UN INTRODUCES NEW TOOL TO HELP COMPANIES SUPPORT GLOBAL ANTI-POVERTY EFFORT

UN INTRODUCES NEW TOOL TO HELP COMPANIES SUPPORT GLOBAL ANTI-POVERTY EFFORT
New York, Oct 1 2010 6:10PM
The United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) today announced the launch of a knowledge sharing platform to help companies strengthen their involvement in the global poverty eradication campaign.

At the summit on the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) in New York last week, heads of State and government exhorted private firms to become more involved in global efforts to combat poverty and boost social development.

The MDGs, which the international community has committed to try to achieve by 2015, encompasses eight internationally-agreed targets which aim to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and environmental degradation.

UNDP's new knowledge management platform features evidence-based case studies, publications and contacts of related actors focused on inclusive business models that incorporate poor people into value chains as producers, employees and consumers.

The platform allows business leaders, policy-makers, development practitioners and academia to connect with successful enterprises across the globe, helping them build, replicate or scale up core business initiatives that contribute to human development.

"With five years left to 2015, it is important that the private sector play their role in speeding up progress on the MDGs," said Henry Jackelen, Director of the UNDP Private Sector Division. "The case studies in this unique database present evidence that it is possible for companies to fight poverty while remaining commercially viable."

Developed by UNDP's Growing Inclusive Markets (GIM) initiative, the open-access platform features two complementary databases. The knowledge database contains 120 in-depth business case studies and several publications from major institutions active in the private sector and development field.

As part of this database, the GIM initiative has commissioned 70 new case studies from over 30 developing countries, business schools and institutions, which will be released in the coming months. The database is easily searchable by various criteria such as region, business sector, theme lead organization, or MDG.

Additionally, the actor database comprises 260 supporting actors at local, regional or global level who can provide financing, share expertise, raise awareness and work towards introducing relevant policies.

"From the perspective of developing country entrepreneurs and academics, being able to easily access such inspiring cases from all regions – where challenges are often similar – is very helpful to spur the replication of successful initiatives and foster greater South-South knowledge-sharing and cooperation," said Winifred Karugu of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya, who has authored several GIM case studies in East Africa.
Oct 1 2010 6:10PM
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BAN WELCOMES RESUMPTION OF TALKS WITH CHILEAN INDIGENOUS HUNGER STRIKERS

BAN WELCOMES RESUMPTION OF TALKS WITH CHILEAN INDIGENOUS HUNGER STRIKERS
New York, Oct 1 2010 5:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the resumption of talks by the Chilean Government to resolve a hunger strike by imprisoned Mapuche indigenous people.

"He encourages all actors to remain engaged in order to find a solution as soon as possible and to avoid the loss of human life," a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4826">statement issued by his spokesman said, noting that Mr. Ban has been following developments closely and recognizes the efforts of the Government.

"The United Nations will continue to make its assistance available to Chile for the implementation of<"http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm"> ILO [International Labour Organization] Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as well as other relevant international instruments," it added.

The hunger strike carried out by the imprisoned Mapuche reportedly began on 12 July and grew to include 38 people who are being held in several prisons in the south of the country.
Oct 1 2010 5:10PM
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AS HAITI'S ELECTION CAMPAIGN OPENS, UN PLEDGES SECURITY AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT
New York, Oct 1 2010 5:10PM
As Haiti's electoral campaign opens, the top United Nations official in the impoverished and earthquake-devastated country today pledged full security and logistical support to ensure a successful outcome of the 28 November vote.

"Only a government that bears national consensus, armed with a vision based on the common good and determined to tackle the true causes of the current problems, can confront the challenges," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Edmond Mulet said in a statement.

He cited the urgent need to resettle hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the quake and the longer-term challenge of re-establishing a fully functioning state of law with security and jobs.

"The 28 November elections offer the unique opportunity to define the path to follow for the next five years," he said of the presidential and parliamentary vote.

