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ISSN: 1688 - 4302 |
//Noticias de la ONU// |
SECURITY COUNCIL FOCUSES ON EFFORTS TO SPARE CIVILIANS FROM EFFECTS OF WAR The Security Council today once again called on parties to conflict to take steps to protect civilians affected by hostilities, demanding that they put an end to practices such as sexual violence, forced recruitment and other violations of international humanitarian law. In a presidential statement adopted during its debate on the issue, the Security Council noted with concern the humanitarian impact of conflict, and called on parties to armed conflict “to give protection to the civilian population in accordance with applicable international humanitarian law.” The 15-member body also reaffirmed that parties to armed conflict bear the primary responsibility to take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of affected civilians. In his latest report to the Council on the issue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need to make a “tangible” difference in the lives of the hundreds of thousands of civilians – men, women and children – who confront the horrors of war on a daily basis. “The unstinting and rigorous attention of the Security Council to their situation remains vital and must be at the centre of its deliberations and actions. This is particularly the case in the many protracted violent crises and conflicts that persistently pose unacceptable levels of risk to civilians, with little prospect of peaceful resolution in the near future,” he wrote. Mr. Ban noted that armed groups often employ strategies that flagrantly violate international law, ranging from deliberate attacks against civilians, including sexual violence, to attacks on civilian objects such as schools, to abduction, forced recruitment and using civilians to shield military objectives. Fundamental to enhancing compliance, he stated, is the need to enhance accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, both for parties to conflict and individual perpetrators. “In many conflicts it is to a large degree the absence of accountability, and, worse still, the lack in many instances of any expectation thereof, that allow violations to thrive,” he wrote. The Secretary-General cited the need to do more to meet the five core challenges to ensuring more effective protection for civilians – enhancing compliance by parties to conflict with international law, enhancing compliance by non-State armed groups, enhancing protection by UN peacekeeping and other relevant missions, enhancing humanitarian access and enhancing accountability for violations of the law. Several senior UN officials echoed Mr. Ban’s call for boosting accountability and for strengthening monitoring of measures already employed by the Council and other bodies to safeguard those at risk. UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said that peacekeeping missions must exert every effort to protect civilians, using all their available capacities. “Yet we must recognize and communicate that peacekeeping operations cannot protect all civilians at all times, especially when they are deployed in very vast areas, amidst ongoing conflict,” he told the Council. “Both the international community and those whom we endeavour to protect must understand that peacekeeping operations cannot be regarded as a substitute for state authority. “In the final analysis, the protection of civilians will depend on stable and legitimate state institutions. Peacekeeping operations can augment their capacities and help to build them, but cannot, and should not, replace them,” he stated. Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stressed the need to ensure a comprehensive, consistent and accountable approach to ensure better protection for civilians. “Systematic monitoring and reporting on the impact of our efforts to improve the protection of civilians is essential. We need to assess and report on the extent to which our actions are making civilians safer,” she stated. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay noted that the primary task is to prevent the commission of violations. “Where prevention fails, we collectively bear the responsibility to ensure accountability,” she added. “Accountability is not only required to fulfil international legal obligations, it is also our best tool to prevent the recurrence of violations.” * * * RELIEF WORK RESUMES IN HAITIAN CITY AFTER RIOTS, UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICE REPORTS The Haitian city of Cap Haïtien is now calm after several days of riots linked to the cholera outbreak in the Caribbean country, and two United Nations agencies have resumed relief operations in the city, the world body’s humanitarian arm reported today. Unrest erupted in Cap Haïtien and other areas last week disrupting efforts to respond to the cholera outbreak that has made nearly 20,000 people ill and claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people over the past month. UN agencies had called for an end to the violent protests saying they were undermining the response to the outbreak. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have since the weekend been able to resumes flights to Cap Haïtien and distribute relief supplies, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Meanwhile, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, will tomorrow travel to Haiti to review the humanitarian response to the cholera outbreak. Ms. Amos, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, will meet with government and UN officials, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations, during her two-day visit. On Saturday, the top UN humanitarian official in Haiti voiced concern over the slow response to an appeal launched 10 days ago seeking $164 million to curb the spread of the cholera outbreak. “While we are very grateful for the contributions received so far, both cash and in-kind, so far we only have received less than 10 per cent of what we need,” said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Nigel Fisher. “Critical supplies and skills are urgently needed. We need doctors, nurses, water purification systems, chlorine tablets, soap, oral rehydration salts, tents for cholera treatment centres and a range of other supplies,” he added. * * * NEW UN REPORT URGES MEASURES TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE HEALTH SERVICES FOR ALL The United Nations health agency today mapped out what countries can do, including raising more funds and spending it more efficiently, to ensure that everyone who needs health care can access it despite rising costs. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that Governments worldwide are struggling to pay for health care, which is rising as populations get older, as more people suffer chronic diseases, and as new and more expensive treatments appear. It says that in countries that depend heavily on people paying directly for services at the point of delivery, health bills push 100 million people into poverty each year. In its annual World Health Report, the agency shows how all countries, rich and poor, can adjust their health financing mechanisms so more people get the health care they need. It highlights three key areas where change can happen – raising more funds for health, raising money more fairly, and spending it more efficiently. “No one in need of health care should have to risk financial ruin as a result,” said WHO Director General Margaret Chan. “The report sets out a stepwise approach. We encourage every country to act on this and do at least one thing to improve health financing and increase health coverage over the coming year.” WHO says that in many cases, governments can allocate more money for health. In 2000, African heads of State committed to spend 15 per cent of government funds on health, a goal that three countries – Liberia, Rwanda and Tanzania – have already achieved. If the governments of the world’s 49 poorest countries each allocated 15 per cent of state spending to health, they could raise an additional $15 billion per year – almost doubling the funds available, notes the agency. Countries can also generate more money for health through more efficient tax collection, says WHO, which cited as an example Indonesia, which has boosted revenue by 10 percentage points. They can find new sources of tax revenue, such as sales taxes and currency transactions, as in the case of Ghana, which funded its national health insurance partly by increasing the value-added tax (VAT) by 2.5 per cent. A review of 22 low-income countries shows that they could between them raise $1.42 billion through a 50 per cent increase in tobacco tax. WHO also cites the role of the international community, noting that if all donors joined Norway and others that have kept their promise to allocate 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to official development assistance, three million additional lives could be saved in lower-income countries by 2015. The report highlights the model used by countries such as Japan, Chile, Rwanda and Thailand, which have reduced dependence on direct, out-of-pocket payments and increasing prepayment – generally through insurance or taxes or a mix of the two. The funds raised are then pooled so that it is not just those who get sick that bear the financial burden. Smarter spending could also boost global health coverage anywhere between 20 and 40 per cent, the agency points out, highlighting 10 areas where greater efficiencies are possible, including the use of generic drugs wherever possible – a strategy that saved almost $2 billion in 2008. WHO is presenting its report today to a ministerial conference on health financing, held in Germany. The agency and its partners will then embark on a programme to help countries review their health financing systems and strategies, facilitate exchanges of experiences between countries, and help countries adjust financing systems so that more people get access the services they need. * * * SUDAN: UN REFERENDA PANEL CONCERNED AT LOW VOTER REGISTRATION IN NORTH Few people from Southern Sudan who live in the north are turning out to enrol as voters for the referenda on the future of the south, the chairperson of the United Nations-appointed panel monitoring the process said today, citing various reasons for the dismal turnout, including lack of awareness and uncertainty. “In the North, turnout remains extremely low. Many Southern Sudanese appear uninterested or unwilling to register,” said Benjamin Mkapa, the chairperson of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Panel on the Referenda in the Sudan, told reporters in Khartoum at the end of the panel’s 10-day visit to the country. The people of Southern Sudan are scheduled to vote on 9 January on whether the south should secede from the rest of the country, while the final status of Abyei will be determined in a separate vote on the same day, as set out in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended two decades of war between the north and the south. Mr. Mkapa, a former president of Tanzania, lamented what he said was a lack of public information about voter registration and urged authorities in both southern and northern Sudan, the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, the media and civil society to publicize the exercise. He said long distances between homes and registration centres was also discouraging people from registering, adding that the panel had also learned that there was a campaign by some southern leaders to discourage southerners residing in the north from enrolling. Uncertainty over the future status of southerners