INTERNATIONAL TOURISM CONTINUES ITS STEADY IMPROVEMENT, UN AGENCY FINDS

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM CONTINUES ITS STEADY IMPROVEMENT, UN AGENCY FINDS
New York, Jul 1 2011 6:10PM
International tourism continues to rise around the world, with only the Middle East and North Africa lagging, and even those regions expected to improve later this year, according to the <"http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/2011-06-30/international-tourism-maintains-momentum-despite-challenges-0">latest United Nations figures.

The World Tourism Barometer, released yesterday by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at its headquarters in Madrid, shows that international tourist arrivals rose by 4.5 per cent in the first four months of this year compared to the same period of 2010.

About 268 million tourists travelled between January and April, up from 256 million last year, which was affected by the closure of much of European airspace because of the ash cloud resulting from the eruption of an Icelandic volcano.

Regions around the world recorded strong year-on-year growth, led by South America (up 17 per cent), South Asia (up 14 per cent) and South-East Asia (up 10 per cent).

But the political and social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa led to falls of seven per cent and 11 per cent respectively in those regions.

UNWTO's Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said those regions, and other destinations facing difficulties, such as Japan in the wake of the deadly earthquake and tsunami in March, should see demand recover towards the end of the year.

"It is time to support those destinations and help their tourism sectors to rebound, contributing to overall economic and social stability and progress," Mr. Rifai said.

He warned that high rates of unemployment and the introduction of austerity measures in some countries could have a dampening effect on international tourism.

Mr. Rifai said that tourist operators and industry experts were nevertheless upbeat about the short-term outlook for international tourism, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, where the peak summer season has started.
Jul 1 2011 6:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

LIBYA: UN TEAM FINDS DEEP HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN NAFUSA MOUNTAINS

LIBYA: UN TEAM FINDS DEEP HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN NAFUSA MOUNTAINS
New York, Jul 1 2011 5:10PM
Humanitarian needs in the Nafusa mountains in western Libya remain critical, United Nations agencies reported today at the end of their first mission to the area, where they made an assessment of safety and access to civilians who require emergency assistance.

"The humanitarian situation in the Nafusa mountains remains a top concern," Panos Moumtzis, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya. "It remains imperative for UN humanitarian organisations to have continued access to the Nafusa mountains to conduct in-depth assessment missions to accurately and impartially determine the needs of the affected population and respond accordingly," he added.

The UN team visited the towns of Wazin and Nalut yesterday and Jadu and Zintan today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a press release.

The conflict in Libya has spread to several towns in the Nafusa mountains, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) reported that more than 100,000 people have fled the fighting in the area since Libya descended into conflict four months ago. They remain internally displaced, while more than 64,000 others have sought refuge in neighbouring Tunisia.

The inter-agency mission, which was comprised of OCHA, UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), saw the widespread destruction of property in the border town of Wazin, from where the vast majority of the population had fled due to persistent shelling.

In Nalut and other areas, the mission observed limited power and water supplies and heard accounts from the local community of dwindling food supplies, lack of cash, jobs and functioning markets.

"Food needs for the Nafusa mountains remain serious," said Ussama Osman of WFP. "The vast majority of the affected population now relies on food assistance," he said, adding that WFP will continue to provide food aid to those who need it most in the area.

UNICEF voiced concern over the humanitarian situation facing children in the Nafusa mountains, particularly health, access to clean water, protection and education. The agency said it will ensure that a vaccination campaign is carried out.

UNHCR is drawing up future repatriation plans for the eventual voluntary return of the thousands of Libyan refugees when security conditions permit.
Jul 1 2011 5:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

CONVENTION ON ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS CRUCIAL FOR ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION – BAN

CONVENTION ON ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS CRUCIAL FOR ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION – BAN
New York, Jul 1 2011 4:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today lauded the world's leading international convention on environment and human rights as a powerful tool for environmental protection and the promotion of civil rights, saying the instrument also helped to combat climate change and air and water pollution.

"The Convention's critical focus on involving the public is helping to keep governments accountable," Mr. Ban said in a message to the fourth meeting of Parties to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters – the so-called Aarhus Convention.

"There have been many achievements over the past decade, including the entry into force of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, the first global legally binding instrument of its kind," Mr. Ban noted in the message, delivered on his behalf by Jan Kubiš, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

He said that the growing caseload of the Convention's Compliance Committee, which offers members of the public the opportunity to trigger action, is a healthy sign of constructive engagement.

