SOLUTIONS TO FINANCIAL CRISIS MUST HAVE INPUT OF DEVELOPING NATIONS – UN OFFICIAL

SOLUTIONS TO FINANCIAL CRISIS MUST HAVE INPUT OF DEVELOPING NATIONS – UN OFFICIAL
New York, May 1 2009 7:10PM
The global conversation aimed at finding solutions to alleviate the economic and financial turmoil enveloping markets around the world needs to widen participation to include poor and developing nations, a senior advisor to the President of the United Nations General Assembly said today.

The upcoming high-level General Assembly Economic Crisis Summit, which will be held from 1-3 June in New York, will assess the crisis that has devastated the world economy and search for solutions that take into account the interests of all nations.

"What we are trying to accomplish … is to ensure that the full impact of decisions that are made is analysed and understood," Michael Clark, senior advisor to President Miguel D'Escoto, told a news conference.

"So that countries which are most affected but have the least ability to influence the global policies and who also have the least ability to bail themselves out have a voice and a presence in these discussions," added Mr. Clark.

Solutions to tackle the crisis will not be found at the UN and "they won't literally be in an outcome document or statement or communiqué," but participants of the conference will have the "ability to have an impact on the global agenda."

Mr. Clark noted that some ideas, such as looking at the role of the international reserve currency in easing the strain on financial markets is now part of government dialogue thanks to a commission of experts convened by the UN and headed by Nobel Laureate for economics Joseph Stiglitz.

"So we have an ability to exercise influence that isn't limited to what is said, written or agreed here," Mr. Clark said. "That said we've been working very hard to produce a statement that has some special characteristics."

The June conference will provide a stronger voice and greater participation for the emerging and developing world in the global decision making process, in particular in fixing the "deeper structural problems in the way we manage the global economy," including restructuring the Bretton Woods institutions.

"We had the emerging and developing world actually lending money to developed countries. We had unsustainable deficits and in some ways unsustainable surpluses accumulating and we need to get to the heart of those issues," stressed Mr. Clark.

"We're not going to solve all these problems in year or even two but it's time we took seriously the need to make this effort more inclusive and diverse."
May 1 2009 7:10PM
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NEWSMAKER: CHILD RIGHTS STRIKE UNIVERSAL CHORD, MAKING PROTECTION POSSIBLE – UN ENVOY

<FONT COLOR="RED">NEWSMAKER:</FONT> CHILD RIGHTS STRIKE UNIVERSAL CHORD, MAKING PROTECTION POSSIBLE – UN ENVOY
New York, May 1 2009 6:10PM
Children are the main victims of conflict, a fact known all too well by the United Nations envoy tasked with protecting young people caught up in war, who says progress has been made in getting the international community to focus on this vital issue which everyone can relate to.

"The rights of children have always been easier than any other rights. Because when you talk about children there is a universal chord that you strike and people seem to respond," Radhika Coomaraswamy said in an interview with the UN News Centre as part of its <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/newsmakers.asp?NewsID=12">Newsmaker profile series.

As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy serves as a moral voice and independent advocate for the protection and well-being of boys and girls affected by armed conflict.

This is an enormous undertaking given that, according to Mr. Ban's latest report, children are being brutalized in 18 situations of concern around the globe. It has been estimated that over 2 million children have been killed in armed conflicts; another 6 million have been rendered permanently disabled; and more than 250,000 children continue to be exploited as child soldiers.

Ms. Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan national who has been serving in her post since April 2006, believes the sanctions, action plans and "list of shame" put into place by the Security Council in recent years has made a difference.

"When I go out into the field, there are armed groups who want to get off the list of shame that [Council resolution] 1612 sets up for those who recruit and use child soldiers," she noted.

"There are those who are very principled and won't use children. Then there are those who are just ruthless and will use anybody. They are very difficult to change," she added.

During the Council's debate this week on children and armed conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy thanked the 15-member body for its efforts which have resulted in six parties being taken off the list of shame, emphasizing that "this demonstrates the power of the Council's focused attention and continuing engagement, and serves as a testament that it should continue to maintain pressure on violators to enter into a protection dialogue with the United Nations."

At the same time, she called on the Council to extend its focus beyond child soldiers to better deal with violations against children.