He stressed the major importance of issuing new identity cards on time and the duty of all candidates to campaign in a calm, respectful way and to prevent their followers from resorting to violence.

"A special responsibility falls to party currently in power to ensure that they do not abuse their access to State resources, which must never be used for partisan purposes," he said.

Haiti's election commission in August published a list of 19 eligible candidates in the presidential race. The elections will take place as the country is still reeling from January's quake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people and displaced about 1.3 million others.

Mr. Mulet heads the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, known as MINUSTAH, which now has nearly 12,000 military and police personnel deployed around the country and has been on the ground since mid-2004 after then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile amid violent unrest.
Oct 1 2010 5:10PM
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UN AGENCY REVISING POLICIES TO PROTECT PEOPLE FLEEING PERSECUTION DUE TO SEXUALITY

UN AGENCY REVISING POLICIES TO PROTECT PEOPLE FLEEING PERSECUTION DUE TO SEXUALITY
New York, Oct 1 2010 3:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency said today it is revising its policies to protect people fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, after a survey highlighted the dangers and prejudice faced by lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and intersex asylum-seekers and refugees.

"These risks are significant and should not be ignored," said Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/4ca5ff566.html">UNHCR).

The agency said that the existence of laws criminalizing same-sex relations in many countries, including the death penalty in seven, poses significant problems for these asylum-seekers and refugees.

Such laws, whether enforced or not, impede their ability to access state protection in their home countries.

"When they flee, they are often reluctant to register for asylum," Ms. Fleming told reporters in Geneva. "When they do register for asylum, they may be unlikely to testify truthfully at asylum hearings regarding the nature of their persecution."

The survey – carried out in advance of a meeting this week with government experts, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academics and judicial officials – found that people from these groups are more prone to sexual- and gender-related violence during detention, both in their home countries and countries of asylum.

It also found that they face a heightened risk of discrimination in urban settings and refugee camps.

"UNHCR guidelines and policies will be revised to ensure that the particular vulnerability of these groups is recognized at every stage in our interaction with refugees," said Ms. Fleming.

The agency is advocating for resettlement of individuals who face a heightened risk as a result of belonging to these groups, and calls on resettlement States to recognize their vulnerability.

Last month both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay appealed to all countries that criminalize people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity to reform such laws and to ensure the protection of basic human rights for all.

"No doubt deeply-rooted cultural sensitivities can be aroused when we talk about sexual orientation. Social attitudes run deep and take time to change. But cultural considerations should not stand in the way of basic human rights," Mr. Ban said in a message to a panel discussion in Geneva on ending violence and criminal sanctions based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Ms. Pillay told the gathering that, despite significant progress in a number of States, there is still no region in the world today where people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex can live entirely free from discrimination or from the threat of harassment and physical attack.

"We should be looking for ways to ensure that everyone enjoys the full protection of international human rights law, not for grounds to justify excluding certain individuals," she said, adding that the first priority should be decriminalization worldwide, accompanied by greater efforts to counter discrimination and homophobia.
Oct 1 2010 3:10PM
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US ACTRESS DISTRIBUTES LIFE-SAVING MOSQUITO NETS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – UN

US ACTRESS DISTRIBUTES LIFE-SAVING MOSQUITO NETS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – UN
New York, Oct 1 2010 3:10PM
United States singer-songwriter and actress Mandy Moore helped hand out thousands of long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets in the Central African Republic (CAR) today as part of a United Nations-backed effort to curb malaria, a preventable disease which claims more than one million lives every year.

CAR has one of the highest childhood death rates worldwide and malaria is a main cause of illness and death.

Ms. Moore, an Ambassador for the non-governmental organization Population Services International (PSI), is visiting the nation in a trip led by the <i><"http://www.nothingbutnets.net/">Nothing But Nets</i> scheme, under which the UN Foundation (<"http://www.unfoundation.org/">UNF) seeks to curb the spread of malaria by providing bed nets, each costing $10, to communities in greatest need.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) helped to make today's distribution of nets possible.