Mr. Ban also pointed out that the convention is building synergies through cooperation with other international organizations, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Collaboration with international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is also yielding results, he added.

The Secretary-General said he was pleased that this week's meeting focuses on the role of the convention in promoting sustainable development, pointing out the as the world prepares for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Brazil next year, it should be remembered that the convention is one of the major results of the Rio Declaration adopted at the first Earth Summit nearly 20 years ago.

"As the convention enters its second decade, we applaud the accomplishments of the past while acknowledging the challenges ahead. I trust that the treaty's spirit of openness, participation and justice will ensure that the public stays constructively engaged in order to achieve even greater progress in the future," Mr. Ban added.
Jul 1 2011 4:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

NEW LAW IN EL SALVADOR THREATENS JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, UN RIGHTS EXPERT SAYS

NEW LAW IN EL SALVADOR THREATENS JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, UN RIGHTS EXPERT SAYS
New York, Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
A United Nations human rights expert warned today that a newly passed Salvadorian law requiring the country's Supreme Court decisions to be unanimous could undermine the independence of the judiciary.

Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, said the legislation – which passed by El Salvador's national assembly and was promulgated by the executive – could be considered "an affront to the principles of separation of powers and independence of the judiciary, fundamental elements of any democracy and any rule of law."

"El Salvador, as a country that is consolidating its democracy, should pay particular attention to the full independence of the judiciary and the principle of separation of powers enshrined in international instruments of which it is a party and which are enshrined in the Salvadoran constitution," said Ms. Knaul.

"The other branches of government can not force the country's highest court to take judicial decisions unanimously, as the matters that fall within its competence are, by their very nature and complexity, controversial."

Ms. Knaul said the law, if followed, "would block the activity and the effective functioning of the country's highest court and therefore substantially limit the rights of Salvadorian citizens to appeal to that court in defence of their fundamental rights."

The Special Rapporteur urged El Salvador's Government to repeal the law to prevent the justice system from falling into paralysis.

Ms. Knaul serves in an independent and unpaid capacity and reports to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN STRESSES CRUCIAL ROLE OF SCIENCE IN ADDRESSING CURRENT GLOBAL CHALLENGES

BAN STRESSES CRUCIAL ROLE OF SCIENCE IN ADDRESSING CURRENT GLOBAL CHALLENGES
New York, Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today underlined the role of science and technology in helping humanity to address global challenges such as climate change, infectious diseases, terrorism, hunger, disaster preparedness and nuclear disarmament.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=5394">message to the 59th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs that opened in Berlin, Mr. Ban thanked the organization for its efforts over the past half a century to bring scientists and policy-makers together to advance common interests in peace, security and human welfare worldwide.

"Your efforts were especially welcome during the Cold War in helping to end the nuclear arms race, and they remain vital today as we continue to seek progress in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation," said the Secretary-General.

He noted that his predecessors and he have been working to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction since 1946, when the General Assembly first adopted the goal for the United Nations.

"With active support from the Pugwash organization, along with determined efforts throughout civil society and by concerned Member States, the potential for progress in these fields is considerable indeed," said Mr. Ban.

The Pugwash Conference seeks to promote constructive dialogue on sensitive matters of international security.

Mr. Ban pointed out in his message that opportunities to advance the nuclear disarmament cause include the forthcoming review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), efforts to establish a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, international gatherings to strengthen nuclear safety and security, and a conference next year to negotiate an arms trade treaty.

"When the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 1995 Peace Prize to Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash organization, it expressed the hope that the award 'will encourage world leaders to intensify their efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons'," said Mr. Ban.
Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

=?Windows-1252?Q?C=D4TE=20D=92IVOIRE:=20UN=20MISSION=20TO=20SET=20UP=20NEW=20MILITARY=20CAMPS, =20EQUIP=20POLICE=20STATIONS?=

CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN MISSION TO SET UP NEW MILITARY CAMPS, EQUIP POLICE STATIONS
New York, Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Côte d'Ivoire is to establish eight new military camps in the country's west, where security concerns remain following the bloody post-election crisis that ended in mid-April.

Choi Young-Jin, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire, told a news conference in the country's commercial capital, Abidjan, yesterday that the nearly 9,000-strong UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) will also rehabilitate and equip a number of municipal offices, police stations and gendarmeries that were damaged during the crisis.

