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| WITH CONCERTS, FILMS AND CEREMONIES, UN MARKS ITS 64TH BIRTHDAY
October 23, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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| WITH CONCERTS, FILMS AND CEREMONIES, UN MARKS ITS 64TH BIRTHDAY
New York, Oct 23 2009 7:10PM
The United Nations marked its 64th birthday today with ceremonies around the world, a concert at its New York Headquarters paying tribute to its blue helmet peacekeepers, and a call from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to stand up for the vulnerable, powerless and defenceless.UN Day in fact falls on 24 October, the anniversary of the day in 1945 that the UN Charter entered into force, but as the date this year falls on a Saturday, many of the ceremonies were held on Friday. "On this UN Day, let us resolve to redouble our efforts on behalf of the vulnerable, the powerless, the defenceless. Let us stand more united than ever – united in purpose and united in action to make the world a safer, better place," Mr. Ban said in a video message released ahead of the Day. "The United Nations is doing its utmost to respond – to address the big issues, to look at the big picture. We are forging a new multilateralism that can deliver real results for all people, especially those most in need." At UN Headquarters a concert was being held on Friday evening in the General Assembly Hall with, for the first time since its inception, a theme: "A Tribute to Peacekeeping." Organized by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), in partnership with the Culture Project, a New York based non-profit organization dedicated to artistic work focusing on social justice and civic engagement, it used different art forms to focus on the achievements and importance of UN peacekeeping. Musical performances by artists from a broad array of countries, oral presentations by public figures, and documentary film clips highlighting the faces and stories of the people in the field, paid homage to the blue helmets. Among the performers were John McLaughlin (United Kingdom) with the band Remember Shakti (India), Emmanual Jal (Sudan), Sister Fa (Senegal), Salman Ahmad (Pakistan), Harry Belafonte (United States), Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Lang Lang (China) and the Colombian band Aterciopelados. The concert also featured segments from a new documentary film on UN peacekeeping, <I>The War Against War</I>, directed by Fisher Stevens and giving insight into the formidable challenges facing peacekeepers and the committed individuals who serve some of the most victimized and vulnerable populations on Earth. The event aimed to create greater public awareness of the important mission performed by peacekeeping operations around the globe. The recent tragedy in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/">MINUSTAH), when 11 peacekeepers died in a helicopter crash, has made the concert theme even more poignant, as the UN pays tribute to lives lost. At the UN's Asia hub in Bangkok, a joint four-day exhibition by 19 UN entities opened on 22 October in CentralWorld, the city's biggest shopping complex, with the theme "60 years of the UN in Thailand," because the organization moved to Bangkok from Shanghai, China, in 1949. The official UN Day ceremony itself will take place on 26 October, when the King's daughter Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva are expected to attend. The UN's European hub in Geneva celebrated the day today with a conference on "Comprehensive Human Security – from Theory to Practice," while in Vienna the publication <I>Together Strong – Die Vereinten Nationen</I> was launched on 20 October, containing a set of German-language teaching materials on the UN, 4,000 copies of which are to be distributed to secondary schools around Austria. In South America, meanwhile, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (<"http://www.eclac.org/portofspain/">ECLAC) held a ceremony at its headquarters in Santiago, Chile, today.