in the north was another factor for the low turnout, Mr. Mkapa said. “It is important that clarity on the post-referendum status of southerners in the North and northerners in the South is reached as soon as possible. Leaders in both the North and the South will also have to make more efforts to reassure people that their safety, property and rights are protected,” he said. He also urged all parties to tone down rhetoric on the referendum issue so that people can feel secure enough to turn out to register as voters. He said the panel had received, from outside the country, “disturbing reports of intimidation and threats” against the staff of voter registration centres and those attempting to register. On Abyei, Mr. Mkapa voiced concern that with less than two months remaining before the vote, a referendum commission has still not been established and relations between the Dinka and the Misseriya communities who inhabit the area remain tense. “We hope that negotiations beginning today under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) will resolve some of the issues separating the parties, and we urge all sides in Abyei not to lose faith and to remember that their problems can be only resolved through peaceful dialogue,” Mr. Mkapa said. The three-member panel was set up by the Secretary-General in response to a request by the Sudanese Government for a body to help enhance the credibility of the referenda and ensure the acceptance of their results by their constituencies and the international community. The other members are António Monteiro, a former foreign minister of Portugal, and Bhojraj Pokharel, a former chairman of Nepal's election commission. * * * UN ENVOY URGES COMPROMISE AS SOMALIA’S PARLIAMENT MEETS TO ENDORSE CABINET The United Nations envoy for Somalia today urged the country’s transitional parliament to exercise the spirit of compromise in the debate expected to culminate in the endorsement of a new cabinet. A session of the parliament got under way today to consider the new cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was himself appointed by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed last month, following the resignation of his predecessor in September. “I trust that the period between the endorsement of the Prime Minister and now has been used productively to come up with a Cabinet that would meet the expectations of the Somali people,” said Augustine P. Mahiga, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative. “I am confident that the honourable Members of Parliament will employ the same sense of responsibility and unity which prevailed during the process of confirmation of the Prime Minister,” he said. Mr. Mahiga reminded the parliamentarians that with just nine months left before the end of the transition period, Somalia needs a government that will prepare a “road map” to carry out the remaining priority tasks of the transition. “The people of Somalia, as well as the international community, are eagerly awaiting the establishment of a functional cabinet. I therefore appeal to the parliamentarians to bring the deliberations on the cabinet to a conclusion that will advance the peace process. “The United Nations and the international community stand ready to assist the new Government as soon as the Cabinet is endorsed,” said Mr. Mahiga. Somalia has lacked a fully functioning national government since the overthrow of the administration of the late Muhammad Siad Barre in 1991, following which the country plunged into anarchy with various armed factions in a state of protracted warfare. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was set up six years ago, but is pitted against insurgent groups opposed to it, and has struggled to extend its authority from the capital, Mogadishu, to the rest of the country. * * * BAN APPEALS TO STUDENTS TO HELP UN DELIVER WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to young people to help the United Nations deliver a greener, more prosperous and safer world for all amid a “new generation of threats” unlike any that have been seen before. “These are testing times. People everywhere live in growing anxiety and fear. There is near-universal loss of trust in institutions and leaders,” Mr. Ban said in an address at the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. “Amid such uncertainty, our future depends on how we work together. Our future depends on a United Nations that can and does deliver.” Mr. Ban, who received an honorary degree from the University, spoke about the challenges facing the UN, which he called the “pre-eminent global institution for our global era,” and the contradictory demands and expectations from the international community. “The United Nations today leads what seems at times like a double life,” he told the gathering. “On the one hand, pundits criticize the United Nations for not solving all the world’s ills. “On the other hand, UN Member States and people around the world are asking the Organization to do more … in more places … than ever before. And on top of all this, we face a whole new generation of threats … threats unlike any that have come before,” he stated. The Secretary-General highlighted what he termed the “Big Three” – climate change, the fight against poverty, and assisting people in crises such as in Pakistan and Haiti. He stressed to the young people that their engagement and commitment can make a difference in these efforts. “You here today are not spectators. You are a crucial part of this story. You come from all over, and you live in a country of immense opportunity. You attend a distinguished institution of higher learning, and you are good neighbours of the United Nations. That means you have what it takes to help us deliver… “I appeal to you: Keep working with us. Keep pushing us. Keep inspiring us. Help shape the world. Help us to deliver what the world needs at this crucial moment.” * * * UN OFFICIAL STRESSES ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT AT LIMA FORUM Information and communications technology (ICT) has a vital role to play in advancing economic development, a senior United Nations official told the opening of a regional conference in Lima, Peru, today. “Technological innovation must permeate the social and productive spheres. We are spurred on by the idea that ICTs can help make progress towards a development that generates new relationships among the State, market and society,” Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), told the gathering. Some 300 participants from 18 countries, representing government, UN agencies and civil society are taking part in the two-day Third Ministerial Conference on the Information Society of Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of a new regional plan of action called eLAC2015, which highlights ICTs as a means of achieving development with more innovation and equality. “The potential of ICTs to achieve greater productive convergence and thus generate competitive advantages and increase the coverage of services such as education, health and government services represents a valuable set of assets that we must learn how to use,” said Ms. Bárcena. “Today we face the challenge of identifying new priorities and proposing a new action plan to step up regional cooperation in this field,” she added, noting that eLAC can help coordinate efforts and the exchange of best practices within the region. At today’s meeting, Ms. Bárcena also presented “ICT for growth and equality: renewing strategies for the information society,” a document which examines the digital divide between Latin America and developed nations, and proposes strategies to renew public policies in this area. * * * UN OFFICIAL CONFIDENT OF PROGRESS AT CANCúN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE Looking ahead to the United Nations climate change conference beginning in Cancún next week, a senior official with the world body said today that talks could yield real results but was cautious to keep expectations realistic. Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning Robert Orr told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York that he did not expect the conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deliver a “final answer” on solving climate change but remained positive about the possibilities. “Significant progress is possible in Cancún,” he said. “That is not to say that we expect all issues to be resolved.” “We need a package of decisions and outcomes. One or two [agreements] won’t an outcome create.” Mr. Orr noted that Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will attend the high-level segment of the talks, where he will urge countries to work towards a balanced set of agreements that move the climate change agenda forward across the board. “He will urge governments to take decisions on those issues where there is consensus – on protecting forests, technology transfer, adaptation and the creation of a new fund to house long-term financing,” said Mr. Orr, adding that the Secretary-General will also be encouraging governments to make progress on more challenging issues. The UNFCCC is an international treaty which considers what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with global temperature increases. Some countries have approved an addition to the treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, which includes more powerful and legally binding measures. The upcoming conference of parties – known as COP 16 – will take place from 29 November to 10 December, and although a blanket solution to the climate change agenda is unlikely some key questions could be resolved. “There are enough issues that are close to resolution that give us hope that an important outcome could be achieved in Cancún,” Mr. Orr said. “Negotiators need to remind themselves that the longer we delay, the more we will pay; both in terms of lives and in terms of money.” * * * GLOBAL PACT ON EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR DESERVES UNIVERSAL SUPPORT, SAYS BAN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the critical role that the global pact on explosive remnants of war plays in eliminating these deadly weapons, and urged all States that have not jointed the treaty to do so as soon as possible. “Explosive remnants of war that are left behind as a direct consequence of armed conflict continue to kill and maim for years to come,” Mr. Ban told the meeting of States parties to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The Convention aims to protect military troops from inhumane injuries and prevent non-combatants from accidentally being wounded or killed by certain types of arms. Protocol V focuses specifically on unexploded and abandoned ordnance which include artillery shells, grenades and gravity bombs. They pose severe threats to civilians because they can explode without cause or accidentally be triggered to detonate. In a message delivered in Geneva by Jarmo Sareva, Director of the Conference on Disarmament Secretariat and Conference Support Branch, Mr. Ban noted that the Protocol has a critical role to play in eliminating explosive remnants of war. He called on participants to build on last year’s conference, during which they took important decisions aimed at strengthening the Protocol’s implementation, and “solidify those commitments and map out a way forward.” He also urged them to build further on the culture of information sharing they have established, and continue efforts to find ways to take generic preventive measures aimed at minimizing the impact of incidents involving these deadly weapons. Over the past year, eight more countries have become parties to Protocol V, bringing