border with Rwanda and Uganda. The displacement in the Rutshuru area, some 70 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Goma, comes three months after the signing of an accord in Goma between the Government and rival armed groups aimed at bringing lasting peace to the DRC’s far east after more than a decade of conflict. Despite the accord, tensions have remained high. A peace agreement in 2003 formally brought years of war to a close, but fighting flared again in North Kivu that same year. An estimated 1.3 million IDPs remain in the DRC, while 350,000 Congolese have fled to other countries. 2008-04-24 00:00:00.000

BEIJING GAMES FOCUS OF TALKS AS UN OFFICIAL MEETS HEAD OF OLYMPIC COMMITTEE New York, Apr 23 2008 3:00PM The United Nations Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace and the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have pledged to ensure that this summer’s Games in Beijing, China, are celebrated in a spirit of friendship and respect. During their meeting at the Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wilfried Lemke and IOC President Jacques Rogge agreed to continue collaboration in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games 2008 and beyond. Mr. Lemke voiced his concern about the “challenging international backdrop which the Olympic Games have been drawn into in recent weeks,” according to a news release issued following yesterday’s meeting. “I hope that the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games will leave a lasting legacy in China and beyond,” he stated, adding that “the spirit of the Olympic Games requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship and solidarity.” Dr. Rogge noted that “by choosing to award the Games to China in July 2001, one fifth of humanity would be hosting the world’s biggest sporting event.” He added that the Games are an opportunity to remember and encourage the changes that China has made over a short period, including initiatives and laws directly related to its hosting of the Games, such as new media laws, and environmental, education and sports programmes. The talks also focused on the long-standing partnership between the IOC and the UN, which was highlighted during Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to the Committee’s headquarters earlier this year. The two organizations agreed to boost their cooperation in areas such peacebuilding, the fight against doping and environmental protection, as well as explore new areas of joint activities such as the Youth Olympic Games. The Special Adviser also met with Jordi Serra, Executive Director of the International Table Tennis Federation based in Renens, Switzerland. Several activities are being planned to harness the sport – which will be featured at the Beijing Games – as a vehicle to bring people together and promote world peace. Appointed last month by Mr. Ban, Mr. Lemke succeeds former Swiss President Adolf Ogi in the efforts to strengthen the relationship between the UN and the world of sport. 2008-04-23 00:00:00.000

AT FIVE-YEAR MARK, DARFUR CRISIS IS ONLY WORSENING – UN AID CHIEF New York, Apr 22 2008 5:00PM Five years after fighting first erupted in Darfur between Sudanese Government forces and rebel groups, the world has still not found a durable solution to the suffering of millions of people in the region, the United Nations humanitarian chief told the Security Council today, warning the situation will only deteriorate unless urgent measures are taken. John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told a Council meeting that he was saddened and angry to inform them that the situation inside Darfur had only worsened in the past 12 months, despite the efforts of the international community. “We continue to see the goalposts receding, to the point where peace in Darfur seems further away today than ever,” he said in a statement. “Further progress in the deployment of UNAMID [the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force], equipped to protect civilians and improve security, will help. “But only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed, as the rebel movements themselves above all need to recognize. Otherwise the reality is that the people of Darfur face a continued steady deterioration of their conditions of life and their chances of lasting recovery.” Mr. Holmes said as many as 300,000 people are now estimated to have died in Darfur since early 2003, when rebels began fighting Government forces and allied militiamen. This figure includes deaths from disease, malnutrition and reduced life expectancy, as well as from direct combat. Aside from the death toll, more than 2.7 million Darfurians have been displaced by the fighting, the vast majority still living within the arid region on Sudan’s western flank. Around 260,000 refugees have had to flee to the east of neighbouring Chad. In his briefing to the Council, Rodolphe Adada, the AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur, said it was disturbing that while the region has remained near the top of the international agenda, this attention had not been matched with the necessary action to provide UNAMID with the means to accomplish the tasks assigned to it. The Council authorized the deployment of UNAMID last year to take over from an under-resourced AU force, and the operation began work at the start of this year. But so far only around 10,000 of the roughly 26,000 uniformed personnel have been deployed. Speaking to reporters outside the Council, Mr. Adada said that up to 80 per cent of the entire UNAMID force could be deployed by the end of this year if donor countries do more to help out, whether by providing troops or equipment. He called on the Council to redouble its efforts to assist the mission and he also read out an update on efforts to broker a political settlement by the UN and AU envoys to the peace process, Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim. Mr. Adada said logistical challenges are one of the biggest problems, with the mission lacking the infrastructure at the moment to house the thousands of staff expected at full deployment. He said UN and AU officials were working hard to try to accelerate deployment and to make the most of the available resources – including fresh water – in the parched and landlocked region. 2008-04-22 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL URGES NEPALESE TO RESPECT ELECTORAL OUTCOME AFTER PEACEFUL VOTE New York, Apr 21 2008 6:00PM The Security Council today congratulated the people of Nepal on the “largely peaceful” Constituent Assembly election held on 10 April, and urged them to abide by the outcome of the historic polls. In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency for April, the 15-member body urged all Nepalese parties “to respect the will of the people and the rule of law in the coming weeks as the results are being counted.” The UN Mission in Nepal ) today confirmed that the country’s Election Commission declared results in 239 of 240 constituencies in the first-past-the-post vote, and in 232 constituencies in the proportional representation race. Final results from both races are expected tomorrow, after which the Commission will take a few days to tabulate the results and allot seats in the Constituent Assembly to all eligible political parties. Once elected, the Constituent Assembly will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for Nepal, which has emerged from a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives before the Government and Maoist rebels signed a peace accord in 2006. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Nepal, Ian Martin, <" that even before all results are in, it is clear that the Constituent Assembly is going to reflect Nepal’s diverse population better than any previous body. “Rather than inviting political conflict, this is an opportunity to develop an inclusive and participatory process for making key decisions about the future of Nepal,” he said in an interview with the Nepali national daily Gorkhapatra. He added that all political parties have indicated that they accept the election results as the basis for forming the Constituent Assembly, as well as a new government to administer the country during the period it takes to draw up the new constitution. “But we must remember this peace process is not yet complete by any means,” Mr. Martin noted. “The Constituent Assembly election was a very important moment in it, but there are major issues still to be addressed.” 2008-04-21 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN WARNS AGAINST IMPULSES TOWARDS PROTECTIONISM New York, Apr 20 2008 4:00PM The forces of trade and globalization that have driven a "virtuous cycle" of economic prosperity around the world in the last two decades must be allowed to continue or the current crisis in poor countries over soaring food prices will only worsen, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a major gathering of trade and development officials today. Speaking in Accra, Ghana, at the opening of the twelfth UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mr. Ban warned that neither the food crisis nor the chance that some regions may be poised for a slowdown should be used by governments as an excuse to turn towards protectionism. "International grain markets must remain open and functioning normally," he said. "Beggar Thy Neighbour food wars cannot, in the long run, help anyone. "Ultimately, our task is to ensure that the virtuous cycle goes on and its benefits extend as broadly as possible -- most especially to those who have so far missed out. More trade, not less, will get us out of the hole we're in." Mr. Ban said the world was "living through one of the most extraordinary economic transformations in history," with the global economy growing in size from $23 trillion in 1990 to $53 trillion in 2007 and trade increasing by 133 per cent over the same period. "Developing nations have generated more than half this growth. They now account for nearly 40 per cent of world trade -- half of it among themselves. Once-poor countries have become engines of growth for others, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty." But the Secretary-General added that the global economic boom of the past two decades has passed by the poorest of the world's poor. "We cannot leave the 'bottom billion' to flounder. We cannot neglect their real and pressing needs. We need fresh thinking, fresh approaches." Protests and riots have broken out around the world recently over the surging cost of many basic foods and agricultural staples, such as rice, wheat and corn. Mr. Ban said the reasons for the crisis were complex, and included not only the increased production of biofuels, but also the higher oil prices lifting both overall transport costs and fertilizer costs and the rising consumption, especially in Asia, that was boosting worldwide demand for many foods. "One thing is certain: for the past three years, the world has consumed more food than it produces. Grain stocks are at their lowest in 30 years. The situation is unsustainable." Mr. Ban told the conference that immediate steps must be taken to guarantee the world's food security, starting by ensuring the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has the additional $755 million it needs to cover the rising costs of its existing emergency operations. In the long-term, he said, agricultural production must be expanded, especially in the developing world and sub-Saharan Africa. "Simply improving market efficiency can have a huge effect. Roughly a third of the world's food shortages, according to the WFP, are the result of bottlenecks in local markets and distribution systems." Welcoming the World Bank's plans to increase its agricultural lending in Africa from $400 million to $800 million next year, the Secretary-General said the rest of the international community must take similar measures to alleviate the problems of the developing world. He also stressed a need for a successful conclusion to the current Doha round of trade liberalization talks. "At a minimum, that would mean opening new and significant markets for agricultural and non-agricultural exports and services from low-income developing countries. "It is time for wealthier nations to rethink old-fashioned programmes of agricultural subsidies. Economists agree that they inhibit trade and disproportionately penalize poorer nations, contributing to the current emergency. If we cannot scrap these relics today, in an era of high prices, then when can we?" In addition Mr. Ban called for aid and official development assistance (ODA) from affluent nations to be channelled towards projects that boost local industry and production capacity, such as roads, schools and health-care systems. Resource-rich developing nations should also benefit more from the global boom in commodity prices, he said. The Secretary-General's visit to Ghana is the first stop on a four-nation tour of West Africa that will also take him to Liberia, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. Speaking to reporters on his arrival yesterday in Accra, he said that, apart from the food crisis, he would also raise the subjects of several political situations -- especially those in Zimbabwe, Kenya, the Darfur region of Sudan and Côte d'Ivoire -- during his meetings with political leaders. 2008-04-20 00:00:00.000

DARFUR: UN, AFRICAN UNION ENVOYS HOLD FRESH TALKS WITH LEADERS OF REBEL GROUPS New York, Apr 19 2008 6:00PM The United Nations and African Union envoys spearheading efforts to devise a durable political settlement to the five-year conflict in Darfur have held several days of talks in the Sudanese region with representatives of the groups and movements that have not signed previous peace accords. Jan Eliasson of the UN and Salim Ahmed Salim of the AU met with Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), in a rebel-controlled area of West Darfur yesterday. A day earlier the two envoys -- accompanied by military officers from the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force known as UNAMID -- held consultations in North Darfur state with members of the Abdul Wahid movement of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM). Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Salim discussed the primacy of the political process and the urgent need to cut the level of violence, better protect civilians and ensure greater humanitarian access during the talks with the two groups. Today the Special Envoys are scheduled to meet representatives of the Sudanese Government in Khartoum, the capital. Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Salim have repeatedly reiterated their calls for the parties to the Darfur conflict, which have claimed more than 200,000 lives and displaced nearly 2.5 million others since 2003, to end all violence and prepare for substantive talks aimed at devising a durable peace. The parties cannot fight and prepare for peace talks at the same time, the envoys have said, stressing that a reduction is violence is vital if progress is to be made on the political front. 2008-04-19 00:00:00.000

DELEGATION FROM UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION BEGINS VISIT TO BURUNDI New York, Apr 19 2008 6:00PM A delegation from the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, set up to help prevent post-conflict countries from sliding back into war and misrule, travels today to Burundi on a six-day mission to examine how to help the struggling African nation move forward. The eight-member delegation is expected to meet with Burundian Government officials, representatives of regional groups such as the African Union and the Conference on the Great Lakes Region, civil society, women's groups, the media, religious leaders, human rights advocates, members of the private sector and others. In a statement the commission said the team aims to make a first-hand assessment of the situation on the ground by Burundi, where a comprehensive ceasefire agreement was signed in 2006 after years of civil war but sporadic fighting has continued. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement yesterday voicing concern over the latest developments after an outbreak of deadly fighting between Government forces and members of the rebel Palipehutu-FNL group in and around the capital, Bujumbura, this week. The delegation is also hoping to review the preparations made so far by Burundi since the Peacebuilding Commission agreed to take on the country as one of its areas of focus. 2008-04-19 00:00:00.000