"Not to do so threatens to silence the suffering of thousands of children who are subjected to unspeakable crimes," she stated.
May 1 2009 6:10PM
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ONE YEAR AFTER MYANMAR CYCLONE, INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT STILL CRITICAL, UN SAYS

ONE YEAR AFTER MYANMAR CYCLONE, INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT STILL CRITICAL, UN SAYS
New York, May 1 2009 6:10PM
Marking the one year anniversary since Cyclone Nargis devastated much of Myanmar, the United Nations is reviewing an impressive life-saving effort but also pointing to the equally daunting work, and requisite support, needed to rebuild.

On 2 and 3 May 2008, winds reaching 240 kilometres per hour and an up to 4 metre high storm surge swept over large swathes of the South-East Asian country, killing some 140,000 people and shattering the lives of 2.4 million more.

One year later, humanitarian workers can look back and say that a second wave of deaths from illness and starvation were averted, with one million people receiving food aid, nearly as many getting medical attention and 50,000 latrines constructed.

More than half a million children were assisted to continue their education and 4,000 metric tons of rice seeds were distributed.

However, the next phase of restoring devastated lives and livelihoods could be just as difficult, according to UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Bishow Parajuli, who has been leading the UN's assistance efforts for the past year.

"If we move at the speed that we did in the relief cycle, I would have great hope," said Mr. Parajuli, who spoke with the UN News Centre from the country's capital Yangon today. "There are two elements there, however: continued support and cooperation of the Government and continued support financially from the international community."

Recovery so far has been uneven, with urban centres able to rebound, but much of the Ayeyarwady Delta, where whole villages were swept away, still in a dire situation, both physically and psychologically, Mr. Parajuli said.

"You go to a school and ask kids to raise their hands and some 40 per cent have lost family members – they are coming to terms with their wounds," he said, pointing out that many children have lost fathers and many women were widows, so restoring livelihoods has become even more complex.

In addition, he said, many of the dwellings in which people are now living were made of materials salvaged from wrecked buildings, with tarpaulins spread over them to deflect the rain.

There are urgent needs for sustainable shelter for half a million vulnerable people, and for support to agriculture and fishing. "We aim at building an additional 600 schools within the next year, constructing more new ponds and drilling of wells, and enhancing health and welfare services to all vulnerable groups, to mention some of the activities needed," he said.

To meet those needs in the next three years, the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP) was launched on 9 February by the UN, the Government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), requiring $691 million.

Securing those funds will not be easy, Mr. Parajuli said. Even during the emergency phase, only 66 per cent, or some $315 million of the UN appeal was raised, out of a total requirement of $477 million.

Particularly important right now is the $16.6 million requested for seeds, fertilizer, draught animals and agricultural tools, to allow farmers to plant in time for the upcoming rainy season, he said.

So far, he said, roughly $100 million has been pledged for all the needs of the coming year, which is around half of what is needed annually under the recovery plan.

Donors have been responsive in the most recent conferences he has attended, but are only interested in funding relief and recovery work that can be categorized as humanitarian. "Development, as such – that word is still a challenge," he said, explaining that it is a sensitive area because of the sanctions on the Government.

Humanitarian cooperation with the Government is still smooth, he said, although some mechanisms, such as a fast-track visa process that had been created for the cyclone emergency, had been recently withdrawn.

As Resident Coordinator for the UN system, he said he is also involved in the Organization's efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country, through extensive consultation with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's good offices initiatives and meetings with the extant human rights body in the Government.

He warns against narrowing human rights concerns to political participation and freedoms, however. "Human rights is everything," he commented, "It is access to food, access to water, access to education."

"So we're constantly working on the human rights issue as we're doing everything else," he said, adding that the cooperation and trust that has been developed during the Nargis recovery period is a model that should be expanded to deal with other national and regional issues.
May 1 2009 6:10PM
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BAN TAPS UNICEF RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN POST

BAN TAPS UNICEF RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN POST
New York, May 1 2009 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Marta Santos Pais of Portugal, who has over 25 years of experience working on human rights issues, as his Special Representative on Violence Against Children, his spokesperson announced today.

"This appointment was made following the recommendation included in the UN Secretary-General's Study on Violence Against Children," Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The 2006 Study provided an understanding of the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of different forms of violence against children (physical, psychological, and sexual), taking into account five main settings in which violence takes place – the family, schools, care and residential institutions as well as detention facilities and prisons, in work situations, and in communities and on the streets.

The General Assembly, in a resolution adopted in 2007, requested the Secretary-General to appoint for a period of three years a Special Representative on Violence Against Children, who will act as "a high-profile and independent global advocate to promote the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children in all regions."