the total number to 69. The Secretary-General called on those States that have not yet done so to ratify Protocol V without delay, especially in regions affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war. * * * ICC WAR CRIMES TRIAL OF FORMER DR CONGO LEADER BEGINS The International Criminal Court (ICC) today began the trial of former Congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, who stands accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) between 2002 and 2003. In 2009, judges at The Hague-based ICC found that Mr. Bemba, the leader of the Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC), had the “necessary criminal intent” when he ordered his armed group into the CAR to back up embattled leader Ange-Félix Patassé. According to the Court, MLC fighters committed war crimes and crimes against humanity on that mission, with Mr. Bemba “effectively acting as military commander.” The Prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, underlined that “in the ICC era,” the fate of military commanders who commit crimes is prosecution. “Jean-Pierre Bemba used an entire army as a weapon to rape, pillage and kill civilians in the Central African Republic. Today he is brought to account for deliberately failing to prevent, repress or punish mass atrocities committed by his men in CAR,” he told a news conference at The Hague. With sexual violence not included in the grave breaches regime of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Mr. Bemba’s trial is the first international criminal investigation in which alleged rapes far outnumber alleged killings. “Sexual violence is at last being treated the way women have always experienced it – as a tactic of war and terror,” declared Margot Wallström, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Pointing to justice and accountability as “key pillars of prevention, deterrence and social change” in situations where sexual violence is rife, Ms. Wallström said that where impunity prevails, sexual violence can linger after the guns fall silent as a “war within the peace.” She emphasized that Mr. Bemba’s trial signals that “no leader – however connected – is above the law; and no civilian – however isolated – is below it.” Mr. Bemba was transferred to the ICC in July 2008 after being arrested by Belgian police. The Court decided that he would remain in custody until the start of his trial, reversing an earlier decision to grant him temporary conditional release. The situation in CAR is one of five – along with Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Uganda – currently under investigation by the Prosecutor of the ICC. * * * GREATER COOPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING NATIONS VITAL TO FIGHTING POVERTY – BAN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged greater economic cooperation and exchange of ideas among developing countries to boost efforts to alleviate poverty, saying that millions of people are still unable to meet their basic needs despite the rapid economic growth in some emerging economies. “The more developing countries can share lessons about what works, from micro-finance to cash transfer programmes, the more we can advance,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the Global South-South Development Expo in Geneva, delivered on his behalf by Juan Somavia, the Director-General of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO). “Countries across the global south have created jobs and freed millions of people from poverty through home-grown solutions or by drawing on the innovations of others. The South is a font of ideas and actions that are helping to tackle the major challenges of our day,” the Secretary-General told participants of the Expo. An estimated 1.75 billion people in more than 100 countries still live in extreme poverty, Mr. Ban said, citing the Multidimensional Poverty Index, a new poverty indicator launched earlier this year by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative of Oxford University and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). He said the Global South-South Development Expo is a valuable opportunity to share information, generate new initiatives, showcase technologies and explore what can be done to achieve a greener and more prosperous future. “The United Nations stands with you in this effort, including through the presence of many of our agencies at this Expo,” he added. Organized by the UN every year since 2008, the Expo provides a forum to enable developing countries and their development partners, including donor agencies, organizations of the UN system, and private sector and civil society organizations, to showcase their evidence-based South-South development solutions. Solution forums include social protection and decent work, food security, climate change and environment, HIV/AIDS, global health, and education. This year’s Expo will focus on enhancing the strategic capacity of developing countries in research and technology development, and will develop inter-regional partnerships in each of its core topic areas. * * * UN AGENCY TACKLING HIV/AIDS WELCOMES POPE’S COMMENTS ON CONDOM USE The United Nations agency leading the global response to the AIDS epidemic has welcomed Pope Benedict XVI’s comments in which he reportedly justified the use of condoms to reduce HIV infection risk. The Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibé, praised the “significant and positive step forward” taken by the Vatican, saying it would help accelerate progress towards eradicating the virus. “This move recognizes that responsible sexual behaviour and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention,” he stated in a news release issued on Saturday. UNAIDS supports the use of all proven HIV prevention methods in pursuit of its goal of wiping out the 7,000 new HIV infections that occur each day. The single most efficient available technology to reduce transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is the male latex condom, according to UNAIDS. The agency has been working closely with the Vatican, with Mr. Sidibé holding far-reaching talks with Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski on HIV prevention in 2009. “Together we can build a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths,” said the Executive Director. * * *
UN RIGHTS OFFICE CONCERNED AT REPORTED ABUSES IN POST-ELECTORAL GUINEA The United Nations human rights office today voiced deep concern at reported abuses committed during the violence that erupted in Guinea following the presidential election, including excessive force, use of live fire and incitement to ethnic hatred. The violence began on Monday after Guinea’s Independent Electoral Commission declared Alpha Condé the winner of the run-off poll held on 7 November. Four people have been confirmed to have been killed and over 300 other reported injured in the violence that took place in the capital, Conakry, according to the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “OHCHR staff in Guinea have documented numerous allegations of human rights violations and continue to carry out investigations,” spokesperson Rupert Colville told a news conference in Geneva. The Office is deeply concerned by the manner in which Guinea’s security forces, while reacting to a series of demonstrations linked to the election, have used excessive force and resorted to live fire, he stated, adding that a number of members of the security forces have also been injured. Mr. Colville said agents of the Force Spéciale de Securisation du Processus Electoral (FOSSEPEL) and red beret troops have fired on crowds with live ammunition in several parts of Conakry. OHCHR staff witnessed heavily armed red beret soldiers and FOSSEPEL police and gendarmes “brutally beating, arresting and shooting” at unarmed civilians in various locations. In addition, human rights staff have received several reports that ethnically-motivated violence between Peuhl and Malinké youths was taking place in several neighborhoods, Mr. Colville noted. According to victims interviewed by OHCHR, red beret troops have been collaborating with groups of ethnic Malinké youth to target property and homes owned by members of the Peuhl ethnic group. “OHCHR urges the authorities and security forces, political leaders and their activists to refrain from violence and from inciting ethnic hatred,” said the spokesperson. The Office also called on the transitional Government, which proclaimed a state of emergency, to scrupulously adhere to international norms regarding states of emergency, and to ensure that the security forces adhere to international standards governing the use of force and firearms. Meanwhile, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said today it is keeping a close eye on the situation in Guinea. Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda issued a statement in which she urged the security forces to refrain from any excessive use of force against civilians, and encouraged the political leaders to call on their supporters and fellow citizens to maintain calm and avoid unrest. “All reported acts of violence will be closely scrutinized by the Office in order to determine whether crimes falling under the Court’s jurisdiction are committed and should warrant an investigation,” she stated. Members of the Security Council yesterday deplored the violence in Guinea and urged political leaders in the West African country to refrain from actions likely to incite tensions. They appealed to all parties to follow the existing legal procedure to “resolve their differences peacefully,” Philip John Parham, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency this month, told reporters after a closed-door meeting with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, who briefed them on the latest developments. * * * BAN VOICES DEEP CONCERN OVER GRAVE ABUSE OF CHILD RIGHTS IN SOMALIA Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern over the continuing grave violations of children’s rights in Somalia and urged all armed groups in the Horn of Africa country to immediately cease recruiting children and release those in their ranks. “I am deeply concerned about the killing and maiming of children and other civilians in the course of military operations [and] I remind all parties to the conflict of their obligations to ensure respect for international law,” the Secretary-General writes in his latest report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict in Somalia. He calls on the armed groups – al-Shabaab, Hizbul Islam, clan militias and Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’a – to “make all efforts to protect children through strict adherence to the principles of distinction and proportionality in the conduct of hostilities.” The Secretary-General also strongly encourages Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government and other authorities in the country to redress the prevailing culture of impunity, investigate all incidents of grave violations of children’s rights, and ensure that all individuals responsible are held accountable. “All appropriate authorities are also encouraged to increase child protection, law enforcement and judicial capacities,” Mr. Ban writes. He strongly encourages the African Union (AU) to include in the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in Somalia, AMISOM, specific provisions for the protection of children and civilians. “This includes child protection advisers and mechanisms for the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children,” he says, urging the AU to ensure that AMISOM troops adhere to their rules of engagement, and impose