HAITI FACING ‘EXPLOSIVE SITUATION’ BECAUSE OF FOOD CRISIS, UN OFFICIAL WARNS New York, Apr 18 2008 7:00PM Haiti will remain in an extremely precarious economic and humanitarian situation unless it receives an urgent injection of funds to widen emergency feeding operations, extend existing job programmes and jump-start agricultural activity, a senior United Nations official to the impoverished Caribbean country has warned. Joël Boutroue, the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Haiti, told the UN News Centre in an interview that while the security situation had stabilized somewhat this week following recent deadly protests over sharp rise in the price of basic foods, daily living conditions are still dire for many Haitians. “If we don’t react very strongly, then we could find ourselves in a very difficult state,” he said. “The level of poverty, combined with the lack of coping mechanisms for the poorest Haitians, means we have the potential for a very explosive situation.” In the past thousands of Haitians have fled their homeland because of economic or political problems, and the Coordinator said it was vital that the international community, as well as the Government and the country’s civil society and private sector, work together to prevent a repeat. He noted that the price of rice has fallen slightly from its peak and President René Préval has outlined to the nation a series of measures he hopes to introduce to alleviate the situation. The Government, in consultation with the UN, is also devising a plan of action for tackling the crisis that has struck worldwide this year, but hit Haiti – already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere – particularly hard. A major international appeal is expected to launch within the next week. Mr. Boutroue said Haiti has suffered especially because of its poor environment: few forests, infertile or low-quality soil, a lack of irrigation, polluted canals and waterways and a predominance of tiny farms means agricultural activity is limited. The country also has few factories, unemployment is estimated at around 60 to 70 per cent and more than half the population lives on less than $1 a day. Mr. Boutroue, who is also the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative in Haiti, called for a series of short- and long-term measures to bring Haiti back from the brink. These include expanding the existing labour-intensive job programmes that focus particularly on rehabilitating the environment, such as the management of watersheds, so that more agricultural and other economic activity can take place. It also includes widening the current targeted food distribution schemes, such as the communal kitchens in poor neighbourhoods and the school feeding operations. Earlier this week the UN World Food Programme announced it will distribute an additional 8,000 tons of food to people in need. Agriculture can also be jump-started, the envoy said, by providing – either free of charge or at a subsidized rate – fertilizers, seeds, tools and other equipment. He stressed that many of these activities, including the UN feeding programmes, have the capacity to be expanded rapidly, but he added that a boost should also “inject some more dynamism” into the country and its Government ministries. 2008-04-18 00:00:00.000

THREAT OF FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES IN TAJIKISTAN PROMPTS UN HUMANITARIAN APPEAL New York, Apr 17 2008 4:00PM The United Nations’ humanitarian wing is urgently appealing for $1.4 million so that it can buy and pre-position emergency water, sanitation and cooking items for up to 1,500 households in Tajikistan, which faces the threat of floods and landslides after a severe winter across much of Central Asia. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the likelihood of floods and landslides in upcoming weeks remains high following weeks of heavy snow and intense rains. OCHA is also reporting that Tajikistan could be hit by a locust infestation over more than 150,000 hectares of land because a combination of favourable weather conditions and incomplete spraying last year has led to a larger than normal amount of locusts’ eggs developing to adult stage. “The pest is developing quicker and earlier than usual and action is extremely time-sensitive,” according to a situation report issued by OCHA yesterday. The Food and Agriculture Organization ) is calling for $500,000 to cover the cost of pesticides and equipment, warning that unless those funds are received within the next week, it may not be able to avert a major outbreak. 2008-04-17 00:00:00.000

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES SIGNS OF PROGRESS TOWARDS REUNIFICATION OF CYPRUS New York, Apr 17 2008 8:00PM Welcoming the recent agreement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, the Security Council today voiced hope that the two sides can build enough trust and momentum in their peace process to lead eventually to the reunification of Cyprus. In a presidential statement, Council members said they are encouraged by the imminent launch of the working groups and technical committees, which are designed to prepare for the ground for full-fledged negotiations under UN auspices on a comprehensive and durable settlement. “The Security Council looks forward to the results of this preparatory process within the three-month timeline agreed by the two leaders, which it is hoped will build trust, momentum and a sense of common interest in the search for a just and lasting solution,” Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, said in the statement. He also observed that the recent opening of the Ledra Street crossing in Nicosia was an indication of the political will on both sides to tackle issues that have obstructed progress in the past, and called for more such confidence-building measures to be introduced. “The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the reunification of Cyprus based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation and political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions, and its willingness to support the efforts of the Secretary-General to this end.” The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus has been in place on the Mediterranean island since 1964 following the outbreak of intercommunal violence, and it is tasked with preventing a recurrence of fighting, contributing to a return to normal conditions and the maintenance of law and order. 2008-04-17 00:00:00.000

STATUS QUO IN WESTERN SAHARA NEGOTIATIONS UNACCEPTABLE – LATEST UN REPORT New York, Apr 16 2008 7:00PM Consolidating the status quo is not an acceptable outcome to the current process of negotiations over Western Sahara, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report on the long-running dispute between Morocco and the Frente Polisario. Mr. Ban writes that while he welcomes the two parties’ commitment – outlined in a communiqué last month – to continue their negotiations, so far there was no sign of any breakthrough in the dispute. “Momentum can only be maintained by trying to find a way out of the current political impasse through realism and a spirit of compromise from both parties,” he states, in the first report issued since UN-led talks were held in Manhasset, New York, last month. Mr. Ban recommends that the Security Council stress to both Morocco and the Frente Polisario that they enter into “a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations” without any preconditions. He also voices concern about the humanitarian situation of the Western Saharan refugees, many of whom have been living in camps in the Tindouf area of neighbouring Algeria for years. “I am particularly pleased that Morocco and the Frente Polisario have agreed at the talks held at Manhasset… to explore the establishment of family visits by land, in addition to the existing programme by air. This has the potential to significantly increase the number of beneficiaries able to visit their relatives from whom they have been separated for so long.” He also notes the recent progress made in clearing mines and explosive remnants of war in Western Sahara. Morocco holds that its position over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario contends that the Territory’s final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option. The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara has been in place since 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between the two sides. 2008-04-16 00:00:00.000

EASTERN DR CONGO WILL REMAIN FOCUS OF MISSION’S RESOURCES, UN ENVOY SAYS New York, Apr 15 2008 7:00PM The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has made solid progress in trying to stabilize the volatile east of the country, but the continued presence of armed rebels and militias means the region will remain the overwhelming focus of its operations for some time, its chief told reporters today. Alan Doss, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to the DRC and the head of the mission, known as MONUC, said as much as 90 to 92 per cent of the total number of blue helmets are deployed across the east of the vast country, which is trying to rebuild after years of misrule and civil war. Nearly two out of every three MONUC peacekeepers are based in either of two provinces, North Kivu and South Kivu, where the fighting and violence has been the worst in recent years but two recent accords were signed. Mr. Doss – who briefed the Security Council earlier today on the latest mission report – said the mission was making relative progress in restoring State authority to areas formerly controlled by rebels or other irregular armed groups, especially in the Ituri district of North Kivu. A large proportion of the DRC, which is as big as Western Europe, remains at peace, he said, although they are still burdened by enormous challenges, such as human rights violations, high infant and maternal mortality, and what he described as an epidemic of sexual violence. “This is a problem of immense dimensions,” he stressed, noting the lack of a meaningful criminal justice system in many parts of the country and the widespread culture of impunity, including for members of the Congolese national security and defence forces who commit such violations. He said the presence of the notorious rebel group from northern Uganda, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), in the borderlands area was another concern, as no one knew of their intentions in the DRC. Mr. Doss said it was also important to remain vigilant about the threats posed in the east by such armed groups as the Rwandan Interahamwe and the Forces Démocratiques de la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). MONUC is consulting with both the Rwandan and the Congolese Governments to try to persuade the groups to disarm and repatriate, he added, saying it was vital for the countries of the region to work together, particularly given the porous nature of the borders. 2008-04-15 00:00:00.000

UN MISSION IN HAITI DECRIES MURDER OF ONE OF ITS POLICE OFFICERS New York, Apr 14 2008 1:00PM The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti has strongly condemned Saturday’s murder of a Nigerian police officer serving with its operation, which took place two days after another gun attack on UN blue helmets amid continuing violent unrest in the impoverished Caribbean country because of a recent spike in food prices. The officer, a 36-year-old father, was with three other members of his formed police unit (FPU) near the cathedral in the Bel-Air district of the capital, Port-au-Prince, when he was dragged from his car and shot dead execution-style, according to the mission ). The mission said it has already opened an inquiry into the killing in collaboration with Haitian police officers. MINUSTAH “will pursue the authors of this abject crime with the strongest determination,” it added. Last Thursday, three UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka were shot while on patrol in the capital, but their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The attacks have occurred during a time of widespread public protests against the rising cost of living in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. On Saturday members of the national Senate voted to dismiss Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis. In a separate statement MINUSTAH said it hoped a new government could be quickly formed and Haiti could return to its efforts to rebuild after years of misrule and suffering. “The reform process must continue. At the same time, Haitians must work together to consolidate the stability and the progress which they have realised.” 2008-04-14 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON URGES IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM STEPS TO FIGHT ESCALATING FOOD CRISIS New York, Apr 14 2008 1:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for both immediate and long-term measures to tackle the growing global food crisis, warning that it could not only push millions of people deeper into poverty but also have larger political and security implications. “The rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions,” he told a joint meeting in New York of the UN Economic and Social Council ECOSOC), the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development “We need not only short-term emergency measures to meet urgent critical needs and avert starvation in many regions across the world, but also a significant increase in long-term productivity in food grain production, he said, citing the recent steep rise in prices and World Bank warnings that the crisis could mean “seven lost years” in the fight against global poverty. “The international community will also need to take urgent and concerted action in order to avert the larger political and security implications of this growing crisis. The UN needs to examine ways to lead a process for the immediate and longer-term responses to this global problem,” he added. Turning to the meeting’s five key themes, Mr. Ban called for building consensus around measures on development financing that would lead to more stable and predictable long-term resource flows to developing countries. He noted that middle-income countries need better market access to foster their comparative advantages as well as technical assistance and knowledge sharing to help address critical gaps in their development processes, such as improving infrastructure, integrating into world financial markets and tackling persistent pockets of poverty and growing inequality. Thirdly, citing trade as an engine of growth for the poorest economies, he appealed for increased investment and technology transfer from donors to help the least developed countries to broaden their exports through diversification and economic capacity-building, thus bolstering “aid for trade” support. He also called for “innovative and robust regulation to protect financial systems and sustain continued growth and expansion,” warning that regulatory checks and balances have failed to keep pace with the “enormous growth” of recent years. “The current turmoil in world markets demonstrates that this gap is unsustainable,” he declared. Finally he noted that long-term global economic growth and sustainable development is imperiled by climate change. “Developing countries need external assistance – especially better technology and increased financing – to rise to this challenge,” he said, calling on the world community to use the run-up to a major climate change conference in 2010 to implement new ways to finance adaptation and mitigation measures in developing nations. 2008-04-14 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL SETS OUT FOUR OPTIONS FOR UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA New York, Apr 11 2008 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined four options for the future of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea ), including the possibility of axing the mission, because of restrictions imposed by Eritrea on its side of the disputed border. In a special ">report on UNMEE, released today, Mr. Ban warns that none of the options are ideal as they all bear serious risks and would not resolve the impasse created by the Eritrean restrictions. Ending the mission could result in a return to open hostilities, for example, he says. “Yet the prevailing circumstances seriously limit the available courses of action,” the Secretary-General writes. One option is for the mission to resume unchanged, so long as Eritrea lifts all restrictions, resumes fuel supplies to UNMEE and allows it to perform the tasks envisaged in the cessation of hostilities agreement in 2000 that ended the last border war. A second option is to terminate the mission altogether, while another option would be to deploy a small observer mission to only the border area to try to defuse tensions between the armed forces of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The final option would be to set up liaison offices in the two capitals, Addis Ababa and Asmara, to allow the UN to remain ready to help the parties implement their peace agreement from 2000, including the demarcation of the border. Mr. Ban outlines the advantages and disadvantages of all the options, and calls on Security Council members to decide as quickly as possible on the best way to go forward. He also urges Ethiopia and Eritrea, “in the interest of regional peace and security, to take into account the serious consequences of the continued stalemate and accept the assistance of the Security Council and my good offices in fully implementing the agreements they have entered into.” Mr. Ban says he will submit a further report to the Council before 31 July, when the current mandate of UNMEE is due to expire, detailing his ongoing consultations with all the parties. 2008-04-11 00:00:00.000

PROLONGED DRY SPELLS COULD WORSEN FOOD SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE, WARNS UN AGENCY New York, Apr 10 2008 11:00AM An already precarious food security situation in Zimbabwe could get worse, as very dry weather in several provinces will likely lead to serious damage to the upcoming maize harvest, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)warned today. The agency reports that several provinces have not had rain since February, which will affect maize growth and yields that will be harvested in May/June. In addition to the dry weather, farmers have faced shortages of fertilizer, seed, fuel, and tillage power this season. They also suffered flood-related damages in several districts earlier in the season, resulting from heavy rains in December and January. Zimbabwe already faces a “critical” food security situation – primarily due to the lack of access to food – which is only getting worse due to the country’s exorbitant inflation rate – above 100,000 per cent in December 2007. “With dwindling foreign exchange reserves and shrinking purchasing power, another year of low cereal production would severely affect the food security condition for a significant part of the population unless substantial assistance is provided,” FAO said in a news release. In addition, Zimbabwe is one of several countries expected to be hit the hardest by the global spike in food prices, according to the UN World Food Programme 2008-04-10 00:00:00.000