Since 2001, Ms. Santos Pais has been Director of the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) Innocenti Research Centre, founded to raise global understanding of children's rights and promote the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in both industrialized and developing countries.

She brings to her new post almost 30 years of experience in human rights law, including her role in the drafting of the CRC and, more recently, its two Optional Protocols.
May 1 2009 4:10PM
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BAN URGES RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AFTER REPORTED ATTACKS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

BAN URGES RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AFTER REPORTED ATTACKS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, May 1 2009 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for the respect of human rights and the rule of law in the Central African Republic (CAR), following reports of deadly attacks by Government troops on civilians in the Ndele region of the country.

"The Secretary-General is concerned about any developments that could undermine the ongoing peace consolidation process in the CAR," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York today.

"He views respect for human rights as a critical element for sustainable peace in the CAR. He, therefore, remains concerned about reports of alleged human rights violations in the country."

Media reports say that CAR troops killed up to 30 civilians in February to deter rebels in the strife-torn and impoverished nation.

Last month the Security Council demanded an end to violence by armed groups terrorizing northern CAR and called for all parties in the country to abide by the results of a recent national dialogue.

The dialogue, held in the capital Bangui from 8 to 20 December 2008, resulted in several agreements, including the establishment of a broad-based government, a commitment to hold municipal, legislative and presidential elections in 2009 and 2010, and the setting up of an independent electoral commission.
May 1 2009 4:10PM
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LEBANON: PERSISTENCE OF ARMED GROUPS MARS GENERAL PROGRESS, BAN SAYS

LEBANON: PERSISTENCE OF ARMED GROUPS MARS GENERAL PROGRESS, BAN SAYS
New York, May 1 2009 3:10PM
While the political stability of Lebanon has continued to "improve markedly," the ongoing armed posture of Hizbollah and Palestinian militia groups hampers Government control of the country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/218">report released today.

"The general improvement of the situation in the country, combined with reconciliation efforts in the region, creates a potential momentum to strengthen the sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon and Government control throughout the country," Mr. Ban writes in the report, which focuses on the implementation of <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1559(2004)">resolution 1559.

He voices concern, however, at occasional security incidents, which he says highlights the proliferation of weapons and armed groups that continue to operate in the Middle East country, in violation of the resolution.

Adopted by the Security Council in 2004 amid concern about high tensions within Lebanon, resolution 1559 calls for free and fair elections, an end to foreign interference and the disbanding of all militias.

"Hizbollah's maintenance of a paramilitary capacity poses a key challenge to the Government's monopoly on the legitimate use of force," Mr Ban states, adding that recent clandestine activities by the militia beyond Lebanese territory also pose a threat to regional peace and stability.

He calls on Hizbollah to cease any militant activities outside Lebanon and to complete its transformation into a solely Lebanese political party, consistent with the requirements of the Taif Agreement that ended the civil war of the 1980's.

"Regional parties, particularly those that maintain close ties with Hizbollah, must encourage it in the same direction," Mr. Ban adds.

He also calls on the Lebanese authorities to take measures to dismantle the paramilitary infrastructure, outside refugee camps, of the Damascus-headquartered Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah al-Intifadah, saying that Syria has a responsibility to aid the Lebanese authorities in those efforts.

Overall, the disarming and disbanding of militias should be achieved through an inclusive political dialogue that addresses the political interests of all Lebanese, and that ultimately confirms the sole political and military authority of the Government of Lebanon, he affirms.

Regarding parliamentary elections scheduled for next month, the Secretary-General says that he is glad that the Lebanese leaders have committed themselves to free and fair elections devoid of violence and inflammatory rhetoric.

"On 7 June, the Lebanese will have a unique opportunity to express their genuine commitment to democracy," he said, voicing his hope that an atmosphere conducive to peaceful elections will prevail through the election period and beyond.

Noting the approaching 4th anniversary of the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, Mr. Ban praises President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon for their leadership in re-establishing diplomatic relations.

"I hope that this achievement heralds an era of renewed cooperation between the two countries in mutual respect for their sovereignty and political independence," he says, adding that he looks forward to a successful outcome of current discussions on border issues as well.
May 1 2009 3:10PM
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UN CONFIRMS RISING NUMBER OF INFLUENZA A(H1N1) INFECTIONS IN MORE COUNTRIES

UN CONFIRMS RISING NUMBER OF INFLUENZA A(H1N1) INFECTIONS IN MORE COUNTRIES
New York, May 1 2009 2:10PM
The United Nations health agency – the nerve centre for the global response to the recent outbreak of influenza A(H1N1) infections – today confirmed that over 300 people in almost a dozen countries have contracted the new flu strain.