disciplinary measures for violations. The Secretary-General also urges the Kenyan Government to investigate reports of recruitment of Somali children from refugee camps in Kenya, and to implement necessary safeguards to ensure increased security and protection of the civilian populations in and around refugee camps. In addition, he encourages the international community to provide “adequate and timely resources to Somalia for child protection,” adding that emphasis should be on strengthening local capacity in monitoring, reporting, advocacy, prevention activities and response to child rights violations within the country and in areas where internally displaced persons (IDPs) have settled. Somalia has been without a functioning national government and wracked by factional warfare since the 1991 when the administration of the late Muhammad Siad Barre was toppled. * * * HAITI: UN SOUNDS ALARM AS VIOLENCE IMPEDES CHOLERA RESPONSE The top United Nations envoy in Haiti has called on demonstrators to stop blocking roads, bridges and airports so that vital humanitarian assistance can reach the thousands of people affected by the cholera outbreak. “Every second that passes can save or break thousands of lives,” Edmond Mulet, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Haiti, said in a statement issued last night. The protests, which began in the north and have spread to other areas, have prevented aid agencies from delivering life-saving supplies for the people affected, the number of which has topped 18,000 as of 15 November. “If this situation continues, more and more patients in desperate need of care are likely to die and more and more Haitians awaiting access to preventive care may be overtaken by the epidemic,” warned Mr. Mulet, who is also head of the UN peacekeeping force in the country, known as MINUSTAH. UN agencies on the ground issued a joint statement today calling for an end to the violent protests that are undermining the response to the epidemic, which began in late October and is spreading rapidly, and which has so far claimed some 1,110 lives. “The number of deaths from cholera is increasing and the security situation has prevented supplies from reaching those who most need them, such as malnourished children, pregnant women and the elderly,” said Dr. Lea Guido, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO). The violence is preventing the World Food Programme (WFP) from providing daily hot meals to 190,000 children in schools in Cap Haïtien in the north-east, and from assisting 35,000 pregnant women and children under the age of five to prevent malnutrition. “If violence continues, it is the most vulnerable who will pay the price,” said Myrta Kaulard, WFP Representative in Haiti, who noted that agencies have not been able to distribute soap, water and purification tablets – all of which are critical to fight cholera, an acute diarrhoeal disease spread by contaminated food and water. Agencies, including WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are raising awareness in communities about how to wash hands properly, how to treat people with signs of diarrhoea and how to prepare oral rehydration salts. Cholera is easily treatable with the prompt administration of oral rehydration salts or, in more severe cases, with intravenous fluids. If left untreated, however, it can kill within hours. Ensuring safe water and sanitation is a major challenge in Haiti, UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said, noting that before January’s devastating earthquake, fewer than 1 in 4 people in urban areas and 1 in 10 people in rural areas had access to sanitation. “For UNICEF and partners, the number one priority is thus treatment, prevention and improving hygiene practices,” she told a news conference in Geneva today. WHO, along with its regional arm, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and other partners, is focusing on providing training to staff at hospitals and the numerous cholera treatment centres that have been set up in the affected areas on how to treat cholera patients, how to separate them from other patients and how to avoid infection. Last week UN agencies and their partners appealed for $164 million for the Cholera Inter-Sector Response Strategy for Haiti, which aims to get additional doctors, medicines and water purification equipment to respond to the epidemic. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stressed today that relief organizations are in urgent need of financing and supplies, as well as for training staff on the ground. “It is essential that all United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations should step up their efforts and continue the good work they have been doing since the beginning, but this is difficult without materials,” said OCHA spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs. “It is thus essential to receive the requested funding.” * * * UN-BACKED POLIO VACCINATION DRIVE TARGETS 2 MILLION UGANDAN CHILDREN Some two million children in Uganda will be targeted in a United Nations-backed immunization campaign beginning on Saturday after an outbreak of polio was detected in the country last month. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will work alongside the Ugandan Ministry of Health in administering the first round of supplemental polio immunizations to children under the age of five during the three-day campaign. “Over the next three months, children under the age of 5 will be given three doses of the oral polio vaccine regardless of previous immunization status. It is vital to remember that one dose is not enough,” said UNICEF’s Country Representative, Dr. Sharad Sapra. Dr. Joaquim Saweka, the WHO Representative in Uganda, also pointed out the importance of immunization campaigns to keep polio at bay. “Over the last few years there has been a significant spread of the disease throughout the region, primarily coming from Nigeria. But due to strong commitment from African Governments and coordinated mass immunization campaigns, the spread of the disease is gradually being halted. Polio can and will be a disease of the past in Africa,” he said. Although Uganda was declared polio free in 2006, there have been two outbreaks in the last two years, with a lack of money for routine immunizations one of the main reasons for a drop in vaccination coverage between 2009 and 2010 from 83 per cent to 76 per cent. In October, a two year-old girl was diagnosed with the disease. “Do not underestimate the fact that there was only one case of polio diagnosed,” said Ugandan Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Mallinga. “Seventy-five per cent of polio carriers do not show any symptoms but they can still spread the disease. This is why we are mobilizing this rapid response without any delay. “We are determined to contain this outbreak so that Uganda will once again be declared polio free.” Polio, a highly infectious disease, enters the body through the mouth, through water or food contaminated by an infected person. There is no cure and the disease spreads rapidly among un-immunized populations, although with immunization its spread can be prevented. If a child receives the oral polio vaccine (OPV) at least three times, at an interval of four weeks, they are protected for life. Globally since 1988, there has been a 99 per cent reduction in polio cases due to this vaccine. Two more polio immunization rounds will take place in Uganda from 11 to 13 December and from 15 to 17 January 2011. Health workers are also being mobilized in the target districts to educate mothers and community members about the safety and life saving effects of the polio vaccine. * * * FORMER NIGERIAN HEALTH MINISTER APPOINTED NEW CHIEF OF UN POPULATION FUND Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Babatunde Osotimehin, a professor and former minister from Nigeria, as the new head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Mr. Osotimehin, who is currently professor of medicine at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, will succeed Thoraya Ahmed Obaid as the Fund’s Executive Director when her term ends on 31 December. Mr. Ban expressed his gratitude to Ms. Obaid for her services to UNFPA and her commitment in championing the cause of women’s and young people’s health and empowerment. “The Secretary-General is particularly appreciative of the exemplary leadership displayed by Ms. Obaid in the implementation of UNFPA’s mandate over the two terms she has led the Organization,” his spokesperson said in a statement. Mr. Osotimehin, who is also the African spokesperson for the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, brings a wealth of experience to UNFPA, including extensive knowledge and understanding of the global and national framework and processes that are critical to the work of the agency, strong leadership and proven managerial skills. He has previously served as Minister of Health of Nigeria and was also Director-General of the country’s National Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS. He was also a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. Ms. Obaid welcomed Mr. Osotimehin’s appointment, stating that his qualifications and extensive experience “position him well to lead the global agenda for population and development and to promote the right to sexual and reproductive health.” * * * ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ADDRESSES UN, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE DURING VISIT TO FRANCE Issues related to global governance, the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies and Security Council reform were among those discussed by General Assembly President Joseph Deiss during his official visit to France. While in Paris, Mr. Deiss met yesterday with French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Michele Alliot-Marie, with whom he also discussed the country’s contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set of anti-poverty targets world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015. He also met separately with the Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, and the Secretary-General of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), Abdou Diouf, to discuss global governance, the MDGs and cultural diversity, among other things. The Assembly President also addressed the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), highlighting the UN’s efforts in reaffirming a central role in global governance. In a speech made in October, Mr. Deiss had warned of the “danger” that the UN could be “marginalized as other actors emerge on the international scene.” He had also described the UN’s central role in global governance as being vital for solving challenges that cannot be overcome by countries acting alone. Mr. Deiss reprised this theme in a bilateral meeting with OECD chief Angel Gurria. * * * SENIOR UN OFFICIAL STRESSES POTENTIAL IMPACT OF NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ACADEMIA A top United Nations official voiced optimism today about what a newly-launched initiative between the world body and the academic community can achieve in areas such as development, human rights and literacy. Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka looked forward to a busy 2011 for the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), an initiative of the Department of Public Information (DPI) that was officially launched yesterday in New York. “Over the past two days, representatives of 160 universities from 47 countries – altogether about 500 people – have come to the UN to share their ideas to exchange information and make plans for future collaboration on issues that affect us all,” he told a news conference on the second day of the launch event. Mr. Akasaka said that participants involved in the initiative will carry out at least one activity next year in support of UNAI’s ten principles in the areas of human rights, literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution. Next year will also see the founding of ten institutional hubs, one for each of the principles. “Each hub will be a focal point to receive and to disseminate ideas among universities and with us at the United Nations,” he stated. The two-day launch culminates tonight with a concert at UN Headquarters featuring the Asia-Pacific United Orchestra performing a variety of works, a special appearance by the UN Staff Recreation Council Singers and a unique performance of the Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra by Tan Dun. “The concert is a celebration of this launching of this new initiative,” said Mr. Akasaka. “[It] shows that harmony among different nations and different cultures is being promoted through the very many musicians from different countries playing music in harmony and this is most appropriate for the launching of the new initiative.” * * * SUDAN: UN PANEL MONITORING REFERENDA VISITS ABYEI Members of the United Nations panel tasked with monitoring the referenda on self-determination in Sudan today visited central area of Abyei, where they met with the area’s chief administrator, other local officials and community chiefs. The panel’s chairperson, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, stressed to the chiefs from the Dinka ethnic group that the problems in Abyei – an area rich in oil reserves that lies on the border between southern and northern Sudan and is claimed by both sides – must be resolved peacefully. Sudanese are slated to vote on 9 January on whether the south should secede from the rest of the country and also to determine the final status of Abyei, as set out in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended the long-running war between north and south. Members of the panel were also briefed by UN officials in Abyei on the latest developments in the referendum process. This is the second visit to Sudan for the three-member panel, which was set up by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in response to a request by the Sudanese Government for a body to help enhance the credibility of the referenda and ensure the acceptance of their results by their constituencies and the international community. As part of their week-long visit, the panel members will visit Wad Medani in the north tomorrow to see voter registration centres there and speak with local officials. In addition to Mr. Mkapa, the team also includes António Monteiro, a former foreign minister of Portugal, and Bhojraj Pokharel, a former chairman of Nepal's election commission. * * * TOURISM CAN BE ‘MAJOR GENERATOR’ OF JOBS AFTER ECONOMIC CRISIS – UN AGENCY While the international tourism industry was negatively affected by the global economic crisis, the sector is expected to grow in the coming years and provide millions of new jobs, according to the United Nations labour agency. The travel and tourism industry is expected to generate about 9 per cent of total gross domestic product (GDP) and provide for more than 235 million jobs in 2010, representing 8 per cent of global employment, says the UN International Labour Organization (ILO). The agency will convene the Global Dialogue Forum on New Developments and Challenges in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector from 23 to 24 November in Geneva to discuss the impact of the global economic crisis on the tourism industry and address future developments and challenges. While the travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in today’s global economy, a sharp reduction in tourist flows, length of stay, tourist spending and increased restrictions on business travel expenses saw international tourism revenues projected to go down 6 per cent by the end of 2009. Yet, according to an ILO report prepared for the Forum, international tourism is now projected to grow significantly over the coming decade. The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is expecting the sector’s global economy to provide 235 million jobs in 2010 and grow to 296 million jobs by 2019. “Tourism has the potential to become a major generator of jobs after the crisis,” ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, adding that “social dialogue between governments, employers and workers can ensure that the jobs generated will be decent.” At next week’s gathering, 150 delegates from more than 50 countries will address how the hospitality and tourism industry can take advantage of the crisis as an opportunity and advance sustainable forms of tourism with a strong poverty reduction potential. Elizabeth Tinoco, Director of ILO’s Sectoral Activities Department, noted that a sustainable tourism industry can provide key answers to problems raised at the recent meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies in Seoul, Republic of Korea. These include private sector-led growth and job creation, social protection, decent work and growth in the least developed countries, poverty, lack of training and skills, ecologically sound development and social protection, she stated. * * * HUMAN RIGHTS DOMINATE BAN’S TALKS WITH IRANIAN OFFICIAL Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed a range of human rights issues today with the head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javed Ardeshir Larijani, at United Nations Headquarters. They exchanged views on specific human rights issues in Iran, as well as the operation of the country’s domestic human rights mechanisms, according to information provided by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. The Secretary-General welcomed Iran’s invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Iran in 2011. Among the other issues discussed by the two men were intergovernmental processes dealing with human rights in Iran, such as the recent Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review. The Universal Periodic Review is a process which involves a review by the Geneva-based Council of the records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years. * * * PRIVATE SECTOR HAS CRITICAL ROLE IN TACKLING TODAY’S CHALLENGES, SAYS BAN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon today praised the contribution of the private sector to the United Nations agenda, urging that efforts be scaled up to meet global challenges such as climate change and poverty reduction. Addressing Board Members of the UN Global Compact, Mr. Ban said that the challenges facing the world today are too great for any one actor to face alone. “What gives me hope is that we, the United Nations, and the private sector have found more common ground than ever before to address these serious challenges,” he said at the Global Compact Board Meeting. In what he called a “pivotal year” for the Global Compact, an initiative that seeks to foster socially responsible business practices, there was much to be celebrated. At the same time, he believed that the private sector’s contribution can continue to grow. “After ten years of experimentation, growth and brand-building, the Global Compact is well positioned to mobilize tangible support from the private sector in support of UN goals,” he stated. In separate remarks to the group at lunch, the Secretary-General spoke of new efforts that will be launched next year and urged businesses to guide Governments on what they can do to maximize private sector contributions to the UN agenda. Launched in July 2000, the Global Compact has over 8,000 participants worldwide. It has set the objective of having 20,000 participants by 2020. * * * CHALLENGES REMAIN AS BRAZIL SEEKS TO PROMOTE CULTURAL RIGHTS – UN EXPERT An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged the Brazilian Government to draft and implement legislation to put into effect a new plan to protect and promote the cultural rights of all communities in the country. “The adoption of the National Plan of Culture gives new impetus for Brazil to make their laws and programmes a living reality on the ground,” said Farida Shaheed, the UN Independent Expert on Cultural Rights, after a 12-day visit to Brazil. “Many stakeholders pointed out that effective implementation remains a major challenge,” she said. Ms. Shaheed said she was inspired by initiatives to promote cultural expressions in Brazil, including steps towards constitutional recognition of culture as a right, as well as legislation and policies that have been developed through consultative processes from the grassroots to the federal level. Brazil has taken significant measures to promote and protect the cultural expression and heritage of marginalized peoples, she pointed out. However, many individuals and communities still do not feel they are fully appreciated as equal participants in national life, she added. “This continuing experience of exclusion and discrimination needs to be recognized and addressed, especially in view of a reported increase in the attacks on, and in some instances the demonization of, some specific communities on the basis of their religion, ethnicity and race,” Ms. Shaheed said. The expert said guaranteeing cultural rights enabled communities to build their self-esteem, to be respected for their values and practices, and to be able to preserve the elements of their culture that they desired to keep. Ms. Shaheed welcomed efforts by the Government to promote global and regional cooperation in the field of culture, including initiatives to uphold international legal instruments for the promotion and protection of cultural rights and cultural diversity. Appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, Ms. Shaheed works in an independent and unpaid capacity. * * * NEW UN GUIDELINES UNVEILED TO PROTECT HEALTH WORKERS FROM HIV AND TB United Nations agencies today launched new international guidelines aimed at helping to protect health workers who provide care to people infected with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) from becoming infected themselves in the course of their work. The guidelines, drafted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), are designed to help doctors, nurses and midwives, pharmacists and laboratory technicians, as well as health managers, cleaners, security guards and other support workers avoid infection. There are an estimated 60 million health workers across the world, according to the agencies. “These guidelines directly aim to ensure that health workers have access to universal and standard precautions, preventive therapy for tuberculosis, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, treatment, compensation schemes for occupational infection, and social security or occupational insurance at the workplace,” said Assane Diop, the ILO Executive Director for the Social Protection Sector. While the three UN agencies have been championing universal access and making sure people have the right to access prevention, treatment, care and support for HIV and TB services, not enough attention has been paid to the needs of health workers, they said. “WHO recognizes health workers’ risk of acquiring HIV or TB and the need for comprehensive occupational health and safety procedures,” said Hiroki Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “These new guidelines provide key recommendations to protect health workers, patients and their families from the significant threat of HIV and TB in all our health facilities.” The 14 action points provided in the guidelines