PLIGHT OF DISPLACED IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC WORRIES SECURITY COUNCIL New York, Apr 9 2008 5:00PM Condemning continued armed activity of rebel groups in eastern Chad, members of the Security Council today expressed their concern over the humanitarian situation in that region and the neighbouring north-eastern Central African Republic (CAR), as the number of displaced persons continues to swell. Council members also welcomed progress in setting up the mission in the two countries, known as MINURCAT and its European support force, EUFOR, said Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, Council President for April, in a press statement after a briefing by Assistant Secretary General Edmond Mulet. “They stressed that the full deployment of MINURCAT and EUFOR Chad/CAR will contribute to the protection of vulnerable civilian populations and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, pursuant to resolution 1778 (2007),” he said. They also encouraged Member States to support those deployments through contributing necessary personnel and assets. The innovative, multi-dimensional MINURCAT was set up by the Security Council last September to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the northeast of the CAR and eastern Chad and in the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan. It was mandated to comprise 300 police and 50 military liaison officers, as well as civilian staff, focusing on the areas of civil affairs, human rights and the rule of law. The strength as of 1 April stood at 163 international and 64 national staff, according to the latest report of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Deployment was delayed when Chadian rebels advanced from the area of the border with Sudan in a bid to take Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, in early February. Though the rebels were eventually driven out of the city, street fighting left many dead and UN staff were evacuated. Also in early February, about 10,000 people from West Darfur sought refuge in eastern Chad following a series of deadly air and land attacks by the Sudanese Government and its allied militia. In addition, the Prime Minister of the CAR resigned in January and in the subsequent period many thousands fled their villages due to raids by armed groups, with many making their way to Chad. In his statement today, Mr. Kumalo said Council members strongly urged Sudan and Chad to meet the obligations of their 13 March agreement on reducing border tensions and encouraged the countries of the region to get actively involved in the follow-up. They also encouraged authorities in Chad and CAR to continue their efforts to promote inclusive political dialogue in their countries, he said. 2008-04-09 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS FIRST MEMBERS OF INTERNAL JUSTICE ADVISORY UNIT FOR UN New York, Apr 8 2008 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today approved the appointment of the first members of a new body that will advise on the first overhaul of the United Nations’ internal justice system in 60 years, as outlined by the General Assembly. The five-member Internal Justice Council will consist of a staff representative, a management representative and two distinguished external jurists, one nominated by the staff and one by management, all of whom were approved today. The fifth member, the chair, will be a distinguished juror chosen by these four. The two members nominated by staff, following a process inclusive of all staff unions, are Jenny Clift of Australia, a Vienna-based senior legal officer with the International Trade Law Division of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), and Geoffrey Robertson of the United Kingdom and Australia, who served as the first President of the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). The two members nominated by management are Maria Vicien-Milburn of Argentina, Director of the General Legal Division of the OLA, and Sinha Basnayake of Sri Lanka, who previously served in the same position and has since served the Organization in various advisory capacities on legal and administrative issues. The General Assembly decided to reshape the Organization’s justice system after a 2006 panel concluded that the administration of justice in the UN “fails to meet many basic standards of due process established in international human rights instruments.” In helping to redress that situation, the Internal Justice Council will advise the body on suitable candidates for the positions of judges on the future UN Dispute Tribunal and the UN Appeals Tribunal. Modelled on similar mechanisms at other international public organizations, it is also tasked with drafting a code of conduct for the judges, and for providing its views on the implementation of the new system to the Assembly. 2008-04-08 00:00:00.000

GULF STATES PLAY VITAL ROLE IN GLOBAL RELIEF EFFORTS, SAYS UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF New York, Apr 8 2008 3:00PM The top United Nations humanitarian official has lauded the contributions of Persian Gulf countries to relief efforts around the world, and called for boosting ties between them and the world body to better meet today’s growing challenges. “In many countries across the globe, the combined humanitarian efforts of Gulf countries have made a life-saving difference, reaching communities that, at times, the UN and other aid actors could not,” stated Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, who is currently on a four-nation tour of the region. In his keynote address to the fifth annual Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development (DIHAD) conference, Mr. Holmes pointed out that member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have given nearly $500 million and pledged a further $320 million in humanitarian aid over the past three years. Mr. Holmes, who is also Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted that the global demand for humanitarian assistance is likely to grow dramatically in the coming years, owing to ongoing internal and civil conflicts, more frequent and intense natural disasters and the rise in food and energy prices. “If we are to meet the growing array of humanitarian needs, we must work together more cohesively not only to respond to crises, but also to reduce their impact before they happen,” he stated, stressing the need to strengthen the partnership between the UN and Gulf nations. Doing so will not only reinforce current activities, “but also help build a more fully-representative and universally accepted humanitarian movement that is better equipped to meet the challenges of both man and nature in the 21st century,” said Mr. Holmes. “Without this balance, there is a risk that humanitarian assistance will continue to be viewed as a Western enterprise,” he added. In addition to the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Holmes – who is travelling together with UN Special Humanitarian Envoy Abdul Aziz Arrukban – is visiting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Also today at the DIHAD Conference, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) unveiled the Arabic version of its popular humanitarian video game that teaches children about global hunger. Some six million people around the world have already played “Food Force,” which is designed for children aged eight to 13. In a race against time, players join a virtual team of WFP experts to get food to the needy in an emergency situation. WFP’s Deputy Executive Director John Powell noted that it is fitting that the game is being launched in Dubai, “an essential logistics hub for the entire humanitarian community, and especially for WFP as one of the leaders in this field.” Launched in 2005, as the world’s first humanitarian video game, Food Force is available as a free internet download from www.food-force.com. 2008-04-08 00:00:00.000

UN HUMAN RIGHTS BODY BEGINS FIRST-EVER EXAMINATION OF ALL COUNTRIES’ RECORDS New York, Apr 7 2008 5:00PM The Universal Periodic Review, a new mechanism to examine the human rights record of every United Nations Member State, was launched today at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Over the next two weeks, a first group of 16 countries – starting with Bahrain and Ecuador – will have their records scrutinized, as part of the Review, one of the reforms which differentiate the Council from the Commission on Human Rights, which it succeeded in 2006. The Review meetings will feature interactive discussions between the States in question and a working group comprises all of the Council’s 47 members, according to a UN spokesperson. The discussions will be based on national reports and information from a variety of sources, including treaty bodies, Special Rapporteurs – independent experts on specific topics that report to the Council – non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and academics. Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Finland, India, Indonesia, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia and the United Kingdom are the other countries being reviewed over the next two weeks. Under the Review’s work plans, 48 countries are scheduled to be reviewed each year, so that the UN’s complete membership of 192 countries will be reviewed once every four years. Last month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Council to assure that all countries were scrutinized equally. “The Review must reaffirm that just as human rights are universal, so is our collective respect for them and our commitment to them,” he said. 2008-04-07 00:00:00.000

CLIMATE CHANGE WILL TAKE HEAVY TOLL ON HUMAN HEALTH – UN OFFICIALS New York, Apr 7 2008 11:00AM Top United Nations officials have warned that global warming and its effects, including a rise in air and sea temperatures and extreme weather patterns, endanger not only the planet but also pose a major threat to human health. In his message marking this year’s World Health Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that, in addition to causing more frequent and more severe storms, heat waves, droughts and floods, climate change jeopardizes the quality and availability of water and food, “our fundamental determinants of nutrition and health.” He stressed the need to “give voice to this often-overlooked reality, ensuring that protecting human health is anchored at the heart of the global climate change agenda.” The Secretary-General added that it is the world’s poor – who contributed the least to climate change – that will bear the brunt of the human suffering resulting from the crisis. For example, malnutrition and climate-related infectious diseases will take their heaviest toll on the most vulnerable – small children, the elderly and the infirm. Women living in poverty face particular risk when natural disasters and other global-warming related dangers strike. Stressing that “climate change is real, it is accelerating and it threatens all of us,” Mr. Ban called for collective action to combat the scourge, for the sake of the planet as well as for those inhabiting it. “The core concern is succinctly stated: climate change endangers human health,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). “The warming of the planet will be gradual, but the effects of extreme weather events – more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves – will be abrupt and acutely felt.” She noted that human beings are already exposed to the effects of climate-sensitive diseases, including malnutrition, which causes over 3.5 million deaths per year, diarrhoeal diseases, which kill over 1.8 million, and malaria, which kills almost 1 million. Recent events such as the European heat wave in 2003, Hurricane Katrina – which struck the United States in 2005 – and cholera epidemics in Bangladesh are just a few examples of what can be expected in the future. “These trends and events cannot be attributed solely to climate change but they are the types of challenges we expect to become more frequent and intense with climate changes,” she stated. “They will further strain health resources which, in many regions, are already under severe stress.” To address the health effects of climate change, WHO is coordinating and supporting research and assessment on the most effective measures to protect health, particularly for the most vulnerable such as women and children in developing countries. It is also advising Member States on the necessary changes to their health systems to protect their populations, and will be working closely with them in the years ahead to develop effective means of adapting to a changing climate and reducing its effects on human health. 2008-04-07 00:00:00.000

UN RELIEF CHIEF AND SAUDI KING DISCUSS CLOSER COOPERATION IN HUMANITARIAN FIELD New York, Apr 6 2008 9:00PM The top United Nations relief official and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah have held talks today in Riyadh, discussing how the world body and the Middle East country can pursue ways to strengthen their partnership in the humanitarian field. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes thanked King Abdullah for the commitment shown by Saudi Arabia in supporting humanitarian efforts in the region and elsewhere, according to a press release issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "I was deeply impressed by the commitment of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques to humanitarian causes throughout the world and look forward to taking further the dialogue we have begun with the Saudi authorities in the weeks and months to come," the Under-Secretary-General said. Mr. Holmes and Abdul Aziz Arrukban, the UN Special Humanitarian Envoy of the Secretary-General based in the Gulf region, also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud today. Their talks focused on improving the response to crises worldwide, particularly given the impact of climate change and the recent spike in global food prices. In addition, Mr. Holmes and Prince Saud al Faisal agreed to enhance the cooperation mechanisms between the UN -- including OCHA and the Saudi Government, the Gulf Cooperation Council and local civil society organizations. The visit to Saudi Arabia is the first stop of a four-country visit to the Persian Gulf region by Mr. Holmes. He is scheduled to travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar as well. 2008-04-06 00:00:00.000

IN SAUDI ARABIA, UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF BEGINS TOUR OF PERSIAN GULF REGION New York, Apr 5 2008 5:00PM The top United Nations relief official today began a six-day, four-country visit to the Persian Gulf region by holding talks with senior officials in Saudi Arabia on how to improve partnerships between the world body and Gulf States on humanitarian issues. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Abdul Aziz Arrukban, the Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy, met this morning with Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society (SRCS). Mr. Holmes and Prince Faisal agreed on the need for improved coordination between the UN and the SRCS so that the appropriate assistance can be provided in relief situations, according to a press release issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "It is important to reinforce our cooperation as part of a wider long-term effort to strengthen [the] international humanitarian response," the Under-Secretary-General said. "Needs are increasing -- both from the man-made disasters in so many countries, both in the Middle East region and the Muslim world as a whole, and new challenges such as climate change and the structural rise in food prices. Working together multilaterally gives us the best chance to address these needs in a transparent and coordinated way." Mr. Holmes and Mr. Arrukban also held talks with Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Assaf to discuss the country's ongoing support of humanitarian activities worldwide. After visiting Saudi Arabia, Mr. Holmes is scheduled to travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar. 2008-04-05 00:00:00.000