"This week, I've met mothers who have lost children to malaria and worry daily about losing others," Ms. Moore said. "It is life changing to be able to give them nets to protect their babies from malaria-carrying mosquitoes while they sleep."

Malaria causes up to 500 million illnesses per year, with 10 new cases every second. It is particularly devastating in Africa, where a child dies every 30 seconds from the disease.

While in CAR, Ms. Moore met with families to learn first-hand about malaria's devastating effects and the impact of mosquito nets.

She helped the country's Ministry of Health and UN partners hang the nets and educate families on how to use them.

"We're on our way to reaching our goal of delivering a net to every family in CAR by the end of the year," Ms. Moore said, stressing that "together, we can cover the country."

To date, <i>Nothing But Nets</i> has helped distribute more than 3.5 million bed nets in 25 countries across Africa.

Malaria is also the number one killer of refugees in Africa, and the campaign is working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) to send urgently-needed nets to more than one million refugees in 15 countries.

Earlier this week, a senior UN official said that despite the tough global economy, new commitments by governments give hope that deaths from malaria can be eliminated by the target date of 2015.

"With these kinds of commitments, the fact that we can see our way to the finishing line in 2015 to end deaths from malaria could be one of those major, major stories of… the early 21st century," Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning Robert Orr told a news briefing in New York.

He cited major increases in commitments already made by France, Canada, Norway and Japan to the UN-backed Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria ahead of its replenishment conference, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair in New York next week, and a United Kingdom pledge to triple its malaria funding to £500 million by 2014.
Oct 1 2010 3:10PM
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BAN CONDEMNS BOMB BLASTS AT NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

BAN CONDEMNS BOMB BLASTS AT NIGERIA'S INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
New York, Oct 1 2010 2:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the car bomb attacks near the venue in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, of celebrations to mark the country's 50th independence anniversary, and expressed his condolences to the Government and the families of those who lost their lives.

Media reports said at least eight people died in the explosions, which occurred near the National Day parade, and quoted the police as saying that the two blasts outside the justice ministry were caused by car bombs.

"The attack was particularly sad coming on the day on which Nigerians were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their nation's independence," a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4825">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General wishes to assure the people and Government of Nigeria of the unflinching support and solidarity of the United Nations as they seek to address the challenges confronting the country, and in particular to consolidate the significant gains made in promoting democratic governance and improving the welfare of all Nigerians," the statement added.
Oct 1 2010 2:10PM
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CULTURE OF NON-VIOLENCE STARTS WITH COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS, BAN SAYS

CULTURE OF NON-VIOLENCE STARTS WITH COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS, BAN SAYS
New York, Oct 1 2010 2:10PM
The work of creating and sustaining a culture of peace and non-violence begins in the hearts of committed men and women, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sgsm13153.doc.htm">message marking the International Day of Non-Violence.

"Peace may be achieved around the negotiating table, but it is sustained around community tables," said Mr. Ban. "Peace starts with people; it flows from the hearts of committed women and men.

"Communities, families, and individuals all have a critical role to play in defeating violence and creating a culture of peace. This work cannot be left to governments or international organizations alone."

Nevertheless, "we at the United Nations strive to harness the power of non-violence to overcome prejudice, end conflict, and cultivate mutual respect and understanding among peoples and countries," he went on to say on the occasion of the Day, which is observed on 2 October.

"Indeed, the creed of non-violence echoes through the United Nations Charter," said Mr. Ban. Specifically, it calls on us "to practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours" and "to ensure… that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest."

"We work every day to bring these lofty principles to life," said the Secretary-General. "We do this by promoting human rights, seeking to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, campaigning to eliminate violence against women, working to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and building bridges across cultures and countering hatred and extremism everywhere."