He said the measures are part of efforts to assist Ivorian authorities to restore law and order so that the country can embark on a path of recovery after the violence that followed the presidential elections in November last year.

Côte d'Ivoire's political crisis ended when former president Laurent Gbagbo finally surrendered in mid-April, ending months of violence in the wake of his refusal to step down after he lost the UN-certified presidential run-off election to Alassane Ouattara, now the country's President.

"A clear vision related to the establishment of a national security structure has to be developed. A clear command and control structure, which would allow the effective deployment of police and gendarmerie elements across the country is necessary, which, in turn, would allow the roll-back of army elements to their military barracks," he added.

He said funds for the mission's new projects had already been acquired and that the work will be completed before the end of this month.

Mr. Choi, however, stressed that the new projects were only stop-gap measures to address urgent needs.

"The fundamental solution can only be provided by the Ivorian authorities deploying the police and gendarmerie throughout the country and by rolling back the army elements into their military camps," he insisted.

He reiterated the UNOCI will continue helping to protect civilians. "We will maintain the same position, that is to say, provide security for all the protagonists, including those from the Gbagbo camp and Mr. Gbagbo himself," he said, adding that UNOCI contributes to providing security outside the buildings where officials from the former regime are being held under house arrest.

On the forthcoming legislative elections, Mr. Choi said that they can be held before the end of the year if there is political will to complete the pre-election arrangements, including setting up the Independent Electoral Commission, tackling logistical challenges and streamlining the electoral list.<p class="kword">Cote</p>
Jul 1 2011 3:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

BAN TO ATTEND INDEPENDENCE CEREMONY FOR SOUTH SUDAN NEXT WEEK

BAN TO ATTEND INDEPENDENCE CEREMONY FOR SOUTH SUDAN NEXT WEEK
New York, Jul 1 2011 2:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel next week to South Sudan, soon to be the world's newest country, for its independence celebrations, his spokesperson announced today.

Mr. Ban will arrive in Juba, which will be the capital of the new State, on Friday, and meet with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and peacekeeping troops, staff and management of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

On Saturday he will attend the independence ceremony in Juba to mark the formal founding of South Sudan, six months after its residents voted in a UN-backed referendum to secede from the rest of Sudan.

Before he visits South Sudan, Mr. Ban will travel to Valencia, Spain, and then to Geneva, his spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

In Valencia, Mr. Ban will inaugurate the new UN support base on Wednesday, while in Madrid he will take part in a meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the co-chair of the MDGs Advocacy Group.

The Secretary-General will also hold bilateral meetings with Mr. Zapatero and Spain's Foreign Minister Trinidad Jiménez.

In Geneva, he will host a meeting on Thursday with Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. It will be a follow-up to previous meetings between the Secretary-General and the two leaders in New York in November last year and in Geneva in January.

He will also launch the 2011 MDGs report during the annual high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Jul 1 2011 2:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING OF UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING OF UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION
New York, Jul 1 2011 2:10PM
Making education accessible for all will be the focus of a United Nations conference in Geneva next week that will bring together representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society and academia to discuss ways of ensuring everyone has an opportunity to acquire knowledge.

Delegates at the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will discuss how to accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of education for all and look into ways of promoting sustained and inclusive economic growth, while exploring policies that governments can pursue to achieve those objectives.

"The perspectives of different regions are very different. In Africa… their concerns are around the problem of access to those who are marginalized," Nikhil Seth, the Director of ECOSOC's Office for Support and Coordination, said in an interview with the UN News Centre.

"In Latin America and the Caribbean, the problems are of a totally different nature. There it is a struggle for equality… a struggle of not essentially looking at primary education, but looking at ways in which you can enhance secondary and tertiary education to ensure higher quality of learning and learning outcomes," he added.

"We trying to bring in all these regional perspectives for a process by which we can share this information and best practices can be learned and shared with everyone."

He noted that 67 million children of school age were out of school globally, according to 2008 statistics, with an estimated 10 million youngsters dropping out of school every year in sub-Saharan Africa. About 17 per cent of the world's adults, or almost 800 million people, lacked basic literacy skills.

"At the meeting we will of course have some legislative outcomes in the form of a ministerial declaration where we hope that all the preparations that we have done will help accelerate progress by bringing all the stakeholders in collective action for achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves in education," said Mr. Seth.