IRAQ: UN RELIEF OFFICIALS URGE IMPROVED SECURITY AND ACCESS FOR AID WORKERS New York, Apr 4 2008 11:00AM Senior United Nations humanitarian officials has called for an end to the deadly violence besetting Iraq and for safe access for aid workers trying to deliver food, clean water and other vital supplies to millions in need. “Unfortunately, in Iraq today access is often hindered by ongoing hostilities and restrictions on freedom of movement,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters in Amman, Jordan. “Aid workers must be able to reach people in need with timely, life-saving assistance.” Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said a combination of violence and the deterioration of basic services have worsened the situation of the Iraqi people. The UN and its partners are working to alleviate their plight, while keeping in mind the safety of humanitarian workers. The UN relief chief, who was unable to go to Iraq for security reasons, travelled to Amman to discuss the humanitarian situation in Iraq with relevant officials. Noting that humanitarian needs in Iraq have risen dramatically in the last two years, he emphasized the need to make the most of any “localised security improvements and pockets of stability” to expand relief efforts. “We are scaling up the emergency response wherever conditions allow, and hope that the $265 million appeal launched in February will be fully funded by donors,” he stated. David Shearer, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, recently conducted a joint assessment mission with Iraqi officials to Basra, which has seen increased hostilities in recent weeks. “While we are no longer facing a humanitarian crisis in Basra, some families still need support,” Mr. Shearer said. “The UN’s priority now is to support Basra’s local government in redoubling its own assistance efforts for the most vulnerable families.” Even before the recent violence in the governorate subsided, the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were able to begin their relief efforts there. As the security situation improves, they are stepping up their operations to reach thousands in need. Meanwhile, limited humanitarian access in Sadr City in Baghdad continues to impede aid efforts to some of the city’s poorest areas, Mr. Shearer noted, adding that it is essential to work together with the Government and neighbouring countries to alleviate the plight of the Iraqi people. Mr. Holmes reiterated the international community’s commitment to respond to both the humanitarian crisis inside Iraq and to the displacement it has prompted in the region. “We are doing all we can to meet the needs of millions of suffering Iraqis, both those inside the country and beyond its borders, by strengthening our overall humanitarian coordination and response,” he said. 2008-04-04 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN HAILS ENTRY INTO FORCE OF TREATY ON DISABILITY RIGHTS New York, Apr 3 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the entry into force of the first international treaty on the human rights of persons with disabilities, after the required twentieth country ratified the landmark convention today. “It is a historic moment in our quest for realization of the universal human rights for ALL persons, creating a fully inclusive society for all,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Marie Okabe said in a statement celebrating the rapid progress of the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in December 2006. “The Convention will be a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacle faced by persons with disabilities,” she said, pointing to discrimination, segregation from society, economic marginalization, and lack of opportunities for participation in social, political and economic decision-making processes. Today’s ratification by Ecuador means that the Convention, along with an optional protocol that will allow individuals and groups to petition for relief, will be legally binding as of 3 May. Tunisia and Jordan also ratified the treaty earlier this week. Through today’s statement, the Secretary-General also congratulated the States that have ratified or acceded to the Convention. Some 126 countries have signed the Convention since 30 March 2007, and 71 have signed the optional protocol. “It is estimated that there are at least 650 million persons with disabilities worldwide, of whom approximately 80 percent live in less developed countries,” Ms. Okabe noted. As many as two-thirds of United Nations Member States do not have any legal protection for people with disabilities, according to the UN Focal Point on Disability Akiko Ito, even though they comprise one in 10 of the global population. “The Convention, together with its Optional Protocol, is deeply rooted in the firm commitment of the international community to rectifying the egregious neglect and dehumanizing practices that violate the human rights of persons with disabilities,” Ms. Okabe concluded, calling on all States that have not yet done so to accede or ratify it without delay. In a statement issued this past weekend, more than 20 UN departments, agencies, programmes, and funds pledged their support to implementing the convention. The newly-formed Inter-Agency Support Group for the Convention said that support will focus on six main areas: policies to support the purpose and objectives of the Convention; programmes including international cooperation; capacity-building of Member States, civil society, and the UN system; research and access to knowledge on disabilities; accessibility; and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 2008-04-03 00:00:00.000

ECUADOR STARTS ACTION AT UN WORLD COURT AGAINST AERIAL SPRAYING BY COLOMBIA New York, Apr 1 2008 4:00PM Ecuador is taking Colombia to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, in a dispute between the two South American countries over the alleged aerial spraying of toxic herbicides around their common border. In an application filed with the ICJ yesterday in The Hague, where the court is based, Ecuador said that spraying by Colombia “has already caused serious damage to people, to crops, to animals, and to the natural environment on the Ecuadorian side of the frontier, and poses a grave risk of further damage over time.” Ecuador said it had turned to the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for adjudication because “repeated and sustained efforts to negotiate an end to the fumigations” had proven unsuccessful. The application asks the court to declare that Colombia has violated its obligations under international law and that it must take all necessary steps to prevent the use of toxic herbicides in a way that could deposit them on Ecuadorian territory. It also asks that Colombia indemnify Ecuador for any loss or damage caused. Ecuador said the Pact of Bogotá, reached in April 1948, and the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances should apply to the case. Colombia is yet to formally respond to Ecuador’s application. Meanwhile, the ICJ has set deadlines for the filing of initial pleadings in the maritime boundary dispute between Peru and Chile. Peru has until 20 March next year to file and Chile has until 9 March 2010 to file its counter-claim. In January Peru filed an application with the ICJ over the delimitation of the boundary between the Pacific Ocean maritime zones of the two countries. 2008-04-01 00:00:00.000

STEPPED-UP ACTION NEEDED TO SPUR SOMALI ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PEACE: UN New York, Mar 31 2008 4:00PM A meeting hosted by the United Nations and the World Bank wrapped up over the weekend, with participants underscoring the need for stepped-up local and international involvement to spur economic growth and bring a durable peace to Somalia. Participants at the high-level gathering on “Financial and Economic Issues in Somalia” – which took place from 28-29 March in Nairobi, Kenya – discussed the resilience of the Horn of Africa nation’s economy, the potential for growth and finance and debt issues, among others. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative Ahmedou Ould-Abdullah characterized the gathering as “an important and constructive step towards helping Somalia return to peace and stability.” Attendees included Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya and Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wegangula, as well as representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank and other groups. The meeting ended with the agreement that a further meeting should be held on the economy of Somalia – which has not had a functioning government in nearly two decades – as well as a development and reconstruction conference. Meanwhile, insecurity is growing in many parts of south-central Somalia, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with clashes between Ethiopian/Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces and anti-government elements escalating over the past week. In the capital, Mogadishu, OCHA reported that the worst fighting took place during the weekend at a market where an unconfirmed number of people were killed and over 40 others treated for injuries. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted that at least 4,000 people have been forced to flee the violence in Mogadishu in the past 10 days, bring the total of those having left the capital to 70,000 since the start of the year. OCHA voiced concern over the looting of World Food Programme (WFP) trucks in Mogadishu, apparently at the prompting of a Commissioner who publicly stated that people should take food by force from passing UN trucks. Almost all of the food has been recovered, but OCHA said that it is troubled that senior government officials are encouraging and fuelling such incidents. 2008-03-31 00:00:00.000

VIOLENT CLASHES CONTINUE IN PARTS OF NEPAL AHEAD OF UPCOMING POLLS -- UN REPORT New York, Mar 30 2008 12:00PM Campaigning for Nepal's upcoming Constituent Assembly election continues in relative calm across much of the South Asian nation, but a significant number of districts have experienced a surge in clashes between different political party supporters, according to a report released today by the United Nations. Prepared by the UN Mission in Nepal ), in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, the <report is the second in a series being published on conditions for the polls, scheduled for 10 April. "The aim of UNMIN's regular public report is to encourage the political parties and all Nepalis to create a free and fair atmosphere for the Constituent Assembly election, now less than two weeks away," said Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Nepal. The report highlights the results of UNMIN and OHCHR-Nepal monitoring over the past week, related to violence by groups opposed to the election, violations of the electoral code of conduct and of human rights, and the monitoring of arms and armies. "The main threats to peaceful campaigning were continuing acts of violence by armed groups in the Terai, and obstruction, intimidation and violence carried out by supporters of political parties against candidates and supporters of competing parties, as well as intimidation of voters," states the report. Among the gravest incidents during the past week were the killings of two cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) in Kapilvastu and Solukhumbu, which bring the total number of violent deaths of Maoists since 5 February to at least seven. In addition, a bomb attack yesterday at a mosque in Biratnagar left two dead. Strongly condemning the attack, Mr. Martin said that "forces tempted to try to disrupt the election should recognize the backlash this would provoke, and should respect the overwhelming desire of the people of Nepal, supported by the international community, to see the election of the Constituent Assembly as the democratic basis for determining the future of the nation." Also of deep concern are widespread reports, confirmed by UNMIN and OHCHR monitoring and investigation, of continued Maoist intimidation of rival parties and voters, with clashes between the CPN-M and the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML), Nepali Congress and Rastrya Prajatantra parties becoming frequent. The report also states that UNMIN "has intensified its monitoring of arms and armies during this crucial period, but there have been cases of Maoist combatants leaving their cantonments to engage in political campaigning, and in some instances in uniform and with perimeter security weapons to provide security for senior party leaders." In a meeting with election commissioners last week, Mr. Martin had made it clear to the leadership of the CPN-M that it was a breach of the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies for personnel and/or weapons from Maoist army cantonments to be present at meetings outside the cantonments -- including for the purpose of providing leadership security. Among its recommendations, the report urges strict adherence to the Agreement so as to prevent interference by either army in the electoral process. It addition, "the campaigning political parties should act immediately to end the cycle of violence and retaliation, and should respect fully the election Code of Conduct and human rights standards," the report states. Once elected, the Constituent Assembly will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country, which has emerged from a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and the Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006. 2008-03-30 00:00:00.000

CRIMINAL NETWORK RESPONSIBLE FOR HARIRI ASSASSINATION, SAYS UN PROBE New York, Mar 28 2008 7:00PM Evidence shows that a criminal network was responsible for the massive car bombing that killed the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others in Beirut in February 2005, the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) says in a new report to the Security Council. UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has submitted the latest report of the IIIC, which is headed by Daniel Bellemare, to the 15 Council members. In that report the IIIC – which was set up by the Council – said it has evidence that a network of individuals acted in concert to carry out the assassination of Mr. Hariri and that this same network, or parts of it, is linked to some of the other cases that fall within the mandate of the commission. Mr. Ban and the UN are taking steps to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to try those responsible for the death of Mr. Hariri and earlier this week Council members welcomed a report that showed the Secretary-General is making significant progress. A headquarters agreement has been signed with the Netherlands, a prosecutor and a registrar has been appointed, and a management committee has been established. Financial contributions and pledges have also come from several UN Member States. Once it is formally established, it will be up to the Special Tribunal to determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2004 were connected to the assassination of Mr. Hariri and could therefore be dealt with by the tribunal. 2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

VIOLENT CLASHES CONTINUE IN PARTS OF NEPAL AHEAD OF UPCOMING POLLS -- UN REPORT New York, Mar 30 2008 12:00PM Campaigning for Nepal's upcoming Constituent Assembly election continues in relative calm across much of the South Asian nation, but a significant number of districts have experienced a surge in clashes between different political party supporters, according to a report released today by the United Nations. Prepared by the UN Mission in Nepal ), in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, the report is the second in a series being published on conditions for the polls, scheduled for 10 April. "The aim of UNMIN's regular public report is to encourage the political parties and all Nepalis to create a free and fair atmosphere for the Constituent Assembly election, now less than two weeks away," said Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Nepal. The report highlights the results of UNMIN and OHCHR-Nepal monitoring over the past week, related to violence by groups opposed to the election, violations of the electoral code of conduct and of human rights, and the monitoring of arms and armies. "The main threats to peaceful campaigning were continuing acts of violence by armed groups in the Terai, and obstruction, intimidation and violence carried out by supporters of political parties against candidates and supporters of competing parties, as well as intimidation of voters," states the report. Among the gravest incidents during the past week were the killings of two cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) in Kapilvastu and Solukhumbu, which bring the total number of violent deaths of Maoists since 5 February to at least seven. In addition, a bomb attack yesterday at a mosque in Biratnagar left two dead. Strongly condemning the attack, Mr. Martin said that "forces tempted to try to disrupt the election should recognize the backlash this would provoke, and should respect the overwhelming desire of the people of Nepal, supported by the international community, to see the election of the Constituent Assembly as the democratic basis for determining the future of the nation." Also of deep concern are widespread reports, confirmed by UNMIN and OHCHR monitoring and investigation, of continued Maoist intimidation of rival parties and voters, with clashes between the CPN-M and the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML), Nepali Congress and Rastrya Prajatantra parties becoming frequent. The report also states that UNMIN "has intensified its monitoring of arms and armies during this crucial period, but there have been cases of Maoist combatants leaving their cantonments to engage in political campaigning, and in some instances in uniform and with perimeter security weapons to provide security for senior party leaders." In a meeting with election commissioners last week, Mr. Martin had made it clear to the leadership of the CPN-M that it was a breach of the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies for personnel and/or weapons from Maoist army cantonments to be present at meetings outside the cantonments -- including for the purpose of providing leadership security. Among its recommendations, the report urges strict adherence to the Agreement so as to prevent interference by either army in the electoral process. It addition, "the campaigning political parties should act immediately to end the cycle of violence and retaliation, and should respect fully the election Code of Conduct and human rights standards," the report states. Once elected, the Constituent Assembly will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country, which has emerged from a decade-long civil war that claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and the Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006. 2008-03-30 00:00:00.000

LATEST ROUND OF UN CLIMATE TALKS TO START NEXT WEEK New York, Mar 28 2008 6:00PM A fresh round of United Nations-sponsored climate change talks, expected to draw 1,000 participants, will kick off next week in Bangkok, Thailand. This five-day meeting seeks to push the so-called “Bali Roadmap” – agreed upon by 187 countries at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, last December – forward. Under this guide, key issues during the upcoming negotiations will be adaptation, mitigation, the deployment of climate-friendly technology and financing. In Bangkok, attendees are expected to lay out a work plan for the negotiations for a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012, as well as discuss how developed nations can curb their emissions. “The challenge is to design a future agreement that will significantly step up action on adaptation, successfully halt the increase in global emissions within the next 10 to 15 years, dramatically cut back emissions by 2050, and do so in a way that is economically viable and politically equitable worldwide,” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change The negotiations process is scheduled to conclude next year at a major summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. In a related development, the Kyoto Protocol’s Adaptation Fund Board wrapped up its inaugural meeting today in Bonn, Germany. The Fund seeks to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries. Characterizing it as “unique,” Mr. de Boer pointed out that it is “not reliant on donor funding or overseas development assistance. This is the climate regime beginning to become self-financing.” At present, the Fund is backed by a 2 per cent levy on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows industrialized countries to generate credits through investment in emission reduction projects in developing countries. It is worth some €37 million currently, and its value is expected to surge to $80 million to $300 million in the 2008-2012 period.