Oct 23 2009 7:10PM
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| IRAN NEEDS MORE TIME TO CONSIDER NUCLEAR FUEL AGREEMENT, SAYS UN ATOMIC WATCHDOG
October 23, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| IRAN NEEDS MORE TIME TO CONSIDER NUCLEAR FUEL AGREEMENT, SAYS UN ATOMIC WATCHDOG
New York, Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
Iran has asked for more time to consider a draft agreement on fuel for its civilian nuclear research facility, while the three other parties to the deal signalled their approval today, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/PressRelease/2009/prn200911.html">IAEA) reported today.On Wednesday, a three-day meeting at the agency's Vienna headquarters ended with a draft agreement on the provision of fuel for the site in Iran's capital, Tehran, which, among other activities, produces medical radioisotopes for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is "considering the proposal in depth and in a favourable light, but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response," according to a statement. The other three nations taking part in the talks – France, Russia and the United States – all indicated their approval of the agreement today, which was the deadline set by Mr. ElBaradei earlier this week. "The Director General hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation," the IAEA statement noted. On Wednesday, Mr. ElBaradei called the draft text a "balanced approach on how to move forward," adding that its endorsement by all four countries would be a "very important confidence-building measure that can defuse the crisis that has been going on for a number of years and open space for negotiations." He also voiced hope that if approved, the agreement will "open the way for a complete normalization of relations between Iran and the international community." The IAEA was selected as the venue for the discussions because Iran has requested the body to facilitate talks with potential nuclear fuel suppliers. Earlier this month, it was announced after talks between Mr. ElBaradei and Iranian authorities that IAEA inspectors will visit a newly disclosed uranium enrichment facility under construction in Qom, southwest of the capital. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the facility violates Security Council resolutions because of the delay in its disclosure. During his talks in New York in September with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mr. Ban repeated his call for the country to implement Security Council resolutions and cooperate with the IAEA on resolving outstanding concerns regarding its nuclear programme. Iran has stated that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend it is driven by military ambitions. The issue has been of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that the country had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
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| UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS ROLE OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS IN PREVENTING ABUSES
October 23, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF SPOTLIGHTS ROLE OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS IN PREVENTING ABUSES
New York, Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
Alerting the international community to emerging humanitarian crises plays a key role in the prevention and management of violent conflicts, natural disasters and other emergencies, the top United Nations human rights official said today, praising efforts by independent UN experts for sounding the alarm over rights abuses."Violations [of human rights] are often a root cause of conflict and human rights are always an indispensable element in achieving peace and reconciliation," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. "In other situations, such as financial, food and climate crisis, objective assessments of human rights enjoyment are indispensable in detecting underlying patterns and pointing to feasible and sustainable solutions," Ms. Pillay said at an event highlighting the role of UN rights experts under their "Special Procedures" mandate. Ms. Pillay said that Special Procedures – the general name for Special Rapporteurs, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Representative of the Secretary-General or Independent Expert – are well placed to function as early warning mechanisms. "The full potential of Special Procedures in early warning and conflict prevention has yet to be fully tapped," said Ms. Pillay, calling for enhanced measures to make better use of the information provided by these experts. The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx">OHCHR) noted that in August 1993, the Special Rapporteur on Summary or Arbitrary Executions published a report on Rwanda, flagging that violence against Tutsis might fall under the scope of the Genocide Convention. The warning was not heeded and eight months later some 800,000 people were killed. More recently, in January 2009, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) warned that military operations against a rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could result in violent reprisals against the civilian population, which UN peacekeepers are currently trying to contain. These independent experts are appointed by the Secretary-General to work on behalf of the UN on a pro-bono basis and with a specific mandate from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to investigate, monitor and recommend solutions to abuses. Currently there are 38 Special Procedure mandates, focusing on human rights issues either in specific countries (eight), or particular themes (30), such as extrajudicial execution, the right to food or racial discrimination.
Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
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| WOMEN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES HAVE KEY ROLE IN ENSURING BETTER WORLD – BAN
October 23, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| WOMEN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES HAVE KEY ROLE IN ENSURING BETTER WORLD – BAN
New York, Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
Women business executives have a major role to play in helping help to achieve a green economy, safeguard the environment and improve living conditions around the world while at the same time ensuring the profitability of their enterprises, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today."We both recognize the important link between empowering women and achieving development," he said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4178">message to the 57th Congress of the Worldwide Network of Women Entrepreneurs (Femmes Chefs D'Enterprises Mondiales – FCEM) in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. "Your organization and the United Nations share a common interest in promoting economic and social progress." Mr. Ban voiced the hope that those executives who are not yet members will join the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate responsibility initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. "Businesses that lead responsibly will help to green our economy, protect our environment and promote better living conditions around the world – all while realizing their own goals, too," Mr. Ban concluded. "I look forward to the contributions you and your entrepreneurial spirit will make to building a more prosperous future for all."