"On the issue of understanding the state of the world economy and of promoting sustained inclusive growth, we hope ECOSOC will come up with a better understanding of what are the sensible policies governments should pursue to make growth inclusive," he added.

Eleven countries – Bangladesh, Belarus, Germany, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Turkey and Venezuela – will outline in presentations to the ECOSOC High-level conference – their experiences in trying to expand education opportunities, including lessons learned and difficulties encountered in their development policies.

"The meeting will enable a better understanding of how we assess where we are, not only in the state of the world economy, but also what are the sensible policies that the UN would like to recommend in having inclusive and equitable growth," said Mr. Seth.

"We hope that the participation of a large number of policy-makers and other stakeholders will help policy-makers at the national level bring these lessons back into national policy because at the end of the day it's countries and their national policies which determine their responses to all these crises," he said.

"There is action of course at the global level and there is action at the national level and we hope that ECOSOC will help in better understanding of all these issues."
Jul 1 2011 2:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

TWO KILLED AS KENYAN POLICE TRY TO QUELL RIOT IN OVERCROWDED REFUGEE CAMP – UN

TWO KILLED AS KENYAN POLICE TRY TO QUELL RIOT IN OVERCROWDED REFUGEE CAMP – UN
New York, Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
Two refugees were killed when Kenyan police tried to quell a riot that broke out in a part of the world's biggest refugee camp where the number of mostly Somali residents has swelled to more than 370,000, spawning overcrowding problems, the United Nations <"http://www.unhcr.org/4e0ddb866.html">reported today.

The unrest erupted yesterday when residents of Dagahaley refugee camp, one of the three that comprise the Dadaab complex of camps in Kenya's North-eastern province, gathered to protest an attempt to demolish illegal structures around a food distribution point, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Adrian Edwards, <"http://www.unhcr.org/4e0da1499.html">told reporters in Geneva.

Police initially used tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd but reportedly resorted to live ammunition later, killing the two refugees and wounding about a dozen others.

"Sadly, this incident is symptomatic of the pressures at the camp amid overcrowding compounded by the very high number of arrivals we have been seeing recently from Somalia," said Mr. Edwards.

More than 61,000 Somalis fleeing violence and severe drought in Somalia have sought safety and succour in Kenya since the beginning of the year.

"As of 6 June, we had opened three emergency centres in Dadaab, [and] since then a further 27,000 people have approached the reception centres at these sites," said Mr. Edwards, adding that the total number of refugees in Dadaab surpassed 370,000 last week.

Somali refugees have also been moving into Ethiopia, with 55,000 have arrived since the start of the year. Twenty-six per cent of the newly arrived people are malnourished, with the malnutrition rate among children estimated at three in five. UNHCR has introduced a blanket feeding programme for young children and additional funding is required to keep the nutrition programmes going.

The two established refugee camps in Ethiopia's south-east – Bokolmanyo and Malkadida – which were opened in April 2009 and February last year respectively, accommodate more than 70,000 refugees and have reached their full capacity. A new camp was opened last Friday at Kobe and 7,500 Somalis had been transported to the site by yesterday, according to Mr. Edwards. Ethiopia hosts a total of 130,000 Somali refugees.

Kenya is itself facing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the severe drought ravaging large swathes of the Horn of Africa. In drought-affected areas, monthly hospital admissions for severe malnutrition are 78 per cent higher than last year, Marixie Mercado, a spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), told reporters in Geneva.

In Turkana district in the northwest, acute malnutrition rates are the highest ever recorded in the area, at 37.4 per cent.

Mr. Edwards cited aid agencies inside Somalia as saying they remain concerned about landmines and other security threats which are making access extremely dangerous.

"We are also receiving reports that people displaced by drought, lack of food and insecurity in the Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions [of Somalia] are arriving in Mogadishu in search of food and other humanitarian assistance," he added.

Humanitarian conditions in Somalia, particularly the southern region, are at their worst in a decade. A total of 2.85 million people, or one in three Somalis, are said to be experiencing food crisis and in need of other forms of assistance, including water, sanitation and health care, according to Ms. Mercado.

UNHCR has also distributed shelter materials, blankets, mattresses, basic household goods and hygiene items, to people displaced by fighting in the Belet Hawo area in Gedo region.