The observance also marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of India's independence movement and a pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence, which he described as "the greatest force at the disposal of mankind."

"On this International Day of Non-Violence," said Mr. Ban, "let us work together to use the great force of non-violence to build peaceful and just societies for ourselves and for our children."

The International Day of Non-Violence was established by the General Assembly as an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness." It has been observed annually since 2007.
Oct 1 2010 2:10PM
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UN FOOD AGENCY SEEKS TO EXPAND AID TO FLOOD-STRICKEN PAKISTAN

UN FOOD AGENCY SEEKS TO EXPAND AID TO FLOOD-STRICKEN PAKISTAN
New York, Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) announced today that it is scaling up its food aid to reach more than 7 million people in Pakistan, which is entering the third month of the worst flooding in its history.

The agency began distributing life-saving rations soon after the floods hit the Asian nation in late July, providing aid to an average of 6 million people per month while transitioning towards early recovery activities.

But with severe flooding continuing in the south and needs on the upswing, WFP said it will ramp up its operations to reach 7.1 million people this month.

Early recovery activities have begun in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KPK), where the agency is helping nearly 18,000 families through food-for-work activities, including rehabilitating farmland, roads and irrigation systems destroyed by flooding.

Seed kits have also been distributed to 6,500 families in KPK to counter food insecurity so that they can grow their own vegetables and sell the surplus at markets.

WFP is also prepositioning essential food items in KPK, Kashmir and other areas that will be inaccessible during the winter, the agency stated in a news release.

It has helped to deliver over 3,500 metric tons of food, medicine and other items to isolated areas of KPK, Sindh and Punjab provinces.

At the same time, it notes that its food assistance programme for flood-affected communities faces a $414 million shortfall.

While addressing food needs, WFP has continued supplying food for an additional 1.1 million people uprooted by conflict in KPK and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) as part of a separate, ongoing operation.

The agency also reported today that a helicopter used by the UN Humanitarian Air Service, the WFP-operated air service for the humanitarian community, to deliver high-energy biscuits to people affected by flooding made a forced landing in southern Sindh province.

The 12 people, including WFP staff, on board the chopper all survived and were rescued by a Pakistani military unit near the crash site. The injured were transported to a Chinese military hospital.

Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) has reported that relief activities need to be strengthened in Sindh province.

It also said that malnutrition could increase, and that acute diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, skin infections and suspected malaria are the leading reasons people seek health care.

Earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sga1264.doc.htm">appointed Turkish diplomat Rauf Engin Soysal as the new UN Special Envoy for Assistance to Pakistan, replacing Jean Maurice Ripert of France, who has served in the post since last August.

Mr. Ban created the special envoy position last year to help the Government and the international community to respond to needs in the wake of Pakistan's displacement crisis, which at its peak had forced over 2 million people from their homes in the country's north-west.
Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
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VIOLENCE IN MOGADISHU SWELLS NUMBER OF DISPLACED SOMALIS – UN SURVEY

VIOLENCE IN MOGADISHU SWELLS NUMBER OF DISPLACED SOMALIS – UN SURVEY
New York, Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
An estimated 410,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Somalia's violence-wracked capital, Mogadishu, have sought refuge in the Afgooye corridor, a 20-kilometre strip of land north-west of the city, up from 366,000 in September last year, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

The rise in the number of people fleeing Mogadishu is a reflection of the deteriorating security in the city since 2007, according to the latest assessment by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/4ca602a66.html">UNHCR).

"We were able to identify and map every individual building and temporary shelter. Overall there are 91,397 temporary shelters and 15,495 permanent ones in the area," UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva.

In addition to the 410,000 IDPs living in Afgooye, there are another 55,000 displaced people in Dayniile, north of Mogadishu, 15,200 in the Bal'cad corridor in the northern periphery of city, and 7,260 others in Kax Shiiqaal in the western outskirts, according to the UNHCR survey. The agency also estimated that Mogadishu itself has an estimated 372,000 IDPs.