Oct 23 2009 6:10PM
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| CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS MUST INCLUDE FOCUS ON ADEQUATE HOUSING, SAYS UN EXPERT
October 23, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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| CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS MUST INCLUDE FOCUS ON ADEQUATE HOUSING, SAYS UN EXPERT
New York, Oct 23 2009 5:10PM
The decisions to be taken in Copenhagen in December, when countries hope to reach agreement on a new climate change pact, must fully comply with human rights norms, including the right to adequate housing, an independent United Nations expert said today.Raquel Rolnik, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, said the international debate on climate change has to date focused on issues such as carbon credits and technological innovation. "However, current discussions are lacking concrete proposals to protect those worst affected by climate change – the poorest and those who live in vulnerable settlements," she told a news conference in New York. "This is what we must now bring to the core of the climate change debate." Global warming is increasing the magnitude and severity of extreme weather events, which often lead to disasters, she said earlier in the day as she presented her report to the General Assembly. Furthermore, the areas exposed to and constantly affected by flooding, landslides and earthquakes still attract the poor because of cheaper land and housing costs. "Market mechanisms – and unregulated markets – result in locations at risk of flooding and landslides being left for the poorest," she told reporters. "This population does not have the means to get insurance or move to other places when they are threatened by natural disasters." In particular, she emphasized the need for States to prioritize investments for irregular or unplanned settlements. "Those areas must be consolidated, must be urbanized and better protected from climate change-related disasters." She added that their inhabitants must be protected without destroying their livelihoods and social organizations. "There is a danger here of using climate change and the [insecurity] of the locations of the poor to promote resettlement and relocation of these communities to so-called safer places." The State must observe human rights norms so as to treat people with dignity, to safeguard due process, and to ensure appropriate housing alternatives and not just temporary shelter, said Ms. Rolnik. She said this is crucial given the lessons learned from past disasters, particularly in post-tsunami reconstruction. In some countries, certain villages were entirely relocated to resettle the inhabitants in safer locations and were never given the opportunity to return to their lands. But then the vacant lands became tourist resorts. "So it was not safe enough for the people to live there but it was suitable for tourist or commercial or industrial purposes," she noted. On mitigation and adaptation strategies, Ms. Rolnik stress that States must ensure that measures intended to protect people from the effects of climate change do not result in the unintended violation of other human rights.
Oct 23 2009 5:10PM
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| Cars: Suzuki's Kizashi delivers good things, but ...
October 23, 2009 at 3:22 pm
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To make changes to your e-mail subscriptions, click here  | | |  |  |  | | | | | |  | Today's question: | | Q: At some point I need to replace my minivan and I always figured with the kids getting older I'd go to a small to midsize crossover. What would you look at for decent gas mileage, great handling, and the occasional large load? | | | A: 'Decent gas mileage' is going to be a relative thing in a crossover. If you can manage high-teens in real-world use around town, that's good. Having established that benchmark ... I've found the Mazda CX-9 a dandy machine, sporty in the fashion of all Mazdas. There always are the Porsche Cayenne/VW Touareg cousins, which give you the handling you want, but both are well up in price and well down in reliability scores. | | Read the latest Test Drive chat | | | | | |  | | | |  | Advertisement <   | | Sponsored Links To forward this e-mail to a friend, please click here. You are currently subscribed to this newsletter with the address: phoenixnews09@gmail.com.