In total, there are more than 750,000 Somali refugees in countries in the wider region, mostly in neighbouring Kenya (which hosts 405,000), Yemen (187,000) and Ethiopia (130,000). Another 1.46 million people are displaced within Somalia.
Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UNESCO DEPLORES KILLINGS OF JOURNALISTS IN DR CONGO, IRAQ AND MEXICO

UNESCO DEPLORES KILLINGS OF JOURNALISTS IN DR CONGO, IRAQ AND MEXICO
New York, Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
The United Nations agency tasked with defending and promoting press freedom today voiced outrage at the recent killings of journalists working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Iraq and Mexico.

Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia, who hosted a news show on Radio Lubero Sud, was shot dead on 22 June near his home in Kirumba in North Kivu province on the DRC.

His killers remain unidentified, but Mr. Kambale Musonia – the sixth journalist to be killed in the DRC's troubled east since 2007 – had recently reported on the activities of gangs of armed bandits in Kirumba, according to a <"http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_director_general_condemns_killing_of_congolese_journalist_witness_patchelly_kambale_musonia/">statement from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The agency's Director-General Irina Bokova condemned the murder and urged Congolese authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"Such crimes affect society's ability to enjoy the basic human right of freedom of expression," she said. "The death of a journalist in violent circumstances is an attempt to silence the all-important voice of the press."

Ms. Bokova also <"http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_director_general_deplores_death_of_iraqi_cameraman_alwan_al_ghorabi/">deplored the death on 21 June of cameraman Alwan al-Ghorabi, who died in a car bomb explosion in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniyya, becoming the fourth journalist to be killed in that country this year.

Mr. al-Ghorabi, who worked for the Afaq satellite television channel, was reportedly with several other journalists at the entrance of a Government building when the bomb exploded.

Ms. Bokova said this latest death is a reminder of how precarious the security situation still is in Iraq.

"Media professionals, working to keep citizens informed, are particularly exposed," she noted.

In addition, the Director-General has hit out at the death of a Mexican newspaper columnist, Miguel Angel Lopez Velasco, who was murdered – along with his wife and 21-year-old son – by unknown assailants at their home in the eastern city of Veracruz on 20 June.

The deputy director of <i>Notiver</i>, a daily newspaper, Mr. Lopez Velasco wrote a regular column about security, drug trafficking and corruption. He is the 13th journalist to have been slain in Mexico since last year.

"Such barbaric attempts to silence the media – and, by extension, the voices of citizens and communities – must be firmly condemned and punished," Ms. Bokova <"http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_director_general_condemns_murder_of_mexican_journalist_miguel_angel_lopez_velasco/">said.

"We must stand clearly alongside those courageous journalists who, at great risk to themselves and those close to them, are working to keep citizens informed about the forces and events influencing their society."

UNESCO, which began work in 1946, has a specific mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom.
Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

ASIA-PACIFIC STATES AGREE AT UN MEETING TO COOPERATE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

ASIA-PACIFIC STATES AGREE AT UN MEETING TO COOPERATE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
New York, Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
Ministers and senior government officials from 31 countries, meeting at a United Nations-supported conference in Bangkok, have agreed to work more closely together on disaster risk reduction and make it central to national development strategies, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) reported today.

The participants at a session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, a subsidiary of ESCAP, "have asked the UN to help promote regional cooperation to minimize the adverse socio-economic and environmental impact of disasters," the agency said in a press statement.

"Reliable and quality data are crucial for effective disaster preparedness and Asia-Pacific countries have asked ESCAP to support national capacity building in the collection and analysis of disaster data for better disaster preparedness and vulnerability assessments, and to provide training on disaster assessment methodologies," ESCAP said.

Asia-Pacific countries which are most vulnerable to nature's fury have also agreed to speed up implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, which calls for making disaster risk reduction a national development priority, ESCAP said.

Recurring and increasingly severe natural disasters striking the Asia-Pacific region have become a serious obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and slowed down the pace of economic development in the region.

ESCAP, with the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and other regional partners, have been requested to build regional knowledge through the publication of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report and the development of the web-based Asia-Pacific gateway for disaster risk reduction and development, the agency said.
Jul 1 2011 1:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

YEMEN: UN FACT-FINDING MISSION GAINING FULL ACCESS TO PROTESTERS, OPPOSITION FIGURES

YEMEN: UN FACT-FINDING MISSION GAINING FULL ACCESS TO PROTESTERS, OPPOSITION FIGURES
New York, Jul 1 2011 12:10PM
The United Nations human rights mission to Yemen is gaining access to protesters and opposition leaders, has the cooperation of the Government and is generally "going well," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported today.