"Reflecting the increased population has been a rapid urbanization of the Afgooye corridor – clearly apparent in the satellite imagery. Entire new towns have replaced makeshift IDP sites with more people living in rudimentary buildings alongside the tens of thousands of shelters made of cloth and fabric," Ms. Fleming said.

"Overall it appears that structures in Afgooye are becoming more permanent as hopes fade for a safe return to the capital any time soon. Over the past four weeks alone, almost 12,000 people have fled to the Afgooye corridor, which has become the third largest urban area in Somalia after Mogadishu and Hargeisa," she added, referring to the capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland to the northwest.

According to UNHCR, living conditions in the Afgooye corridor are extremely difficult, with people struggling to feed themselves and lacking other basic necessities, even as the precarious security situation prevents humanitarian agencies from accessing those in need.

Some assistance is getting there through local partners, but the amounts are minuscule compared to the needs, Ms. Fleming said.

The findings of the latest assessment in the Afgooye corridor have pushed upwards the overall estimated number of IDPs in Somalia to 1.46 million. In addition, Somalia has produced some 614,000 Somali refugees, most of whom live in camps in neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, has said violence remains the main impediment to human rights in Somalia.

"It should be noted that without peace in south-central Somalia, it will be difficult to envisage profound and lasting changes in the precarious human rights situation there, especially with regard to the right to life, and even basic human rights such as the right to food, shelter, education and health," Mr. Mahiga said in speech to the interactive dialogue on human rights in Somalia.

"It is imperative therefore that all efforts are made to bring about a peaceful solution to this endless conflict," he told the meeting in Geneva on Wednesday.

He said the UN, the African Union (AU) and the AU's peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are engaged in dialogue on the obligation to protect civilians and how to best do it in the volatile environment.

"Protecting the right to life of the Somali people should continue to be one of our pressing priorities, not just through ending the conflict, but through life support by providing adequate food, shelter, water, sanitation and education wherever those in need may be," Mr. Mahiga said.
Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
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ANGOLAN POLIO OUTBREAK THREATENS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE DISEASE FROM AFRICA, UN WARNS

ANGOLAN POLIO OUTBREAK THREATENS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE DISEASE FROM AFRICA, UN WARNS
New York, Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
A polio immunization campaign targeting 5.6 million children was launched in Angola today as the United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) warned that the southern African country was quickly becoming the greatest threat to continent-wide eradication efforts.

Only three African countries have recorded cases of the highly infectious and potentially lethal disease in the past four months – Nigeria, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the latter infected from across the Angolan boarder, WHO spokesman Rod Curtis told reporters in Geneva.

Areas in Angola that have previously been polio-free have been re-infected this year from an expanding outbreak, he said.
Over the next three days and again at the end of the month, WHO, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and Rotary International will be supporting tens of thousands of volunteers, health workers, parents, communities and traditional leaders as they go from house to house and village to village to ensure that every child under the age of 5 is reached with an oral polio vaccine.

These campaigns are not only critical to stopping polio in Angola, but also to stopping it in all of Africa, with Angola quickly becoming the greatest threat to eradication on the continent, Mr. Curtis said, stressing the need to close existing immunization gaps from previous campaigns in which up to 30 per cent of children were missed.

WHO believes the outbreak can be rapidly stopped, even by the end of the year, if these gaps are closed, he added.

Given the upsurge, now more than ever the key lies in the full mobilization and commitment of all sectors and all stakeholders at all levels, UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said. Particularly important is the engagement by local-level administrative leaders in planning and implementing the campaigns and mobilizing all levels of society to reach every child.

The whole world is watching this outbreak because the future of a polio-free Africa is at risk, she stressed.

Other than Nigeria, there has not been any case in West Africa since Mali, on 1 May, and the Horn of Africa became officially polio-free as of July, Mr. Curtis said.