MAOIST ARMY PERSONNEL, WEAPONS MUST STAY IN CANTONMENTS – UN ENVOY TO NEPAL New York, Mar 28 2008 6:00PM The top United Nations official in Nepal today vowed that the world body would play its part to try to ensure that Maoist army personnel and weapons are contained to the agreed cantonments during the current election campaign for the Constituent Assembly. Ian Martin, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the head of the UN Mission in Nepal met with the country’s independent Election Commission in Kathmandu, the capital, to discuss the effective monitoring of the cantonments through the Joint Monitoring and Coordination Committee. Mr. Martin told election commissioners that the mission had made it clear to the leadership of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) that it was a breach of the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies for personnel and/or weapons from Maoist army cantonments to be present at meetings outside the cantonments – including for the purpose of providing leadership security. While UNMIN recognizes the importance of adequate security arrangements for leaders and candidates of all parties, special security arrangements for the Maoist leadership were agreed upon in a signed understanding between the Government and the Maoists. Nepalese voters go to the polls on 10 April to elect members of the Constituent Assembly, which will be tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country. The polls, which have been delayed several times because of political violence, are part of a democratization process following the end of the decade-long civil war, which killed an estimated 13,000 people until the Government and Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006. Meanwhile, 21 Tibetans aged between 15 and 18 climbed into the UN compound in Kathmandu this morning, and then peacefully presented a banner to UN staff with slogans along the lines of “Free Tibet.” After apologizing for entering the compound, the teenagers were given lunch and then taken home, with the UN asking local authorities to not take any action against the children. 2008-03-28 00:00:00.000

UN RIGHTS BODY SAYS STATES MUST REFRAIN FROM PROFILING WHILE COMBATING TERRORISM New York, Mar 27 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today passed a resolution calling on States to not resort to racial, ethnic or religious profiling while countering terrorism. Adopted without a vote, the text urges States to fully comply with their obligations regarding torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It also “opposes any form of deprivation of liberty that amounts to placing a detained person outside of the protection of the law.” Additionally, the 47-member body adopted five other resolutions. It extended the mandates by three years of its Independent Experts on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights; on human rights and solidarity; and on minority issues. The Council also adopted texts pertaining to the staff composition of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as on the enhancement of global cooperation in the field of human rights. The body will wrap up its seventh session, which began on 3 March, tomorrow. 2008-03-27 00:00:00.000

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES CONTINUED TALKS DESPITE RECENT BLOODSHED IN MIDDLE EAST New York, Mar 25 2008 5:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today praised Palestinian and Israeli leaders for their commitment to the Middle East political process despite the recent spike of violence, and urged that the targets for a settlement that were set in last year’s talks be kept. Opening a Security Council briefing and debate this morning that included over 20 other speakers, the Secretary-General recalled that the parties projected reaching an agreement by the end of 2008 when they met in Annapolis, United States in November 2007. “It is my hope that we can achieve this ambitious goal,” he added. “I believe all of us must ask ourselves, and the parties, two simple questions: If not this, what? If not now, when?” He commended Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for their commitment to the process, despite the death toll in Gaza and Israel that peaked earlier this month and the ongoing high tensions. “I am personally and profoundly committed to supporting this process in every way I can, and I admire both leaders for their tenacity in the face of much scepticism,” he said. Mr. Ban urged the international community, particularly members of the Security Council, to ramp up their support for a negotiated settlement, saying it was too important to be allowed to lose momentum through inaction or indifference, or to be overwhelmed by violence. At the same time, he expressed deep concern over the prospect of renewed violence in Gaza and southern Israel, and what this would mean both for the civilian populations in the conflict zone and for the peace process itself. Briefing the Council on events of this past month, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe regretted that continuing efforts to advance the peace process were once again overshadowed by high numbers of civilian casualties and a lack of concrete improvements on the ground. During the reporting period, he said, 124 Palestinians, including 36 children, were killed in operations of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and 359 were injured, while 13 Israelis, including four children, were killed by Palestinian militants, with 55 injured. Over 390 rockets and mortar rounds were fired into Israel, including longer-range rockets. Mr. Pascoe stressed, however, that the very fact that the talks between Israelis and Palestinians were continuing was extremely important. He said he could not report on progress because confidentiality between the leaders was being maintained, which he also saw as a positive sign. Meetings between the heads of the two negotiating teams resumed recently and the work of a number of technical groups formed between the parties is being pursued, he reported. In addition, he said that Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and a senior official in the Israeli Ministry of Defence attended the first trilateral meeting on monitoring of implementation of the first phase of commitments under the so-called Road Map peace framework. Mr. Pascoe called on the international community and all regional parties to give strong support to efforts to bring about a cessation of violence in and around Gaza to reopen Gaza crossings, in an atmosphere where the security concerns of the Palestinians, Israel and Egypt are addressed. On Lebanon, he said the country continues to be in the grip of a deep political crisis. “The longer the stalemate continues, the greater the chance for the situation to deteriorate further, both politically and in terms of the security situation,” he said. 2008-03-25 00:00:00.000

UNICEF DENOUNCES ABDUCTION OF ENGINEERS IN NORTH DARFUR New York, Mar 23 2008 4:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today condemned the hijacking and abduction in Sudan's North Darfur state of a team of engineers with the country's State Water Corporation and called for the immediate release of the four men and their equipment. In a statement issued in Khartoum, UNICEF Representative Ted Chaiban said it was unacceptable that the employees of the State Water Corporation should be targeted in this way. The corporation is UNICEF's main counterpart in providing water and sanitation services across northern Sudan, including Darfur, and Mr. Chaiban called it "a valued partner" of the agency. "This incident underlines that it is not only UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are vulnerable to such banditry," he said. "Many humanitarian services are provided by technical staff from government departments and they too are at risk of such attacks. This cannot be condoned, and we demand that all such workers are allowed to operate with safety and security in the Darfur region." Unidentified gunmen hijacked the corporation team on Thursday night in Um Tajok in North Darfur, and the team's four drivers, its vehicles and its drilling rig remain missing today. Banditry has become increasingly frequent in Darfur, where in the past five years more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2.2 million others displaced from their homes because of fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen. A hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force known as UNAMID is being deployed to the region to try to quell the violence and the humanitarian suffering, but the mission is still lacking key capacities and remains far short of the 26,000 uniformed personnel expected when it reaches full capacity. 2008-03-23 00:00:00.000

DEADLY ATTACKS IN WEST DARFUR BREACHED INTERNATIONAL LAW – UN REPORT New York, Mar 20 2008 1:00PM Recent attacks by militias and the Sudanese army on four villages in West Darfur that left at least 115 people dead and some 30,000 displaced violated international humanitarian and human rights law, a United Nations report released today has found. The report, issued jointly by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur describes attacks on four villages north of El Geneina, the regional capital. The attacks on the villages of Saraf Jidad, Sirba, Silea and Abu Suruj were carried out as part of a push by the Sudanese Government in late January and early February to drive back an insurgent group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The 8 February attacks involved aerial bombardments by helicopter gun ships and fixed-wing aircraft, accompanied by ground offensives by soldiers and armed militia on horses and camels, the report says. The report describes extensive looting during and after the attacks, and catalogues “consistent and credible accounts” of rape committed by armed men in uniform. “These actions violated the principle of distinction stated in international humanitarian law, failing to distinguish between civilian objects and military objective,” the report concludes. “Moreover, the scale of destruction of civilian property, including objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population, suggests that the damage was a deliberate and integral part of a military strategy,” it adds. UNAMID human rights staff were unable to investigate reports that similar ground and air offensives carried out on Jebel Moon and nearby areas on 18, 19 and 22 February also resulted in the killing of civilians, as the Government denied the UN access to Jebel Moon until 1 March. According to the report, this was “in breach of its obligation to allow UNAMID officials freedom of movement under the Status of Forces Agreement signed between the UN and the Sudanese Government in February 2008.” The attacks of the JEM rebel group, which precipitated the Government offensive, had previously been determined by the Darfur Ceasefire Commission to be in violation of the 2004 N’Djamena Ceasefire Agreement. Meanwhile, UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative Henry Anyidoho travelled to one of the villages, Silea, to assess the security situation on the ground and to look at the possibility of the mission’s deployment there. “The protection of civilians is our priority,” Mr. Anyidoho told community elders. “We will not abandon you. The UN will continue working to improve your living conditions,” he said, affirming that UNAMID would soon have a permanent presence in the area. Currently, UNAMID conducts daily patrols from El Geneina to the conflict-affected areas, allowing humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) access to the population. UNAMID took over from a previous AU force at the beginning of the year in a bid to quell the fighting and humanitarian suffering in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed in the past five years and at least 2.2 million displaced. 2008-03-20 00:00:00.000

UN FORCE MARKS 30 YEARS OF PEACEKEEPING IN SOUTHERN LEBANON New York, Mar 19 2008 2:00PM Blue helmets representing the 25 different national contingents that make up the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon today marked three decades of peacekeeping in the Middle Eastern nation. First created by the Security Council in 1978 to confirm an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, the Force was enhanced in August 2006 to monitor the cessation of hostilities that erupted that summer between the two neighbours. It is also tasked with supporting the Lebanese armed forces as they deployed throughout south Lebanon, and extending assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons. Addressing a ceremony at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura today, Force Commander Major-General Claudio Graziano noted that UNIFIL has gone through various phases since its inception 30 years ago. “But UNIFIL’s goal towards maintaining peace and stability in south Lebanon has never faltered and has always maintained its momentum towards bringing normalcy in the area despite the many challenges,” he told the gathering, which also included representatives from the Lebanese armed and security forces, local officials and diplomats. The Force Commander dedicated the day to the memory of the 270 UNIFIL peacekeepers that have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1978 – 12 of them just during the past year. UNIFIL currently comprises around 12,500 troops, supported by over 1,000 civilian international and local staff. This includes about 1,500 naval personnel of the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force deployed along the Lebanese coast, at the request of the Government, to support the Lebanese navy in preventing any illegal transfer of arms or related material into the country. In addition to their mandated responsibilities, UNIFIL personnel have also provided medical, dental and veterinarian aid to the local communities, and its de-miners have destroyed thousands of explosive devices. 2008-03-19 00:00:00.000