Although the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/">WHO) stressed that it is "prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention," the agency considers the imposition of travel restrictions or border closures as ineffective in halting the spread of the virus.

"The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally," WHO said in its latest update concerning the outbreak.

As of 14:20 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) today, laboratory confirmed cases of the virus rose to 331 worldwide, up from 236 yesterday, with Mexico reporting 156 infections and nine deaths, as well as the United States reporting 109 confirmed A(H1N1) cases and one death.

According to WHO, the other countries reporting laboratory confirmed infections with no deaths are Austria (1), Canada (34), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

For the third consecutive day, WHO places its pandemic alert at Phase 5 – of a six-level warning scale – which means that sustained human to human transmission had been confirmed, with widespread community outbreaks in at least two regions.

Acknowledging that there was very little chance that current vaccines used against seasonal influenza could be effective against the new A(H1N1) flu strain, Marie-Paule Kieny, Director of WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research, noted that the agency is in discussion with manufacturers to produce an inoculation as soon as possible.

"We have no doubt that making a successful vaccine is possible within a relatively short period of time," said Ms. Kieny. However, the first dosage to leave factories available for immunizing people will take four to six months.
May 1 2009 2:10PM
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NEW UN REPORT URGES ISRAEL TO TACKLE PALESTINIAN HOUSING CRISIS IN EAST JERUSALEM

NEW UN REPORT URGES ISRAEL TO TACKLE PALESTINIAN HOUSING CRISIS IN EAST JERUSALEM
New York, May 1 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations humanitarian wing has urged Israel to address the housing crisis in East Jerusalem, where current building policies and house demolitions have left Palestinians with a serious housing shortage.

The crisis is due to the failure of Israel to provide Palestinian residents with adequate planning, together with the expropriation of about one third of annexed East Jerusalem lands for the construction of settlements, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says in its latest <"http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_planning_crisis_east_jerusalem_april_2009_english.pdf">report regarding the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

While about 190,000 Israel settlers currently live in East Jerusalem, Palestinians face significant obstacles to building and are confronted with a serious housing shortage, according to the report, entitled "The Planning Crisis in East Jerusalem: Understanding the Phenomenon of 'Illegal' Construction."

Excessive delays, high fees and the uncertainty associated with the application process push many Palestinians to build without permits. According to OCHA's conservative estimate, as many as 60,000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem are now exposed to the risk of house demolition.

The report notes with concern the accelerating pace of demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in East Jerusalem and their consequences for Palestinian populations.

Families displaced as a result of these demolitions, <"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA says, are left in psychological distress and in situations of increased vulnerability due to the loss of their primary asset, debts, legal fees and heavy fines imposed by the Jerusalem municipality.

The Office underlines that Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that the basic needs of the Palestinian population of the occupied territory are met.

The report recommends that the Israeli authorities freeze pending demolition orders, as well as undertake planning that will address the Palestinian housing crisis in East Jerusalem.
May 1 2009 1:10PM
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UN-BACKED DISEASE-FIGHTING FUND ANNOUNCES ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE

UN-BACKED DISEASE-FIGHTING FUND ANNOUNCES ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE
New York, May 1 2009 12:10PM
The United Nations-supported initiative that helps countries fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria announced today that it is developing a code of conduct for suppliers, backed by a sanctions regime, to ensure its billions of dollars of outlays are not misused.

<"http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/">The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the world's largest financier of programmes fighting the three diseases, with a total of $15.6 billion approved for programmes in 140 countries and with expected disbursements of $2.9 billion in 2009.

Over the past ten years, global funding for AIDS, TB and malaria has seen a dramatic increase and new, global markets have been created for products including antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) against AIDS, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) against malaria and long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets.

These markets have grown from nearly nothing to hundreds of millions of dollars in only a few years, resulting in a large pressure on national governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to procure the products while keeping control of funds.

"The Global Fund has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and we have repeatedly taken firm and public action against any grantees and suppliers when there is evidence that our funding has been misused," says Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund.

"We will work closely with the other leading funders of global health programmes to reduce the risk of misuse of money earmarked by donors to save lives," Dr. Kazatchkine said.