Outside Africa, polio has been eradicated in most parts of the world, but remains endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Last month WHO said great strides had been made towards eliminating polio in Nigeria, which has seen a 99 per cent drop in cases this year compared to 2009.
Oct 1 2010 1:10PM
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UN TEAM TAKES SOIL, WATER SAMPLES IN DEADLY NIGERIAN LEAD POISONING OUTBREAK

UN TEAM TAKES SOIL, WATER SAMPLES IN DEADLY NIGERIAN LEAD POISONING OUTBREAK
New York, Oct 1 2010 12:10PM
A United Nations team has finished collecting dozens of soil and water samples in a region of northern Nigeria where acute lead poisoning due to backyard gold digging has sickened hundreds of children this year, leading to excess deaths.

The five-member team from the UN Environment Programme (<"http://www.unep.org/">UNEP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) will spend the next two days working in its mobile laboratory to analyze the samples and present preliminary findings to local and federal government officials by Monday.

A spike in lead-related illnesses and deaths emerged at the start of this year in two districts of Zamfara state. Investigations revealed that the cause was the attempts of many locals to extract gold from lead-contaminated soils in and around their houses and compounds. The soil, well water, and pond water samples should help determine the level of lead pollution in five villages.

At one former mine processing site in the village of Bagega, with some 8,000 inhabitants, air mercury levels of 5,000 nanogrammes per cubic metre were registered, a hundred times the maximum recommended level of 50. Mercury, which is used in the gold extraction processes, affects the nervous and digestive systems when inhaled.

A final report will be available by mid- to late-October, feeding into a larger process to address this crisis involving a variety of actors, including state and federal authorities, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO), the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who have launched a major effort to remove lead- and mercury-contaminated soil and water from the villages.
Oct 1 2010 12:10PM
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RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION IS LEGALLY BINDING, AFFIRMS KEY UN BODY

RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION IS LEGALLY BINDING, AFFIRMS KEY UN BODY
New York, Oct 1 2010 11:10AM
The main United Nations body dealing with human rights has <"http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10403&LangID=E">affirmed that the right to water and sanitation is contained in existing human rights treaties, and that States have the primary responsibility to ensure the full realisation of this and all other basic human rights.

While the General Assembly declared in July that safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights, this is the first time that the Human Rights Council has declared itself on the issue.

"This means that for the UN, the right to water and sanitation, is contained in existing human rights treaties and is therefore legally binding," said the UN Independent Expert on human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque.

"This landmark decision has the potential to change the lives of the billions of human beings who still lack access to water and sanitation," she said of the resolution adopted yesterday by the Geneva-based Council.

Almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water and more than 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. Studies also indicate about 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year and 443 million school days are lost because of water- and sanitation-related diseases.

The Assembly's resolution recognized the fundamental right to clean water and sanitation, but did not specify that the right entailed legally binding obligations.

The Council closed this gap by clarifying the foundation for recognition of the right and the legal standards which apply, according to a news release.

"The right to water and sanitation is a human right, equal to all other human rights, which implies that it is justiciable and enforceable," said Ms. de Albuquerque. "Hence from today onwards we have an even greater responsibility to concentrate all our efforts in the implementation and full realization of this essential right."
Oct 1 2010 11:10AM
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FIRST GLOBAL GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF FISH PRODUCTION FINALIZED – UN

FIRST GLOBAL GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF FISH PRODUCTION FINALIZED – UN
New York, Oct 1 2010 10:10AM
Consumers will now benefit from standardized seafood labels, thanks to the first-ever global guidelines for aquaculture certification having been adopted at a United Nations-backed meeting, it was announced today.

More than 50 countries attended the Phuket, Thailand, meeting of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture of the Committee on Fisheries, part of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO). The Sub-Committee is the only global intergovernmental forum discussing aquaculture development.

The non-binding guidelines – finalized after four years of debate among governments, producers, processors and traders – are the first to subject animal health, food safety, the environment and socio-economic issues relating to aquaculture workers to compliance or certification.