BAN KI-MOON MOURNS DEATH OF UN POLICE OFFICER IN KOSOVO New York, Mar 18 2008 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his deep sadness at the death of a United Nations police officer during yesterday’s violent clashes in Mitrovica in the north of Kosovo. Kynol Ivor, 25, was part of the Ukrainian Formed Police Unit (FPU) and was killed in an operation undertaken – jointly by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR – to reclaim the courthouse in North Mitrovica which was stormed and occupied on 14 March. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said that he “calls on all parties to refrain from violence and to engage in a constructive dialogue and work together to promote security and stability in Kosovo.” Extending his condolences to the officer’s family, the Secretary-General also thanked the Ukrainian Government for its “dedicated commitment” to the UN’s work in Kosovo. Also mourning the policeman’s death, a senior UNMIK official today said the recent violence is “unacceptable” and will not be tolerated. “Our condolences go to the family of the Ukrainian police officer who was killed by this mob, who was murdered by this mob,” said the Secretary-General’s Principal Deputy Special Representative in Kosovo, Larry Rossin, at a press briefing. Characterizing the 14 March attack on the courthouse as an “orchestrated occupation,” he said that there had been several attempts to persuade Serbia's Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, as well as Kosovo Serb political figures in Mitrovica, to resolve the situation peacefully. Despite such communications, the courthouse continued to be occupied by some 40 people, including some officers of the Serbian Ministry of the Interior,” Mr. Rossin noted. Additionally, UNMIK received information that those who carried out the courthouse attack were planning to occupy another UN building in the area. After planning and consulting with both KFOR and the Police Commissioner, he said he authorized the operation which began early yesterday morning to regain control of the courthouse and restore law and order. Despite originally starting out peacefully, the situation deteriorated into violence, with a mob attacking first with rocks, then with Molotov cocktails. Shortly after, UN police and KFOR troops came under direct gunfire and hand grenade attacks, resulting in 42 UN police officers and 22 KFOR troops sustaining injuries. “I hesitate to call them demonstrators, because demonstrating implies peacefully and this was far, far beyond the limit of what is acceptable,” Mr. Rossin said of the mob. He added that 32 of those occupying the courthouse were temporarily detained, processed and released back to North Mitrovica. “Criminal investigations into all these illegal acts, including murder and attempted murder, perpetrated on UNMIK and on KFOR soldiers are ongoing and we firmly intend to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice.” The situation in the area is now calm, but tense, Mr. Rossin observed, urging all to respect the rule of law and to allow UNMIK to carry out its mandate. Last month, the Assembly of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government declared independence from Serbia, and since then the Secretary-General has underlined the need for restraint from all sides. 2008-03-18 00:00:00.000

RETURN OF CULTURAL TREASURES DISCUSSED AT UN-BACKED CONFERENCE New York, Mar 17 2008 2:00PM The return of the Stone Birds of Great Zimbabwe, the Axum Obelisk of Ethiopia and a ceremonial mask of the Kwakwaka'wakw people of Canada are among recent examples of successful restitution of cultural property to be discussed at a United Nations-backed conference opening today. Attending the two-day event in Athens, Greece, co-organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and the Cultural Organization and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, will be lawyers, museum professionals, archaeologists, academics and cultural property experts. Participants will exchange experiences and cover ethical and legal aspects of the issue, along with the topics of mediation and diplomacy, display sites and cultural context of artefacts and international cooperation and research, UNESCO said. Discussions will also take place on ways to strengthen the action of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation. Established by UNESCO in 1978, the Intergovernmental Committee, a strictly advisory body, is composed of 22 elected member states. It establishes forums for debate and offers non-legally binding recommendations. 2008-03-17 00:00:00.000

UN OFFICIAL HOLDS TALKS WITH SERBIA'S KOSOVO MINISTER New York, Mar 16 2008 6:00PM Meeting with Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, a senior United Nations official today underscored that challenges -- which violate Belgrade's pledges to the Security Council -- to the mandate of the world body's mission, known as UNMIK, must come to an end. The mission welcomed the recent statement by the Serbian Foreign Minister to the Security Council that UNMIK is the exclusive administrative authority in Kosovo and that resolution 1244 is the only legal framework, said Larry Rossin, the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative, said. "However, this now places responsibility on Belgrade to avoid or avert any action that challenges this authority." In his meeting with Slobodan Samardzic, Mr. Rossin emphasized that last week's attack on and occupation of UNMIK's District Court building in Mitrovica, as well as Serbian Railways continued use of the rail line, are violations of the mission's exclusive mandate. He noted that such moves are at odds with Serbia's direct assurances to the Council. The Deputy Special Representative urged Mr. Samardzic to immediate take measures to end these and other challenges to UNMIK's authority and to refrain from making inflammatory public statements during his visit to Kosovo, which has been administered by the UN since Western forces drove out Yugoslav forces amid inter-ethnic fighting in 1999. Although both he and Special Representative Joachim Rücker are ready to enter into direct talks with Belgrade, recent developments create an unfavourable atmosphere for such discussions. "For dialogue to be potentially fruitful, we need the authorities in Belgrade to take effective steps to counter such challenges -- before, during and after -- whether unambiguous public statements, practical use of influence or cessation of direct improper intrusions," Mr. Rossin said. Last month, the Assembly of Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo -- where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one -- declared independence from Serbia, and since then both Mr. Rücker and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have underlined the need for restraint from all sides. 2008-03-16 00:00:00.000

IRAQ: UN REPORT ON RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SAYS VIOLENT ATTACKS IN DECLINE New York, Mar 15 2008 6:00PM In its latest report on human rights in Iraq, the United Nations mission in the war-torn nation noted that violent attacks have decreased significantly in the capital Baghdad, but cautioned this reduction might not be sustainable as the security situation continues to deteriorate in other areas. The twelfth report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq -- covering the second half of 2007 -- said that the decline in such attacks, such as suicide attacks and car bombings, is a result of the ongoing "surge" within the Baghdad Security Plan launched last February. "The extent to which the decrease in violence was sustainable remained unclear, with the security situation still precarious in many parts of the country," it observed. "As security improved in parts of Baghdad and other locations, it deteriorated elsewhere with heightened activity by insurgent groups and others in governorates such as Mosul and Diyala." Civilians were deliberately targeted by Sunni and Shi'a armed groups through suicide bombings, car bombs and other attacks, UNAMI said. "Such systematic or widespread attacks against a civilian population are tantamount to crimes against humanity and violate the laws of war, and their perpetrators should be prosecuted," the mission said. Also vulnerable to attack were: Government officials; religious figures; state employees; law enforcement personnel; professional groups including academics, journalists, lawyers and judges; religious and ethnic minorities; and women in so-called "honor killings," it reported. During the reporting period, thousands were forced to flee due to the continued sectarian violence. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ), as of last December, there are over 4.4 million displaced Iraqis worldwide, with 2.5 million inside Iraq and about 1.9 million in neighbouring countries. The new report welcomed the expanded capacity of the Iraqi judiciary to process cases as the detainee population continues to grow. Despite this progress, UNAMI voiced concern over "continuing prolonged delays in reviewing detainee cases; the lack of timely and adequate access to defense counsel for suspects; the failure to promptly and thoroughly investigate credible allegations of torture and to institute criminal proceedings against officials responsible for abusing detainees; and the procedures followed by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) and other criminal courts, which fail to meet basic fair trial standards." Additionally, although the Multi-National Force (MNF) has taken steps towards speeding up reviews and decisions on the release of detainees, UNAMI said that its concerns regarding their due process rights within the Force's legal framework remains unaddressed. The mission cited gender-based violence as cause for serious concern in the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq's north. In spite of the creation by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of an Interior Ministry department to tackle violence against women, the report called for scaled up efforts and political will to bring those responsible to justice. UNAMI also welcomed Iraq's decision to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture, and noted there has been "a greater degree of transparency and access to information pertaining to law enforcement issues on the part of both Iraqi officials and their international advisers." 2008-03-15 00:00:00.000

NEW ROUND OF UN-LED TALKS ON WESTERN SAHARA BEGINS New York, Mar 14 2008 4:00PM Starting this Sunday, the United Nations will lead a fourth round of talks on Western Sahara, bringing together representatives from Morocco and the Frente Polisario on the outskirts of New York City, a UN spokesperson said today. The talks, to be held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset on Long Island will also include representatives of neighbouring states, Algeria and Mauritania and will be facilitated by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Peter van Walsum. Following the third round of discussions this past January, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that while it was a positive sign that the two sides had committed to a process of negotiations, they remained far apart on substantive issues. He said the talks were limited largely to preliminary discussions on thematic subjects such as administration, competencies and organs, and the parties discussed but did not agree on any confidence-building measures. Mr. Ban noted, however, in a communiqué issued by Mr. van Walsum after the talks, that the two sides “agreed on the need to move the process into a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations.” Last month Mr. van Walsum visited the region for in-depth consultations with the parties. The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara has been in the Territory since September 1991 to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Frente Polisario. 2008-03-14 00:00:00.000

AT MEETING OF AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, UN OFFICIAL URGES LONG-TERM VIEW New York, Mar 13 2008 2:00PM The head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa kicking off a series of forums meant to boost dialogue with donors and other partners, said that economic growth on the continent must be pursued in the context of a long-term development. “Efforts to continue improving economic and political conditions in the continent must be assessed against the goal of long-term development and structural transformation,” ECA Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh said as he opened the first Partners Forum of 2008 at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The six monthly forums are linked to the efforts of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to highlight challenges facing Africa in its effort to develop new, sound economies through his Africa Working Group on the Millennium Development Goals a set of time-bound targets to slash extreme poverty and other global ills. In his opening address, Mr. Janneh said the response to current challenges, including a recession in key industrial countries and high international oil and food prices, must also take the long-term perspective. “The cumulative impact of these challenges could compound efforts to scale-up and sustain growth and extend its benefits to socially excluded groups including women and children,” he said. The ECA Partners’ Forum continues today with technical discussions of development topics that are scheduled to conclude tomorrow. 2008-03-13 00:00:00.000

TOP UN ENVOY MEETS WITH SENIOR IRAQI RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS IN NAJAF New York, Mar 12 2008 1:00PM The senior United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani and other senior religious officials in the holy city of Najaf, south of the capital Baghdad. While in Najaf yesterday, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Staffan de Mistura – who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq – also visited the Shrine of Imam Ali. In a two-hour meeting, the Special Representative informed Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani of UNAMI’s scaled-up political and humanitarian activities. In response to Mr. de Mistura’s request for advice on what the UN can do to help the war-torn nation tackle its challenges, Grand Ayatollah Sistani underscored “the importance of Iraqi national reconciliation, the usefulness of increased UN presence and assistance, as well as more frequent contacts with the Marja-iya, and above all the need for the Iraqi people to be able to participate in fair, free and inclusive elections,” according to a press release issued by the Mission. Additionally, the Grand Ayatollah emphasized the need for fairness and transparency in all election-related activities. During his talks with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Said Al-Hakim, the Special Representative voiced the UN’s appreciation for last February’s decision by Shiite leader Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr to continue the suspension of Jaysh Al Mehdi’s activities, also known as the Mahdi Army, which is key to promoting stability. Mr. de Mistura also held meetings in Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Sheik Mohammad Al-Yacoubi, Sayyed Hazim Al-Araji of the office of Al-Shahid Al-Sadr, the Governor of Al Najaf, Asa’ad Abu Kalal and others. At the end of his visit to Najaf – which was coordinated with Iraqi authorities – the Special Representative expressed the UN’s commitment for “increased engagement” in both the city and governorate of Najaf as well as all of Iraq. 2008-03-12 00:00:00.000

WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER TOP CROATIAN GENERALS BEGINS AT UN TRIBUNAL New York, Mar 11 2008 6:00PM The trial of three former senior Croatian generals accused of murdering, persecuting and displacing ethnic Serbs during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s got under way at a United Nations war crimes tribunal today. Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac have pleaded not guilty before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to ‘Operation Storm,’ a 1995 military offensive in the Krajina region of Croatia. Prosecutors accuse the three men of being key members of a joint criminal enterprise – along with four other men, including the former president of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman, who have since died – to forcibly and permanently remove ethnic Serbs from the Krajina region. The indictment states that the men, or the forces under their command, murdered at least 37 Serbs, persecuted many others and plundered their property, and failed to prevent the crimes or take action against subordinates. The joint trial, being held in The Hague in the Netherlands, is expected to take more than a year. 2008-03-11 00:00:00.000

VACCINATIONS CONTINUE IN PARAGUAY AFTER YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK – UN AGENCY New York, Mar 10 2008 5:00PM More than 1.27 million Paraguayans have now been vaccinated against the deadly outbreak of yellow fever in the South American country, the United Nations World Health Organization reported. Residents in all of Paraguay’s 18 departments have received vaccines, with coverage reaching as much as 83 per cent of the population in Asunción, the capital, and close to the centre of the current outbreak. The number of confirmed cases across Paraguay has risen by six to 22 since late last month, according to an update issued by WHO on Friday. So far six people have died, while another 12 suspected cases are under investigation by health authorities. Officials from Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru agreed at a recent joint meeting to coordinate and monitor – with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) – yellow fever immunization activities for the populations in their border areas. The officials also concurred that the key measure to prevent the outbreak widening further is to reduce the breeding sites for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found throughout the region. Yellow fever derives its name from the jaundice that affects some sufferers, who tend to experience fever, muscle pain, headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting and/or nausea. While most patients recover, the disease can be deadly and the number of infected people has risen in recent years, despite the availability of an effective vaccine. 2008-03-10 00:00:00.000