"The OHCHR mission to Yemen is going well so far with cooperation from the Government, which has allowed our team full access," Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the office, <"http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11199&LangID=E">told a news briefing in Geneva.

The team of three experts flew to Yemen on Monday and is expected to return on 6 July.

"The team met the Vice-President in Sana'a [the capital] as well as opposition leaders, NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and protesters in Sana'a and Taiz. They have conducted interviews, collected documents and visited the two key protest locations in Sana'a where anti-Government and pro-Government protesters have been gathering," Mr. Colville said.

"The Government informed our team about the process they are undertaking to restart political dialogue," he said.

The group visited two hospitals that were looted amid violence in late May, and are due to visit prisons and speak to internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said.

Yemen is one of many countries across North Africa and the Middle East where members of the public have held large-scale protests this year calling for greater democracy and freedoms.

Jul 1 2011 12:10PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PENDING EXECUTION OF MEXICAN NATIONAL IN UNITED STATES

UN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PENDING EXECUTION OF MEXICAN NATIONAL IN UNITED STATES
New York, Jul 1 2011 11:10AM
The top United Nations human rights official has appealed to a state governor in the United States to commute the death sentence of a Mexican national scheduled to be executed for murder next week, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported today.

The plea from Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is also supported by two UN rights experts who have urged the US Government to stop the execution for the same reason: the convicted murderer was not granted access to a Mexican consular official at the time of his arrest.

Ms. Pillay wrote directly to Texas Governor Rick Perry asking him to order a life sentence for Humberto Leal Garcia, who was condemned to death for the 1994 murder of a 16-year-old girl, according to Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for OHCHR.

"Over and above the normal UN position opposing the death penalty, this case raises particular concerns, as Mr. Leal Garcia was not granted consular access, which, as a foreign national, is his right under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," Mr. Colville <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11198&LangID=E">said.

"The lack of consular assistance and advice raises concerns about whether or not Mr. Leal Garcia's right to a fair trial was fully upheld," he said.

"We understand that Mr. Leal Garcia is due to be executed next Thursday, 7 July, but that the Governor of Texas has the power to commute the sentence to life imprisonment. The High Commissioner has written to him directly requesting him to do so."

The spokesperson said that the case also "raises questions" regarding compliance with a 2004 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that the US breached its obligations under an international convention to 51 Mexicans on death row in US jails when it did not inform them of their right to contact their consular representatives "without delay" after their arrests.

In that judgment the ICJ ruled that, as a remedy for the violations of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the US must provide "review and reconsideration" of Mr. Leal Garcia's conviction and sentence, Mr. Colville said.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan Méndez, called on the US Government to cancel the execution.

"If the scheduled execution of Mr. Leal García goes ahead, the United States Government will have implemented a death penalty after a trial that did not comply with due process rights," Mr. Heyns said. "This will be tantamount to an arbitrary deprivation of life."

"Conditions in death row during those 17 years are such that they amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment according to well-established standards in international law," Mr. Méndez said.

Mr. Heyns and Mr. Méndez are independent, non-paid specialist reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Jul 1 2011 11:10AM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/

UN TEAM CONFIRMS MASS RAPES OCCURRED IN REMOTE VILLAGES IN EASTERN DR CONGO

UN TEAM CONFIRMS MASS RAPES OCCURRED IN REMOTE VILLAGES IN EASTERN DR CONGO
New York, Jul 1 2011 11:10AM
A joint United Nations assessment mission has confirmed that Government troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) committed mass rape and acts of pillaging in several remote villages in the country's east last month.

Residents of Nyakiele in the province of South Kivu told UN staff that troops serving with the Congolese armed forces, known as the FARDC, raped at least 121 women and subjected villagers to cruel and degrading treatment during the attacks, which took place around 11 June.

The troops – who attacked at least one other village in the area, which is covered in thick forest – also stole the equivalent of about $90,000 in cash and gold, as well as 157 goats, and forced some of the villagers to transport the looted goods for them.

An assessment team comprising UN human rights and humanitarian officials, as well as provincial authorities and a staff from a non-governmental organization (NGO), travelled to Nyakiele after reports emerged of the attacks.

Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), <"http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11199&LangID=E">told reporters today in Geneva that more in-depth investigations will now take place to further verify the details and identify the perpetrators.

He voiced outrage at the attacks, echoing the recent remarks of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström.

Jul 1 2011 11:10AM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/