They will go before the Committee on Fisheries for approval when the body meets next January in Rome.

If the guidelines are followed in full by countries, consumers at the fish counter will know whether the shrimp they are considering purchasing were raised without damaging a coastal mangrove swamp, whether the fish farm worker was paid a fair wage and whether the shrimp are contamination-free.

"These guidelines have been developed to bring some harmony to what is the fastest-growing food sector in the world," said FAO aquaculture expert Rohana Subasinghe.

"Certification of aquaculture products has proliferated over the years claiming all kinds of things," he continued. "There was no criteria, no benchmarks or agreed principles. Aquaculture products are global-traded and it is important that we ensure responsible production and consumer satisfaction."

Among the world's fish farmers, 80 per cent are small-scale, often with a backyard pond for fish or a shrimp pond along the coast.

One thorny issue that had to be resolved was how a costly certification process could be engineered so that small-scale producers were not shut out of the market.

The new guidelines call on governments to support fish producers develop and comply with aquaculture certification systems.

"There are ways for small producers to operate within a modern certification system," said Mr. Subasinghe, who pointed to clusters of fish farmers in India and Thailand who share the costs of compliance.
Oct 1 2010 10:10AM
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DR CONGO: UN RELEASES MOST EXTENSIVE REPORT TO DATE ON WAR MASSACRES AND RAPES

DR CONGO: UN RELEASES MOST EXTENSIVE REPORT TO DATE ON WAR MASSACRES AND RAPES
New York, Oct 1 2010 10:10AM
The United Nations today released a new report on "indescribable" atrocities committed in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 1993 to 2003, when tens of thousands of people were killed, and numerous others raped and mutilated by both armed Congolese group and foreign military forces.

"The period covered by this report is probably one of the most tragic chapters in the recent history of the DRC," says the report, the most extensive accounting to date, issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR).

"Indeed, this decade was marked by a string of major political crises, wars and multiple ethnic and regional conflicts that brought about the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people."

The 550-page report, listing 617 of the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law over the 10-year period by both State and non-State actors, is the product of a mapping exercise that took more than two years, including eight months on the ground in the DRC, interviewing witnesses and a wide range of sources.

Many of the attacks involved massive violence against non-combatant civilian populations consisting primarily of women and children amid a climate of near-total impunity, which continues today.

"Violence in the DRC was, in fact, accompanied by the apparent systematic use of rape and sexual assault allegedly by all combatant forces," it says. "This report highlights the apparently recurrent, widespread and systematic nature of these phenomena and concludes that the majority of the incidents of sexual violence reported could, if judicially proven, constitute offences and violations under domestic law, international human rights law, and international humanitarian law."

Declaring that children in the DRC "have suffered far too much," it cites estimates that at least 30,000 children were recruited or used by the armed forces or groups during the conflict, adding that children have been subjected to "indescribable violence," including murder, rape, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, forced displacement and destruction of their villages.

"If this situation is allowed to continue, there is a risk that a new generation will be created that has known nothing but violence, and violence as a means of conflict resolution, thus compromising the country's chances of achieving lasting peace," it says.

In a comment today on the report's release, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay noted that a leak in August to the French newspaper Le Monde of an earlier draft that had been distributed to six countries in the region, led "to intense focus on one aspect of it" – namely the raising of the possibility that the armed forces of Rwanda and their local allies may have committed acts which could constitute crimes of genocide.

"The report stresses that this question can only be addressed by a competent court," she said. "First and foremost, the Mapping Report is a report about the DRC. Yes, it does refer to the presence of foreign forces which were involved in the conflict in the DRC, and it does point to the responsibility of those forces for human rights violations.

"It also suggests that other countries have a role to play in assisting a transitional justice process in the DRC," she added, voicing the hope that people will examine it and in particular the measures it proposes to bring real progress in accountability and justice "in the wake of such a litany of dreadful acts. The millions of Congolese victims of violations committed by an extraordinarily wide range of actors deserve nothing less."