MYANMAR: UN ENVOY HOLDS TALKS WITH SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS New York, Mar 9 2008 3:00PM Continuing his latest mission to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser today met with senior Government ministers in Yangon. Ibrahim Gambari met with U Soe Tha, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Kyaw Myint, Minister for Health, Dr. Than Nyun, Chairman of Civil Service Selection and Training Board and U Kyaw Thu, Deputy Foreign Minister, according to a statement released by the UN. The talks, which took place at the National Defence College Guest House, follow Mr. Gambari's meeting yesterday with detained opposition leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party, the National League for Democracy. Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for over four years, and has spent more than 11 years in detention since the NLD and its allies won the 1990 election with over 80 per cent of the parliamentary seats. In February, the Myanmar authorities announced the holding of a constitutional referendum this May, to be followed by "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010. Mr. Gambari has also met with other senior Government officials, as well as the UN Country Team, the diplomatic corps, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and representatives of several political groups during his latest visit, the third to the country since the Government's crackdown on peaceful protesters last summer. 2008-03-09 00:00:00.000

MARKING INTERNATIONAL DAY, TOP UN OFFICIALS URGE GREATER INVESTMENTS IN WOMEN New York, Mar 8 2008 11:00AM Top United Nations officials commemorated this year's International Women's Day by calling on countries to invest more in women and girls, warning that failing to do so will undermine efforts to achieve global development targets. In his message for the Day, Secretary-General drew attention to the "serious" gap between policy and practice in many countries when it comes to gender equality, as reflected in a lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations. "This failure of funding undermines not only our endeavours for gender equality and women's empowerment as such; it also holds back our efforts to reach all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," he said, referring to the global pledges to slash poverty and other social ills, all by 2015. "As we know from long and indisputable experience, investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity and sustained economic growth," he added, noting that no measure is more important in advancing education and health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS, or as likely to improve nutrition, or reduce infant and maternal mortality. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), agreed that "if we want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we need more investments in women and girls. "Whether we are looking at it from a human rights, political or economic point of view, the conclusion is the same: It makes sense to invest in women. The returns are high for women themselves and for the world at large," she said. However, not only were investments still not being made to the extent they should be, they were actually declining in some areas, such as maternal health and family planning. "Improving women's well-being cannot be accomplished without improving their health, particularly their reproductive health," she stressed, noting that by ensuring universal access to reproductive health, it will be possible to reduce poverty, reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, and meet the need for family planning. "By investing in women's reproductive health and well-being, we will stand a better chance of achieving the MDGs and making gender equality a reality." Part of the struggle for women's rights and gender equality is the urgent need to end violence against women in all of its forms, a point highlighted by the acting Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), who drew attention to the UN campaign launched by the Secretary-General on 25 February, UNiTE to End Violence against Women. "The campaign will add value and visibility to the efforts that Governments, women's and other civil society organizations, UN and donor partners are making to combat gender-based violence and send the message that ending violence against women stands on par with other critical development goals," said Joanne Sandler. She added that it also comes at a time when the world's leaders are renewing their commitment to financing for all national development goals, including the MDGs. "Ending violence against women was a missing indicator in the MDGs, owing to the lack of comparable data," she stated. "It is encouraging, therefore, that the United Nations has also committed to assist countries in efforts to generate the data needed to measure the extent of violence against women and girls. "Together with proven evidence of what works and the financial and technical resources needed to support countries to meet the implementation challenge, there may indeed be an end in sight to the pandemic of violence against women and girls ? and genuine progress on achieving gender equality and women's empowerment," Ms. Sandler said. From Afghanistan to Sudan, women around the world are celebrating the Day through events at the local and national levels. In the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, staff of the new African Union-UN mission there (UNAMID) handed out T-shirts and posters to women in the central market in El Fasher, and held a procession along with Sudanese female police officers and local residents. Hundreds of women in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar marched for peace, while their sisters in the capital gathered in Kabul's women's garden to mark the Day with a UN agency fair, which included films and a performance by child artists. Female counsellors from UN agencies were also on hand to provide advice on health, education and social issues facing the country's women. 2008-03-08 00:00:00.000

WOMEN STILL FACE DISCRIMINATION WORLDWIDE, SAYS UN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, Mar 7 2008 10:00AM Almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women, and promises to remedy this have not been kept, the top United Nations human rights official said today, speaking on the eve of International Women's Day. "Many States appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour stated. "It is shameful that, in the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fundamental rights are still not enjoyed by many women around the world. "In some cases, they suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age or disabilities as well as their gender. Unless states take their commitments seriously, investing in women and girls will remain a matter of rhetoric," she added. This failure to create genuine legal parity between men and women is having "a detrimental effect on women in many countries -- sometimes to a devastating degree," according to a new report commissioned by the High Commissioner's Office (OHCHR). One of the most dangerous examples of this involves the recognition of sexual abuse as a crime under a country's laws and enforcing related legislation. "Rape is recognized as a crime in most legal systems," said Ms. Arbour. "But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced. "In addition, at least 53 States still do not outlaw rape within marriage, and men frequently enjoy total impunity for physical as well as sexual violence against their wives," she noted. The High Commissioner stressed that strengthening legal frameworks to protect women and to ensure their rights is crucial to combat violence against them. "What is clear, is that many States are failing to live up to their promises to review their laws and root out institutional discrimination, and millions of women continue to suffer grave injustices as a result." Echoing the High Commissioner's call, three independent UN human rights experts today urged States to invest in women and girls to ensure gender equality and prevent violence against women. The theme of this year's International Women's Day, "Investing in Women and Girls," is a timely reminder that women's access to sources of finance, their participation in decision-making processes and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods are vital to "bridging the gap between universal human rights standards and the realities of the majority of the world's women," they said. The group called on States, donors and the private sector to step up efforts to "respect, protect and fulfil women's civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and allocate adequate resources towards addressing discrimination and violence against women." The joint statement was issued today by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Ertürk; the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari; and the Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, Bernards A. N. Mudho. 2008-03-07 00:00:00.000

UN STEPS UP AID TO FLOOD-BELEAGUERED ZAMBIANS New York, Mar 5 2008 6:00PM With recent flooding having forced thousands of families from their homes in Zambia, the United Nations is stepping up its humanitarian aid in the landlocked southern African nation. According to an assessment carried out in 19 districts late last month, 3,418 homes have collapsed due to the rainfall and 5,796 households have been displaced, the UN country team said. Additionally, dozens of schools have been damaged, particularly in their sanitation and water systems, leaving 8,600 pupils needing alternate learning spaces. The assessment estimated the loss of the main staple crop to be 20 per cent in Eastern Province and 80 per cent in Southern Province, leading to fears of a possible coming nutritional crisis. The UN World Food Programme is transferring all remaining food supplies from its 2006/2007 flood response package to help those affected by the recent heavy rains. It warns that it is facing a food shortfall of 24,000 tons and that cereals, pulses, oil and fortified blended food will run out soon. For its part, the UN Children’s Fund is providing 5,000 kits containing household items, as well as 36 school tents, 58 school-in-a-box kits and 40 recreation kits. The agency is also working with the Zambian Ministry of Health to respond to cholera outbreaks. Late last month, UNICEF announced that it would provide over $1 million worth of emergency assistance to Zambians impacted by flooding. Zambia, which also suffered from major inundations last year, is one of a handful of southern African countries to have been hard hit by flooding this season, along with Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. 2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

IN NORTHERN UGANDA, UN REFUGEE HEAD VOWS TO DO MORE FOR DISPLACED New York, Mar 5 2008 11:00AM On his visit to northern Uganda, where an estimated 850,000 people live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the head of the United Nations refugee agency pledged more support for the return of those driven from their homes by decades of violence. “All of us in the international community are ready to work in support of the Ugandan Government,” António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told hundreds of IDPs gathered in a dusty football field in Kalongo, which he visited with Minister Jean-Louis Schiltz of Luxembourg, UNHCR’s largest donor per capita. “If we join hands, if we work together it will be possible to make sure that roads, water, education and health facilities are built,” Mr. Guterres added. Two decades of fighting between the Ugandan Government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) drove almost two million people from their homes in northern Uganda and devastated infrastructure and services. An estimated one million people have returned home over the past 18 months as talks take place in Sudan in an attempt to end the violence, UNHCR said. Mr. Guterres, who was in Kalongo on the second day of his eight-day visit to Uganda and Tanzania, also visited a transit centre in eastern Uganda which houses some 1,600 of the nearly 12,000 Kenyans who fled the violence that erupted in their country after elections in late December. The High Commissioner welcomed the recent signing of a political settlement in Kenya and said he hoped this might spur the return home of the refugees. He called for forgiveness on all sides, saying it was needed for reconciliation. “Justice and forgiveness, that is what you need to be able to return and live in peace in your communities. The international community must step in and support your efforts towards reconciliation,” he told the Kenyan refugees. 2008-03-05 00:00:00.000

UN-AFRICAN UNION POLICE BEGIN PATROLS IN NORTH DARFUR New York, Mar 4 2008 4:00PM Police units of the new United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) conducted their first “confidence-building” patrols in areas controlled by the Minni Minawi-led rebel group in the violence-torn region of Sudan, the mission said today. “The safety of the citizens of Darfur is a priority for UNAMID,” said UNAMID Police Commissioner Michael Fryer, in announcing activities in the domain of the rebel group, which is a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). “But curbing crime also involves the full cooperation of the entire community,” he added, explaining that the patrols aimed to strengthen cooperation and trust between the UN and the population and local police. Fighting between rebels, the Government and allied militias has caused the deaths of over 200,000 and the displacement of more than two million people in Darfur over the past five years. There are currently over 1,600 police officers, including 252 female officers, from 32 different countries serving with UNAMID, which took over from an African Union force at the beginning of the year. The UN refugee agency, meanwhile, says it is continuing to provide emergency aid to small groups of Sudanese refugees from West Darfur who are still arriving on a daily basis in eastern Chad, fleeing a wave of aerial and ground attacks that began on 8 February. Over the weekend, teams from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) distributed emergency kits to some of the refugees in the border area, which now number some 13,000. The kits include blankets, as most of the new arrivals have been sheltering under trees for the past three weeks. 2008-03-04 00:00:00.000

DEADLY POST-ELECTION PROTESTS IN ARMENIA CONCERN UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF New York, Mar 2 2008 6:00PM The United Nations human rights chief today voiced deep concern at reports that at least eight people have been killed and many others injured during demonstrations in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where the results of recent presidential elections have been disputed. Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a statement in which she said she was particularly concerned that force was used against peaceful demonstrators yesterday and that opposition protesters have been detained. Ms. Arbour called on the authorities in Armenia -- where a state of emergency has been declared -- to "exercise the utmost restraint and to ensure that due process is followed in the case of any detentions." The High Commissioner noted that Armenia is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which states that, even during states of emergency, fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment cannot be suspended. "Any restrictions of rights must be proportionate and may only be applied to the extent and duration strictly warranted by the circumstances," the statement added. Protests began in Yerevan after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner of the 19 February presidential poll, a result that is disputed by the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan. 2008-03-02 00:00:00.000

TOP UN ENVOY IN IRAQ DENOUNCES KIDNAPPING OF CHRISTIAN LEADER New York, Mar 1 2008 6:00PM The senior United Nations official in Iraq has condemned yesterday's kidnapping of a Catholic Chaldean archbishop in an attack in the northern city of Mosul that led to the killing of the religious leader's driver and two of his bodyguards. Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, "denounces the continuous kidnapping, killing, and the targeting of religious minorities," according to a statement released by his office in Baghdad today. "It is appalling that these attacks on communities that have lived peacefully together in north Iraq for centuries are continuing," he said, following the kidnapping of Monsignor Paul Faraj Rahhu, Archbishop of Mosul. Mr. de Mistura called on the Iraqi Government to step up its efforts to protect the country's minorities and its diversity -- which is enshrined in the national constitution -- and to preserve human rights. He also urged local authorities to play their part in protecting the rights of minorities and their religious identity, noting that the Archbishop of Mosul was only the latest in a long line of members of the Christian and other minority communities in Iraq to be killed, abducted or displaced from their homes. 2008-03-01 00:00:00.000

DEEPENING DROUGHT IN CENTRAL SOMALIA ALARMS UN AID AGENCIES New York, Feb 29 2008 5:00PM United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are stepping up their support in central Somalia, where the drought has worsened, leaving many rural families destitute as water shortages become severe and grazing for livestock becomes increasingly limited. Most traditional water catchments are either dry or drying up, which is placing extra pressure on the few functioning boreholes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported today. Mudug and Galguduud administrative regions are the hardest hit by the ongoing long dry season, and OCHA said relief assistance will be needed at least until the next harvest, expected in July-August. The UN Children’s Fund and its NGO partners are providing water tankers, constructing shallow wells and installing water pipes in Galguduud, as well as supporting 12 maternal health centres and four other health posts serving more than 20,000 young children. The security and humanitarian situation inside the town of Dhuusamarreeb, the capital of Galguduud, is worrying UN staff following the arrival of Ethiopian troops last Friday. Field reports indicate that two-thirds of the town’s residents have fled, fearing a confrontation between the Ethiopian troops and anti-government groups. In the Bay administrative region, the World Food Programme has had to suspend an ongoing food distribution scheme because of the heavy fighting taking place in Dinsor town. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (also reported that another 700 people inside the national capital, Mogadishu, were displaced by fighting this week, bringing the total this year to 51,000. 2008-02-29 00:00:00.000