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| SOMALIA: UN POLITICAL CHIEF CALLS FOR INCREASED WORLD SUPPORT IN PUSH FOR PEACE
October 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| SOMALIA: UN POLITICAL CHIEF CALLS FOR INCREASED WORLD SUPPORT IN PUSH FOR PEACE
New York, Oct 23 2009 3:10PM
The top United Nations political officer, co-chairing a high-level meeting in Kenya on implementing a peace pact between Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and some of its Islamist militant opponents, today called for an urgent increase in international support for the strife-torn country."Now is the time to move to action, not the time to talk. This is an excellent opportunity to turn around the terrible situation of the last 18 years in Somalia," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe said of the country devastated by factional fighting and without a functioning central government since 1991. Together with TFG Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, Mr. Pascoe chaired a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, of the High-Level Committee overseeing implementation of the UN-facilitated Djibouti peace agreements, signed in June 2008 between the TFG and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), one of the Islamist militant groups controlling large swathes of the Horn of Africa country. Since then an expanded parliament has been established and a new president, prime minister and cabinet selected, but vicious fighting has continued with other Islamic militants with civilians bearing the brunt of the latest upsurge. In September alone, 145 people were reportedly killed and another 285 injured in heavy clashes in the south central region, according to the UN refugee agency. Speaking to reporters after today's meeting, Mr. Pascoe said the Security Council was unanimously behind the TFG and confident that it is moving forward and that Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mr. Sharmarke were doing everything possible to make it happen. He said members of the international community had to make good on their pledges at a donors' conference in Brussels in April to support the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia (known as AMISOM) and the strengthening of the TFG's security forces. A significant benchmark is the establishment of a well-organized security force by August 2011, the end of the TFG's current mandate. Just last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah stressed this requirement to a Nairobi meeting of the Joint Security Committee (JSC) of Somali officials and interested partners, set up in January under the Djibouti accords. Its members include the TFG security institutions, the AU, AMISOM, the UN, the European Union (EU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in East Africa, the Arab League, Norway and the United States. Mr. Pascoe, who was winding up a five-nation trip to Eastern and Southern Africa, focusing on UN-regional cooperation and regional hotspots, also met today with Kenyan President Mwai Kbaki, with whom he discussed constitutional reforms, the electoral process and the cross-border movement of Somali refugees. During previous stops in Uganda and Burundi, he expressed strong appreciation for the commitment and sacrifice of those nations which are deploying troops to AMISOM. His mission also took him to South Africa and Angola.
Oct 23 2009 3:10PM
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| ENVOY URGES CAUTION ON CUTS TO UN POLICE STRENGTH IN TIMOR-LESTE
October 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| ENVOY URGES CAUTION ON CUTS TO UN POLICE STRENGTH IN TIMOR-LESTE
New York, Oct 23 2009 3:10PM
Any drawdown of international security forces in Timor-Leste should proceed with caution, the top United Nations envoy to the South Pacific nation warned today ahead of UN and Government reviews of the world body's peacekeeping presence in the fledgling country. In his final address to the Security Council, the Secretary-General's Special Representative Atul Khare said that President José Ramos-Horta and other leaders of Timor-Leste do not wish to be continually dependent on the deployment of UN police units in their country. "I also believe that the long-term sustainability of Timor-Leste's efforts depends on the ability of its own institutions to operate in a democratic, responsible and effective manner," said Mr. Khare, who heads the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (<"http://unmit.unmissions.org/">UNMIT). "At every step of the way, UNMIT and the UN country team have consciously endeavoured to work in a manner that enhances the capacity and credibility of the institutions of this young nation," said Mr. Khare. The Special Representative noted, however, that the success in supporting security forces instead of taking the lead in law enforcement means that progress depends on the rate of which local institutions develop, which can also include setbacks. "The touchstone for success in Timor-Leste is not whether crises occur, but how future crises are met and resolved," said Mr. Khare. "The goal should be to ensure that they are handled in a responsible manner that does not threaten the State, and instead provide an opportunity for enhanced social cohesion and development." He said that the future presence and role of the international security forces needs to be carefully taken into account in planning any modification of the composition and size of UNMIT. Current UNMIT strength stands at 1,578 police officers, 33 military personnel, around 1,200 international and local civilian staff and 195 UN Volunteers. "The United Nations and the Government of Timor-Leste should jointly agree on the criteria for each step in the process of downsizing the UNMIT police," said Mr. Khare. "It should be clearly agreed with the authorities, in advance of each stage, what support the UN will and will not provide." The UN presence in Timor-Leste began in 1999 when it conducted a "popular consultation" which saw a huge turnout of Timorese overwhelmingly vote for independence over autonomy within Indonesia. The eventual result was the birth of the State, but 1,500 to 2,000 people were killed in clashes in the immediate aftermath of the declaration. UNMIT received its mandate to restore public safety in the wake of an eruption of violence in 2006 – attributed to differences between eastern and western regions of the country – when 600 striking soldiers were fired, and the ensuing hostilities claimed dozens of lives and drove 155,000 people, or 15 per cent of the total population, from their homes. In his most recent report on UNMIT earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the causes underlying the 2006 crisis, including the rising level of poverty, persistent unemployment, the lack of an effective land and property regime, and under-strength justice and security sectors, could still destabilize the country.