Aside from providing a historical record, the reports aims to assist the Congolese Government and civil society in developing transitional justice mechanisms and institutional reforms that will lay a firm foundation for sustainable peace and development. This includes identifying both judicial and non-judicial options for achieving justice for the many victims of serious human rights violations and ending the widespread impunity of those responsible for serious crimes.

The report notes the involvement of at least 21 armed Congolese groups as well as operations by the military forces of eight other states inside DRC. While the aim was not to establish individual criminal responsibility, information on the identities of the alleged perpetrators of some of the crimes is being held in a confidential database maintained by OCHCR. But it does identify armed groups, both domestic and foreign, involved in specific incidents.

In her foreword to the report, Ms. Pillay states that "no report can adequately describe the horrors experienced by the civilian population" in the DRC, "where almost every single individual has an experience to narrate of suffering and loss...

"The report is intended as a first step towards the sometimes painful but nonetheless essential process of truth-telling after violent conflict… it looks to the future by identifying a number of paths that could be pursued by Congolese society to come to terms with its past, to fight impunity, and to face its contemporary challenges in a manner that prevents the re-occurrence of such atrocities."

While the gruesome inventory of serious violations dramatically underscores the need for justice, the DRC's ability and willingness to tackle the issue remains severely limited, the report says, noting that poorly functioning judicial institutions "have left millions of victims with nowhere to turn and no opportunity to have their voices heard."

More than 1,280 individual witnesses were interviewed to corroborate or invalidate alleged violations, including previously unrecorded incidents, and at least 1,500 documents were collected and analysed.
Oct 1 2010 10:10AM
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ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, BAN URGES GOVERNMENTS TO ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR OLDER PERSONS

ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, BAN URGES GOVERNMENTS TO ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR OLDER PERSONS
New York, Oct 1 2010 9:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged governments to institute measures to provide greater support to a growing number of older people, saying they played an important role in society as leaders, caregivers and volunteers, yet they faced discrimination, neglect and abuse.

"The key interventions are well-known: granting universal access to social services; increasing the number and worth of pension plans; and creating laws and policies that prevent age and gender discrimination in the workplace," Mr. Ban said in a message to mark the International Day of Older Persons, the 20th year that the day is being observed.

"With five years left before the 2015 <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG [Millennium Development Goals] deadline, it is time for governments everywhere to institute the financial, legal and social protections that will lift millions of older persons out of poverty and ensure their rights to dignified, productive and healthy lives," the Secretary-General said.

The global population of older persons is expected to rise to two billion by 2050, a significant shift in the world's demographic profile, Mr. Ban said.

He said the United Nations has long fought for the rights and well-being of older persons, and to make their voices heard.

"On this year's observance, we celebrate hard-won achievements, especially those related to the Millennium Development Goals. In many countries older persons have benefited from reduced rates of poverty and hunger, improved access to medicines and health services, and greater education and work opportunities," Mr. Ban said.
Yet, he added, progress has been uneven, as it has been for the MDGs overall in all countries and regions.

In countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, it is often grandparents who are left to care for AIDS orphans, the Secretary-General said.

In sub-Saharan Africa, he added, 20 per cent of rural women aged 60 and older are the sole supporters for their grandchildren. They take on added and often unexpected responsibilities, typically with little or none of the necessary resources and desperately need social services, especially social pensions.

Observing that two-thirds of the world's older people live in low- and middle-income countries, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on Governments to introduce social pension schemes for older people and to adopt adequate measures in areas such as housing, health, transport, access to water and personal security to ensure that they are not discriminated against or left unprotected.

"We must all accept the inevitability of ageing," she said in her message. "What we do not have to, and must not, accept is that old age brings with it lesser access to, and enjoyment of, the full range of human rights."
Oct 1 2010 9:10AM
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