Building on the Global Fund's existing policies and practices, the new code of conduct will set clear and coherent guidelines, available on its web site, that all suppliers will be expected to adhere to, the Fund said in a <"http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/pressreleases/?pr=pr_090501">news release.

The accompanying sanctions policy will set out the actions that the Global Fund may take when there is evidence that the Code has been breached, the Fund added.

As of March 2009, Global Fund-supported programmes are estimated to have averted more than 3.5 million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for 2 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 4.6 million people, and by distributing 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria, according to the Fund's figures.
May 1 2009 12:10PM
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SOUTH AFRICA COUNTERING XENOPHOBIA WITH HELP OF UN REFUGEE AGENCY

SOUTH AFRICA COUNTERING XENOPHOBIA WITH HELP OF UN REFUGEE AGENCY
New York, May 1 2009 12:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency is supporting efforts to combat xenophobia in South Africa, where tens of thousands fled their homes last year after a wave of attacks on foreigners.

The Government estimates that some 45,000 people were uprooted and 62 killed after tensions between South Africans and foreigners – mainly Africans, and including refugees and asylum-seekers – erupted into violence last May.

Many of those who were attacked – a large percentage of them being Zimbabweans – had originally moved to South Africa to escape persecution in their own countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Although the situation has calmed down since then, fears of fresh violence remain.

UNHCR is assisting the Government and independent humanitarian organizations, such as the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) in their efforts to combat the xenophobia.

The NMF has launched a two-year strategy to help promote peaceful co-existence between South Africans and foreigners and to look at the root causes of last year's violence.

The initiative includes meetings where people living in mixed nationality communities can come together to discuss the challenges they face while at the same time looking for sustainable solutions. The NMF will facilitate 30 such dialogues in five provinces, targeting areas worst affected by xenophobia, such as Alexandra Township in Johannesburg and Langa Township in Cape Town.

The organization has invited <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/49f9cb042.html">UNHCR, which has long opposed xenophobic behaviour in South Africa, to sit on its steering committee and help implement the plan. The agency will also provide financial and technical support.

"Initiatives of this nature are to be welcomed," <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/49f9cb042.html">said UNHCR Regional Representative Sanda Kimbimbi. "We will certainly play our part to ensure that the NMF and other credible institutions achieve our collective goal of combating xenophobic tendencies."
May 1 2009 12:10PM
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SRI LANKA: UN SENDS EMERGENCY TEAM AS RESIDENTS RETURN TO FORMER BATTLE ZONE

SRI LANKA: UN SENDS EMERGENCY TEAM AS RESIDENTS RETURN TO FORMER BATTLE ZONE
New York, May 1 2009 10:10AM
While thousands continue to flee the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, others have started to return to their homes in former battle areas, and the United Nations refugee agency said today it is sending teams to aid their transition.

Some 400 people returned yesterday to a village in the Mannar district, which was for a long time the front line between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR).

A total of some 3,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have registered to return to 15 villages in Mannar over the coming weeks, as part of the first Government-organised return operation in the embattled northern part of the island nation for many years.

"UNHCR welcomes these returns as a positive development," agency spokesperson William Spindler <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=49fad8742">said today in Geneva. "While the number of those returning to their homes is still small it is an important starting point. We hope that returns to other areas in northern Sri Lanka will also be possible soon," he added.

In advance of the returns, UNHCR sent five experts to Sri Lanka's north in February and March, to assess conditions, and the agency verified that mine clearance in the first village to receive returnees had been completed.

A second team of UNHCR emergency experts is scheduled to arrive today in the country. The team of four includes specialists on community services, protection and other essential field functions, the agency said.

Over the past weeks, UNHCR field monitoring teams spoke with the IDPs about their concerns regarding return. They said that they are keen to return, but were worried about their houses and how to make a living once back home.

UNHCR provided each family at the transit site with a return package which includes a tarpaulin kit to construct a tent-shape shelter upon arrival, as well as jungle clearing tools.

Over the coming days, the agency will distribute household items inside the return area, including mosquito nets, mats, water containers and hurricane lamps. It will also repair hundreds of houses, it said.

Meanwhile, UNHCR and its partners have been mounting a massive humanitarian operation in support of the Government to assist the 171,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) it estimates have fled the recent conflict zone, mostly during the last 10 days.

They are accommodated in 38 sites in four districts of the north and east of the country.
May 1 2009 10:10AM
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