are based on respect for workers’ rights as well as practical workplace health and safety programmes to ensure a safer work environment, active participation of health workers, as well as public and private health services employers. The guidelines also address the high level of stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and TB. The agencies recommend that countries introduce new policies or refine existing ones that ensure priority access for health workers and their families to services for the prevention, treatment, care and support for HIV and TB. Governments are also called on to implement measures that prevent discrimination against health workers with HIV or TB. The guidelines also call for reasonable accommodation and compensation, including paid leave, early retirement benefits and death benefits in the event of occupationally-acquired illness. Other recommendations include strengthening existing infection control programmes, especially with respect to TB and HIV infection control, and extending programmes for regular, free, voluntary, and confidential HIV counselling and testing, and TB screening. The provision of pre-service, in-service and continuing education on TB and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services in also recommended, as well as the establishment and provision of adequate financial resources for these services. “Health workers are one of our most precious resources in the global response to both HIV and TB,” said Paul De Lay, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director. “The new guidelines can ensure that health staff have access to the highest standards of TB and HIV prevention, treatment and care so they can stay healthy and continue caring for others.” * * * UN ENVOY BACKS ‘WORLD DAY’ TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN A global initiative to protect children from abuse and violence has received the support of the United Nations envoy dealing with the issue, who stressed that much more needs to be done to safeguard millions of young people around the world. In a message delivered in Geneva on the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Marta Santos Pais expressed support for adopting 19 November as a World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Violence against Children. “Violence against children remains hidden and socially accepted, and it has a serious and lifelong impact on the lives of children, compromising their physical and emotional health, development and education,” said Ms. Pais, who is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. “This anniversary reminds us that much more need to be done and prevention is crucial in protecting children from violence in all its forms.” She said that violence and abuse remain difficult to survey because of their sensitive nature, despite existing international standards. The Special Representative highlighted three critical goals which she will be pursuing, which are the development of national comprehensive strategies against violence worldwide, a global legal ban on violence against children, and the promotion of a national data collection system and research agenda. In spite of the challenges, Ms. Pais also noted some positive developments, including the fact that various countries have built significant legal prohibitions on violence against children. “At present, 29 countries have a comprehensive and explicit legal ban on all forms of violence against children,” she said. “Several countries have reinforced their legislation to address specific forms of violence and to protect children from ill treatment and abuse in schools, from child trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and early and forced marriage.” * * * UN EXPERTS URGE SOUTH AFRICA TO STRENGTHEN CONTROL OVER PRIVATE SECURITY FIRMS A group of independent United Nations experts today urged South Africa to strengthen oversight and control over private military and security companies exporting their services abroad, saying regulations currently in place face implementation challenges. At the end of a 10-day visit to the country, the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries noted that South Africans have, since the end of apartheid in 1994, been widely employed by private military and security companies operating around the world. As a result, South Africa was one of the first countries to adopt legislation on the provision of foreign military assistance in 1998. “Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the regulatory regime established in South Africa for private military and security companies and individuals operating in different countries has faced challenges in terms of implementation,” the Working Group, which visited South Africa at the invitation of the Government, said in a statement. There was broad agreement during discussions between the Working Group and the South African authorities that the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea in 2004 provided added momentum to revise the legislation to address the whole spectrum of activities to be regulated. The Working Group noted that some of the South Africans involved in the attempted coup had been or were employed by private military and security companies. “The Working Group recommends that the Government undertake the necessary steps to ensure that the regulatory regime envisaged in the legislation be strengthened and include a monitoring mechanism,” said Alexander Nikitin, the chairperson of the Working Group. It stressed the important role South Africa’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee can play in the effective implementation of the legislation on private military and security companies. The Group also expressed appreciation for the Government’s significant role at the UN to establish an international regulatory framework, including a legally binding instrument, to ensure the accountability of private military and security companies for human rights violations. * * * KEY UN RIGHTS BODY URGES STATES TO DO MORE TO ENSURE SAFE, AFFORDABLE SANITATION Highlighting some of the massive sanitation problems that prevail across the globe, a key United Nations rights body today called on States to do more to ensure safe, hygienic and proper access to sanitation. In a statement adopted to coincide with World Toilet Day, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said that sanitation is a human right, and an essential component of the right to an adequate standard of living. Around 2.6 billion people worldwide have no access to adequate sanitation with over a billion continuing to practise open defecation. The Geneva-based Committee said that recent estimates showed the numbers are growing, with a further 100 million estimated to have missed out on sanitation between 2006 and 2008. In 2002, a target for sanitation development was added to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set of anti-poverty targets world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015. Although increased access to sanitation was considered fundamentally as important as other MDG targets, the Committee noted that sanitation “is one of the most off-track targets of the Millennium Development Goals,” despite affecting so many people. The UN’s Independent Expert on water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, welcomed the statement. “For too long, sanitation has been neglected and the attention devoted to the issue by the Committee is a signal that times are changing,” she said. The Committee pointed out that the world’s poor suffer disproportionately from bad sanitation. The status of diarrhoea as the second biggest cause of death of children under five years old is directly attributable to the fact that as much as 80 per cent of wastewater goes untreated in developing countries, it noted. * * * UN DAILY NEWS from the AT UN MEETING, CYPRIOT LEADERS AGREE TO INTENSIFY CONTACTS TO ADVANCE PEACE TALKS The leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities agreed today to intensify their contacts to advance progress in the United Nations-backed talks aimed at achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue. The talks have been going on for some time “without clear progress or a clear end in sight,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said following the meeting at UN Headquarters in New York with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. “The peace talks on Cyprus were losing momentum and needed a boost if the two sides are to reach a settlement while there is still the time and the political opportunity to do so,” he told reporters. “Only the leaders can give it that boost.” Mr. Ban announced that the leaders agreed to intensify their contacts in the coming weeks “in order to establish a practical plan for overcoming the major remaining points of disagreement.” It was also decided that the Secretary-General and the leaders will meet again at the end of January in Geneva. “In the meantime, the leaders will identify further convergences and the core issues which still need to be resolved, across all chapters. That, in turn, will help the United Nations determine its own next steps.” The two leaders have been meeting periodically with the aim of working towards “a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions.” That partnership would comprise a federal government with a single international personality, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which would be of equal status. The core issues in the negotiations, which were launched in 2008, include governance and power-sharing, economy, European Union matters, property, territory and security. “I hope today’s meeting has helped to restore momentum to the process,” said Mr. Ban, who follows the negotiations through his Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alexander Downer. “The people of Cyprus and the international community want a solution, not endless talks.” A UN peacekeeping mission, known as UNFICYP, has been in place in Cyprus since 1964 following an outbreak of inter-communal violence. * * * BAN WELCOMES ISRAEL’S DECISION TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM NORTHERN GHAJAR Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Israeli Government’s decision to withdraw its army from the northern part of Ghajar, a village that straddles the so-called Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon. In a statement issued by his spokesperson yesterday, Mr. Ban said the withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from northern Ghajar would be “an important step” towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. Resolution 1701 brought to an end the conflict that took place between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbollah four years ago. It also calls for respect for the Blue Line, the disarming of all militias operating in Lebanon and an end to arms smuggling in the area. “The United Nations intends to continue to work closely with all parties in the coming period in a process to resolve the permanent status of Ghajar,” the statement added. Mr. Ban commended all sides for their continued commitment to resolution 1701 and stressed his determination and commitment to advance its full implementation. UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said that he and Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas, the Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), will make a visit to Israel early next week to further discuss the decision on Ghajar. Speaking to reporters in New York after a closed-door meeting with the Security Council, Mr. Williams stressed that Israel and