SURGE IN NUMBER OF PEOPLE CROSSING SEA TO ITALY FROM LIBYA, UN REPORTS New York, Feb 29 2008 10:00AM There has been a sharp increase in the number of people crossing the sea from Libya to Italy this week, with over 1,000 people arriving after making the hazardous journey across the Strait of Sicily, the United Nations refugee agency announced today. "Most of the migrants are Somalis, Tunisians, Nigerians, Moroccans, Ghanaians, Palestinians and Algerians," said Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told reporters in Geneva. Between 22-27 February, 1,104 people arrived at the island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, while 41 reached the island of Pantelleria and 35 were rescued off the coast of Sardinia. So far this month, a total of 1,855 migrants have landed on the shores of Lampedusa, setting a new record despite the harsh weather conditions, compared to 345 last February. "We don't know the reasons behind the increase," Mr. Redmond noted. Italy's coasts are an entry point for potential asylum seekers, with some 30 per cent of arrivals applying for asylum last year. Around 65 per cent of the people arriving by boat who filed applications in 2007 were granted a form of protection. Nearly 20,000 people arrived in Italy's islands or the mainland by boat from North Africa last year, compared with 22,000 the year before. In 2007, at least 471 people were reported dead or missing. UNHCR, together with the Italian Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has been working on Lampedusa since March 2006 to assist those fleeing conflict and persecution and risking their lives to cross the sea to Italy. 2008-02-29 00:00:00.000

SENIOR UN ENVOY MEETS WITH GOVERNMENT LEADERS IN SOMALIA New York, Feb 28 2008 5:00PM The top United Nations envoy to Somalia will soon wrap up a three-day visit to the Horn of Africa nation where he has met with Government and local leaders, as well as with representatives of civil society. Today, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, is in Baidoa, the seat of the transitional Government in the south-west. During talks with the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, he briefed them on his contacts with international partners and his efforts to gain support for the transitional federal institutions (TFIs), UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters. Following these meetings, Mr. Ould-Abdallah addressed the Somali parliament. Yesterday, the Special Representative stopped in the north-eastern town of Bossasso, where he paid a visit to the new airport and seaport and also conferred with local authorities. He visited Garowe, a northern town, where he met with its leadership, civil society representatives and local members of the national parliament. Somalia, which has lacked a functioning government since 1991, has been wracked by violence in recent months which has displaced around 1 million people and has caused some 3 million others to flee the country as refugees. Last week, the Security Council extended for another six months the African Union-led mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which has been helping the war-wracked country to achieve national reconciliation and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are up to 2 million vulnerable people in need of humanitarian aid within the country. In addition, aid workers face difficulties and the transport and delivery of crucial items such as food is being impeded by roadblocks, taxes and banditry. 2008-02-28 00:00:00.000

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SEEKS NEARLY $19 MILLION TO AID SRI LANKA'S DISPLACED New York, Feb 28 2008 11:00AM The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for $18.6 million to assist an estimated 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka who have been uprooted by decades of armed conflict. The funds -- part of the Sri Lanka Common Humanitarian Action Plan -- will go towards protection of the displaced, returnees and other populations affected by the fighting between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It will also be used to provide shelter, non-food relief items and camp management. This year's appeal follows a similar request made last year for $22.5 million following the large displacement in the east of the South Asian island nation. Some 170,000 displaced persons subsequently returned to their villages in the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts, and more returns are expected this year. The agency distributed more than half a million non-food relief items to affected populations last year. UNHCR notes there are still some 187,700 displaced since fighting escalated in April 2006. The agency is also working with the Government to find lasting solutions for some 312,000 people who have remained in a state of protracted displacement during the last 20 years of conflict. Tens of thousands of IDPs have returned to their areas of origin following the 2002 ceasefire agreement that halted the decades-long conflict between the Government and the LTTE. The Government withdrew from that agreement in January. 2008-02-28 00:00:00.000

MIDDLE EAST: BAN KI-MOON 'DEEPLY CONCERNED' AT RISING VIOLENCE, LOSS OF LIFE New York, Feb 28 2008 11:00AM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern at the recent escalation of violence in southern Israel and Gaza, including the loss of civilian life resulting from rocket fire by Hamas and strikes by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). "These events underscore the urgent need for a calming of violence, and must not be allowed to deter the continuation of the political process," Mr. Ban said in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson. Condemning rocket fire against Israel by Hamas, which intensified Wednesday and killed an Israeli civilian in Sederot, the Secretary-General called on Hamas and other militant groups to "cease such acts of terrorism." He also condemned the killing of four Palestinian children, including an infant, in Gaza in IDF strikes. Mr. Ban called on Israel to "exercise maximum restraint and ensure respect for international humanitarian law so as not to endanger civilians," the statement added. 2008-02-28 00:00:00.000

COMMENDING INDIA’S CONTROL OF BIRD FLU OUTBREAK, UN SAYS VIGILANCE STILL NEEDED New York, Feb 27 2008 2:00PM The recent, worst-ever outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Indian state of West Bengal seems to have been brought under control by the swift and comprehensive measures taken by the country’s authorities, though continued vigilance was crucial, the United Nations agricultural agency said today. “Intensive culling in the predominantly backyard poultry sector appears to have stopped the disease in its tracks,” Mohinder Oberoi, a veterinary expert of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said after a recent field trip to the affected areas, where no new outbreaks have been seen since 2 February. FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech, however, urged the country to maintain intensive surveillance in high-risk areas as the possibility of new occurrences remains high. “The virus could still be present in the environment despite heavy slaughtering and extensive disinfection of affected areas, or it could be reintroduced from other countries,” he said. The FAO officials praised the national and state governments’ political and financial commitment to stamp out the disease. They said public awareness campaigns, a strong command chain from districts to villages, compensation payments and an effective collaboration between animal and human health departments at field level, have been the key factors for the success. To achieve rapid control, prevent the spread of the virus to other states and to avoid the risk of human infection, the Indian Government had to cull over 3.9 million chickens and ducks, mainly belonging to poor backyard poultry farmers. “Public awareness campaigns should continue over the next months introducing rural communities to safe poultry production and basic biosecurity measures with the ultimate goal of reducing the risk of human infections,” the agency said in a press release. In addition, it recommended that the socio-economic impact of the control campaign be urgently assessed to better define and apply measures to mitigate the impact of massive culling on poor small holders. Live bird markets, migration of wild birds and transportation routes of birds and poultry products should be mapped to better understand and control the spread of the disease, it said. FAO, in collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), has also invited India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar to meet to better coordinate regional avian influenza control campaigns. The Nepalese Government has agreed to host the meeting in Kathmandu, the agency said. 2008-02-27 00:00:00.000

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS NEEDS CHANGES ON THE GROUND TO SUCCEED – UN ENVOY New York, Feb 26 2008 6:00PM The Annapolis peace process deserves continued support but it will only be sustained if there are real changes on the ground, particularly in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, the senior United Nations envoy on the Middle East told the Security Council today. Robert H. Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told a Council meeting that “ordinary people understandably have little confidence that the political process is delivering,” whether they live in the occupied Palestinian territory or in southern Israel. “In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the imposing presence of the barrier, the expanding settlements, the unremoved outposts, the system of closure and constant military incursions have grave implications for the human rights, economic life and social fabric of the entire population,” he said. “In Gaza, the deprivations of basic human dignity are even more acute, and the sense of abandonment and frustration is palpable.” Mr. Serry added that “in southern Israel, communities who believed Israel’s disengagement from Gaza would bring security face daily rocket attacks, while Israelis generally continue to believe that they must primarily rely on Israeli security measures for their safety.” The Special Coordinator stressed that he was especially alarmed by the number of incidents on both sides of the conflict where children were being killed or injured. He urged all parties to abide by international law and to cooperate closely with the members of the international diplomatic Quartet – the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States – as well as regional countries and members of the Security Council to implement the Road Map. “The goal must be an end to the occupation that began in 1967 and the coexistence in peace and security of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, a comprehensive regional peace, in fulfilment of resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1515, and the Arab Peace Initiative.” Also addressing the Council meeting, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said his recent visit to the region showed him that conditions for the inhabitants of Gaza, which has recently faced tight Israeli restrictions along its borders, were “grim and miserable, and far from ‘normal’.” “Eight months of severe restrictions on the movement of goods and people entering and leaving the territory, following the Hamas takeover in June 2007, have taken a heavy economic and social toll, coming on top of years of difficulty and economic decline,” Mr. Holmes said. Describing the consequences as “increasingly severe and visible,” the Emergency Relief Coordinator added that the closures have brought most industry and agriculture to collapse, raised unemployment and poverty to new heights and led to the deterioration of basic infrastructure. During his visit to Sderot, the southern Israeli town that is the main target of Qassam rocket attacks from Palestinian militants in Gaza, Mr. Holmes witnessed “the physical and psychological damage to the population… from this constant barrage.” He urged Hamas to act immediately to stop the rocket, saying their continued firing was unjustified, clearly constituted terrorism, and must be halted unconditionally. “However, I also made clear publicly and privately my view that, whatever the provocation and illegality of the rockets, the effective Israeli isolation of Gaza is not justified, given Israel’s continuing obligations to the people of Gaza. It amounts to collective punishment and is contrary to international humanitarian law.” 2008-02-26 00:00:00.000

WORLD NOW RICH IN FERTILIZER SUPPLY, UN AGRICULTURAL AGENCY SAYS New York, Feb 26 2008 2:00PM Enough fertilizer will be produced in the next five years to cover world demand and support higher levels of food and biofuel production, according to a report released today by the United Nations agricultural agency. “High commodity prices experienced over recent years led to increased production and correspondingly to greater fertilizer use,” Jan Poulisse, a fertilizer expert for the Food and Agriculture Organization said in announcing the findings of the report. “While it is expected that the demand for basic food crops, fruits and vegetables, for animal products and for biofuel crops is likely to remain strong, we expect fertilizer supply to grow sufficiently to meet higher consumption,” he added, noting that higher fertilizer prices have boosted production. The report estimates that the supply of nitrogen, phosphate and potash nutrient will increase by some 34 million tons, representing an annual growth rate of 3 per cent between the biennia of 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, comfortably sufficient to cover demand growth of 1.9 per cent annually. Africa will remain a major phosphate exporter and increase nitrogen exports while importing all of its potash. Fertilizer consumption on that continent continues to be largely restricted to 10 countries, with the main consumers being Egypt, South Africa and Morocco. It is expected that North America will continue to be a net importer of nitrogen and that the region will move into increasing phosphate deficit while remaining a primary supplier of potash. Asia is expected to produce a rapidly increasing surplus of nitrogen, but will continue to import phosphate and potash. 2008-02-26 00:00:00.000

WESTERN DARFUR: FOLLOWING ATTACKS, UN OFFICIALS VOICE CONCERN FOR CIVILIANS' SAFETY New York, Feb 25 2008 12:00PM The head of the United Nations-African Union (AU) hybrid peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, and the world body's Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan today said that they are "gravely concerned" for the safety of thousands of civilians in the Jebel Muun area of Western Darfur, which was reportedly the scene of aerial bombings. "It is imperative that civilians are kept out of harms' way, and for this to happen, any fighting must stop immediately. The risks at this stage to civilians are unacceptably high," according to a statement issued by UN/AU Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq. The Government has assured them that civilians will be able to move out of the area and to safety, and they are seeking similar assurances from the area's rebel movements. "The solution to Darfur's problems can never be a military one," Mr. Adada and Ms. Haq said, adding that they hope to have humanitarian access to Jebel Muun and nearby areas. "The eyes of the world are now on Darfur and the concerns of all of us have to be with the innocent children, women and men who are caught-up in the fighting." On 22 February, Ms. Haq expressed alarm at the level of destruction she witnessed while participating in a joint assessment of the West Darfur town of Sirba, which came under air and ground attack from the Sudanese Government and allied militia groups earlier this month. For now, the UN can provide humanitarian assistance, "but the clear message obviously is that what the people really want is protection. They are looking for security," Ms. Haq said. "The ability to provide that - whether from the government or the international community -- is still a long way away." Women and girls face being raped when gathering firewood in the Wadi, and the Humanitarian Coordinator appealed to both the international community and Khartoum to recognize the need for UNAMID's speedy deployment. 2008-02-24 00:00:00.000