Lebanon have obligations to meet under resolution 1701. “I welcomed again today the expressions of continued commitment to the resolution. But I also warned that progress made so far could be undermined if the parties do not couple their reassertions of support with further concrete steps,” he stated. * * * SECURITY COUNCIL URGES LEADERS IN GUINEA TO END POLL DIFFERENCES PEACEFULLY Members of the Security Council today deplored the violence that erupted in Guinea following the announcement of the results of the second round of presidential elections and urged political leaders in the West African country to refrain from actions likely to incite tensions. Guinea’s Independent Electoral Commission on Monday declared Alpha Condé the winner of the run-off poll, which was held on 7 November. The other candidate was Cellou Dalein Diallo. Council members were briefed in a closed-door meeting on the latest developments in Guinea by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit. Members “took note” of the provisional results and appealed to all parties to follow the existing legal procedure to “resolve their differences peacefully,” Philip John Parham, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency this month, told reporters after the meeting. They also stressed the responsibility of Guinea’s security forces and government officials to maintain public order and to protect civilians, he added. In addition, they welcomed the determination of Guinea’s interim leader, General Sékouba Konaté, to pursue peaceful elections, and encouraged him to continue the process until it is concluded in an inclusive manner. The run-off poll followed the first round of the election in June. It was the final stage of the interim Government’s efforts to restore democracy after Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power in a coup in 2008 following the death of long-time president Lansana Conté. * * * UN COMMITTED TO DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION IN MYANMAR, BAN TELLS AUNG SAN SUU KYI Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed that the United Nations will continue to support efforts towards a democratic transition in Myanmar, as he spoke with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi following her long-awaited release. Ms. Suu Kyi, the head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was released on 13 November after having been under house arrest for much of the past two decades. “The Secretary-General told Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that he was encouraged by the spirit of reconciliation emanating from her statements and appeals for dialogue and compromise following her release,” his spokesperson said in a statement issued after the telephone call. Mr. Ban reiterated his own commitment and that of the UN to continue to uphold the cause of human rights and support all efforts by the Government, Ms. Suu Kyi and all other stakeholders to build a “united, peaceful, democratic and modern future” for their country. They both stressed the need for the Myanmar authorities to release all remaining political prisoners so that all of the country’s citizens are free to contribute to advancing the prospects of national reconciliation and democratic transition in Myanmar, the statement noted. For her part, Ms. Suu Kyi voiced her appreciation for the UN’s role in Myanmar, and expressed her support for an early visit by the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar to Yangon and her desire to engage with him for pushing ahead in addressing the challenges facing the people of Myanmar. * * * AFGHANISTAN TOPS AGENDA OF UN CHIEF’S VISIT TO PORTUGAL Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Lisbon, Portugal, this weekend to attend a high-level meeting on Afghanistan held under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Mr. Ban will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with world leaders gathered in Lisbon, according to his spokesperson. Among them will be Afghan President Hamid Karzai, with whom the Secretary-General will discuss the situation in the country and the UN’s efforts there, as well as other key issues. In his latest report on Afghanistan, which was issued in September, Mr. Ban warned that much of the progress achieved in recent months is fragile and continues to be overshadowed by the deterioration in the security situation. He added that maintaining focus and momentum on the transition to Afghan leadership, amid rising security challenges and competing domestic, regional and international political pressures, will require sustained Government attention and the support of international partners. * * * SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF EUROPEAN FORCE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA The Security Council today extended for another year the European Union stabilization force entrusted with ensuring the continued compliance of all sides with the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that ended fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The force, known as EUFOR, assumed peacekeeping responsibilities in 2004 from a stabilization force led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Last week, Valentin Inzko, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, told the Council that the current situation in the country is marked by a political stalemate and stagnation on key reforms, and requires the continued attention of the international community. He added that, 15 years after the signing of the Dayton peace agreement, there is still “insufficient” dialogue and compromise. “While there was substantial progress in the first 11 years after the war, in the last four years, there has been stagnation and time has been largely wasted. The fundamentals of the country and its institutions, including the constitutional framework, have been challenged on a regular basis,” he told the 15-member body. In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council “reminds the parties once again that, in accordance with the Peace Agreement, they have committed themselves to cooperate fully with all entities involved in the implementation of this peace settlement…” The 15-member body also reiterated that the primary responsibility for the further successful implementation of the Peace Agreement “lies with the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina themselves.” The continued willingness of the international community and major donors to help politically, militarily and economically in reconstruction efforts depended on the parties’ compliance, it added. In addition, the Council demanded that the parties respect the security and freedom of movement of EUFOR, the NATO presence, and other international personnel. * * * NEW INITIATIVE AIMS TO FORGE CLOSER LINKS BETWEEN UN AND ACADEMIA Over 300 university presidents, faculty members and students gathered at United Nations Headquarters today for the launch of a new initiative that seeks to create partnerships between the world body and academia and foster a culture of intellectual social responsibility. “By sharing ideas, across borders and disciplines, we can find solutions to the interconnected problems that cause so much suffering,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he launched the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), an initiative of the Department of Public Information (DPI). The launch event includes a two-day conference where participants commit themselves to ten principles derived from the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the global anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline. Each of the more than 500 member institutions, from over 90 countries, pledges to undertake at least one activity or project every year which tangibly supports and furthers the realization of these principles. Referring to the UN’s expectations of member institutions, the Secretary-General described a mutually beneficial relationship. “We are not asking for your intellectual property. But we are demanding your dynamism, your energy and your commitment,” he said. “You get more than the immense personal satisfaction of teaching, learning and individual research. You get the even greater pride of seeing your scholarship help people cope with their day-to-day struggles.” He detailed the important role that academics and intellectuals have played in the past and present of the UN and pointed to the positive impact closer partnership could have in the future. “By formalizing our relationship today, we can magnify the already great impact the academic community is having,” he said. “A single idea can generate a breakthrough that saves millions of lives. A new technology can spare whole populations from hardship. Even a theory can unlock action for peace.” Over the course of the two-day conference, participants will share their views and suggestions about how their work could support, and be supported by, the UN. The first UNAI conference is set to be held at the Centro Niemeyer in Asturias, Spain, on 15 December. Named after Oscar Niemeyer, the only surviving member of the team of architects that designed the UN Headquarters complex 63 years ago, the centre opens its doors on the Brazilian architect’s 103rd birthday to host the UNAI conference. “Oscar Niemeyer has invested the precision of his craftsmanship with ingenuity and daring,” said Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. “His famous remark, that he was not attracted to the ‘straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man’ can be said to sum up the spirit of the United National Academic Impact, where the distance between intent and conclusions in scholarship is not always linear, but is enriched by creative diversions that can themselves yield a solution.” * * * UN-BACKED CONFERENCE RAISES AWARENESS OF EVILS OF ANTI-SEMITISM In continuing efforts to ensure that the crime of genocide does not occur again, the United Nations today co-sponsored a conference in Ireland to discuss both the historical and contemporary contexts of anti-Semitism, including Holocaust denial. “Holocaust denial is anti-Semitism. It wounds the people who suffer the most – the survivors,” said Kiyo Akasaka, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, in a message to the International Conference on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial in Dublin. “It extends this hurt to every Jewish person, as a heartless reminder of the unspeakable cruelty and the ruthless attempt to eliminate every member of their families,” Mr. Akasaka told the conference, which is co-sponsored by the UN Department of Public Information and Holocaust Education Trust Ireland, with the support of the Government of Ireland and other partners. The UN has called for the rejection of the denial of the Holocaust, in full or in part, through resolutions adopted by the 192-member General Assembly. Mr. Akasaka encouraged participants attending the two-day event to make efforts to dispel the myths associated with anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial and to fight discrimination. “We have not fully understood that discrimination against people anywhere hurts people everywhere. Minorities of all kinds continue to be persecuted and murdered. And too often, we have been indifferent,” he added. Through its ‘Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme,’ the UN helps to ensure that people everywhere are better educated about the events that led to the Holocaust in order to help prevent genocide in the future. * * * UN HEALTH AGENCY PUSHES FOR BETTER MONITORING OF ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS Only 34 per cent of countries with endemic malaria are complying with United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to routinely monitor anti-malarial medicines, according to a report released today. The agency’s “Global report on anti-malarial drug efficacy and drug resistance: 2000-2010” urges countries to be more vigilant in drug monitoring to allow for earlier detection of resistance to anti-malarial treatments. “A greater political commitment to support and sustain national monitoring of the efficacy of anti-malarial medicines is critical to prevent a wider emergence of artemisinin resistance,” said Dr. Pascal Ringwald of the Drug Resistance and Containment Unit, within WHO’s Global Malaria Programme and one of the report’s authors. Artemisinin is currently the most effective treatment against malaria, but resistance to the drug when used alone to treat the disease was found in February 2009 on the Cambodia-Thailand border. “The emergence of artemisinin resistance on the Cambodia-Thailand border has been a wake-up call to the world to prevent its spread, increase monitoring, and preserve ACTs (Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy) as the only effective treatment we have for falciparum malaria,” said Dr. Robert Newman, Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme. Although efforts to contain the spread of artemisinin resistance on the Cambodia-Thailand border are ongoing, early evidence suggests the emergence of resistance on the Myanmar-Thailand border. There is also concern that this resistance could spread from Asia to Africa, as happened with other treatments in the 1960s and 70s. “Anti-malarial drug resistance is like a cancer, it must be fought at every level,” said Nicholas J White, Professor at the Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit in Bangkok, Thailand. “Affected countries need to be in the frontline in combating the emergence of drug resistance. WHO should be empowered and supported to take a strong lead. It is crucial to protect ACTs as they are the best treatments for millions of people against malaria.” The report found that ACTs currently recommended by national malaria control programmes remain effective against malaria, with cure rates generally above 90 per cent. In countries with cure rates lower than 90 per cent, policy change is ongoing to implement efficacious replacement malaria treatments. The use of artemisinin monotherapy is considered an important factor in the survival and spread of drug resistant strains. If the efficacy of the artemisinin component continues to decline, the risk grows of increased resistance to other drugs used in the combination. In response to the findings in the report, WHO is working with partners to develop a Global Plan for Artemisinin Resistance Containment, which will be released in January 2011. On World Health Day 2011, WHO will launch a public awareness campaign on antimicrobial resistance and its global spread, calling on governments and stakeholders to implement the policies and practices needed to safeguard medicines for future generations. * * * COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES MORE EFFECTIVE AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING – UN Initiatives to encourage communities in Africa to abandon female genital mutilation or cutting are more effective when used to reinforce the positive aspects of local cultures and build trust by implementing development projects, the findings of a United Nations study released today show. “Rather than ‘fighting’ against local culture and presenting traditional behaviours as negative, effective programmes propose alternative mechanisms to signal adherence to shared community values and to frame the discussion surrounding FGM in a non-threatening way,” it states. Entitled “The Dynamics of Social Change: Towards the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Five African Countries,” the study was prepared by the Innocenti Research Centre, located in the Italian city of Florence, of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “A family’s decision to practice or abandon FGM/C is influenced by powerful social rewards and sanctions,” said Gordon Alexander, interim director of the Centre. “Understanding the diverse social dynamics that perpetuate FGM/C is changing the way in which abandonment is approached. There is no one answer, no one way, and no quick fix. But there is progress. These efforts need to be scaled up to bring change in the lives of girls, now,” he says in the report. FGM/C is the partial or total removal of the external genitalia – undertaken for cultural or other non-medical reasons – often causing severe pain and sometimes resulting in prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death. Communities that practise it consider FGM/C a necessary step to raise girls and, in many cases, to make them eligible for marriage. Failure to carry out or undergo FGM/C can lead to social exclusion and disapproval not only of the girl but of the entire family. The study stresses that successful abandonment programmes involve respected community members, including religious and local leaders, and engage social networks and institutions. The programmes also use legislative reform, national policies and the media to facilitate and support the process. The report examines strategies that are supporting communities in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and the Sudan to abandon the practice. It found that progress has been made, especially in Senegal, but national FGM/C prevalence rates still remain high in Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan. Significant change in attitudes about FGM/C in the three countries, however, indicate that individuals are questioning the merits of these practices and would prefer, circumstances permitting, not to have their daughters, wives, sisters and other relative undergo FGM/C. Estimates on how many girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation vary from 70 million to 140 million. In Africa, an estimated three million girls and women are at risk for FGM/C each year. The practice is also found in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, and to a lesser extent within some immigrant communities in Europe, and in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. * * * UN MARKS WORLD PHILOSOPHY DAY WITH CALL FOR GREATER USE OF REASON AND DIALOGUE The United Nations marked World Philosophy Day today with a call for greater efforts to guard against the politics of polarization and the rejection of stereotypes, ignorance and hatred. “Let us instead fortify our societies through reason and dialogue – the lifeblood of philosophical debate,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a video message for an event marking the Day at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “And let us recognize the critical role that the age-old tradition of philosophy can play in our modern, interconnected world.” World Philosophy Day is celebrated every third Thursday of November since 2002, with the aim of making philosophical reflection accessible to all – professors and students, scholars and the general public – thereby enlarging the opportunities and spaces for the stimulation of critical thinking and debate. “Philosophy deals routinely in universals – in broadly shared questions about human existence, beliefs and behaviour. That gives it uncommon power to help build bridges between people, and to open channels of communication among cultures,” Mr. Ban said. “So let us use this essential expression of the human mind to change the minds of men and women – for that is where, as UNESCO’s own Charter so memorably states, true peace begins.” Celebrations to mark the Day were organized by academics in more than 80 countries, in all regions of the world. A special event was held at UNESCO Headquarters, interweaving philosophy, cultural diversity and the rapprochement of cultures – with the latter tying in to the 2010 celebration of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. Since its creation, UNESCO has used philosophy to implement the ideals that inspired its Constitution; these ideals stem from philosophical tradition. UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, inaugurated the Paris event, which included an international forum on the topic “Philosophy, Cultural Diversity and Rapprochement of Cultures,” with the participation of internationally-renowned philosophers and eminent figures, in addition to a series of symposia and round-table discussions. “Philosophy actually teaches diversity lessons through its numerous schools of thought in all eras and on all continents,” Ms. Bokova said in her message for the Day. “In view of the intricacies of current issues, we should tap into that wealth in order to build our capacity to analyse reality.” She also called for intensified efforts to provide everyone with quality education and an enabling environment in which every man and woman can express his or her ideas and enrich public debate in furtherance of justice and peace. * * * SUPPORT FOR UN FUND FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING GROWS The newly-created United Nations trust fund to support victims of human trafficking is gaining steady international support with pledges having been received from six governments and one private sector donor during the past two weeks, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today. Yury Fedotov, the UNODC Executive Director, stressed that the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking, Especially Women and Children would only be successful with broad financial support. He encouraged all governments, foundations, the private sector and individuals to contribute generously. “Human beings are trafficked for a wide range of terrible purposes, not only for sexual exploitation – though that is certainly one of the worst forms of this disgraceful crime against human dignity,” Mr. Fedotov said. “We hope that the new Trust Fund will help us to deal with these challenges as it provides a way to rescue victims of human trafficking and to help them to recover and rebuild their lives,” he told a news conference in Vienna, where UNODC is headquartered. The Trust Fund will provide victims with humanitarian, legal and financial aid through established channels of assistance, such as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The UN estimates that more than 2.4 million people are currently being exploited after being trafficked by unscrupulous human smugglers. The Fund, launched on 4 November, is an important element of the new UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, adopted by the General Assembly in July this year. Mr. Fedotov, whose Office will administer the Fund, also announced the Trust Fund’s Board of Advisors. Representing different regions of the world, the Trustees will serve three-year terms and advise UNODC on the implementation of the Fund. Selected by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Trustees will assist UNODC in ensuring a balanced and comprehensive approach to the administration of the Fund. They are Aleya Hammad of Egypt, Saisuree Chutikul of Thailand, Nick Kinsella of the United Kingdom, Virginia Murillo Herrera of Costa Rica and Klara Skrivankova of the Czech Republic. To date, pledges for contribution have been received from the Governments of Belarus, Egypt, Malaysia, Luxembourg, Qatar and Thailand, as well as from Naguib Sawiris, Executive Chairman of Orascom Telecom. Pledges for support and solidarity can be placed online at www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking-fund.html. * * * |