Oct 23 2009 3:10PM
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| Today's Tech News: Rock on with 'Brutal Legend'
October 23, 2009 at 2:12 pm
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To make changes to your e-mail subscriptions, click here  | | | | | | | | | | Rock on with 'Brutal Legend' | |
From the ingenious mind of game designer Tim Schafer (Day of the Tentacle,Psychonauts ) comes an uber fun fantasy adventure starring funny man Jack Black as Eddie Riggs, an aging roadie who longs for the glory days of heavy metal music. Read more | |
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| UN OFFICIAL VISITS UGANDA'S GROUND ZERO OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMANITARIAN WOES
October 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm
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| UN OFFICIAL VISITS UGANDA'S GROUND ZERO OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMANITARIAN WOES
New York, Oct 23 2009 2:10PM
Visiting a semi-arid region of Uganda where the economic and environmental effects of climate change have been added to humanitarian needs and chronic under-development, the top United Nations emergency relief official today saw first-hand an area of potential conflict over increasingly shrinking resources."They are living on the edge, daily facing the biggest challenges we must confront today as a global society," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said of the people of Uganda's north-east Karamoja region. "Climate change has brought increasingly frequent droughts and, with them, greater insecurity and water shortages." The majority of the 1 million people are pastoralists or agro-pastoralists in one of Uganda's most under-developed and politically marginalized areas. Whereas droughts used to occur every 10 years, narrowing to every five over the past 20 years, there have now been four consecutive years of drought and/or poor rainfalls. In January, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) launched an emergency operation to feed more than 970,000 people, 90 per cent of the total. Mr. Holmes visited Apa Lopama kraal, where 3,000 men and boys and 15,000 livestock subsist, and the Lobanya resettlement where nearly 900 people have moved to access more fertile land for planting. But the site sits on a major crossing between two districts, providing dry season grazing for pastoralists and increasing the potential for conflict over access to pasture, farmland and water during the October to April dry season. Cattle raiding and gun-running are already all too frequent occurrences in Karamoja, which borders on southern Sudan and the Turkana region of north-western Kenya. In 2006, the Government began a disarmament operation in the region's five districts and has linked them into a national programme that seeks to bring poorer parts up to par with the rest of the country. "We need to work with the Government on creating long-term food security through improving agricultural and pastoralist livelihoods, and development of basic services such as education, health and road infrastructure," Mr. Holmes said. "Disaster risk reduction activities are part of the key to this – for example, gathering and making better use of what rain does fall." "While voluntary resettlement of some of the population to areas in which they can farm more productively is one solution, we must also find more effective ways to support pastoralism as the most viable livelihood in many parts of the region – for example, by improving animal health and building better rural infrastructure including access to markets." Against nearly every basic indicator, Karamoja exhibits the lowest standards in the country, even below the conflict-affected districts of northern Uganda, which Mr. Holmes visited yesterday. Some 82 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, maternal mortality averages 750 per 100,000 live births, and infant mortality 105 in 1,000 live births. The under-five mortality rate is 174 per 1,000 live births compared to the national average of 134. Only 9 per cent of the population have access to sanitation facilities and only 40 per cent to safe drinking water. Only 11 percent of the region's population can read. During his four-day visit to Uganda, Mr. Holmes is attending an African Union (AU) Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons.
Oct 23 2009 2:10PM
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| DIPLOMATS FROM SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TOUR BARRACKS IN NEPAL
October 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm
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| DIPLOMATS FROM SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TOUR BARRACKS IN NEPAL
New York, Oct 23 2009 2:10PM
A team of Nepal-based diplomats from six Security Council members today <"http://www.unmin.org.np/downloads/pressreleases/Press%20release%20%20Chhauni%20&%20MSC%20visit%2023.10.2009.ENG.pdf">visited army barracks and cantonment sites in the Asian country as part of their first collective tour since the establishment of a United Nations political mission there in 2007.Accompanied by Karin Landgren, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, the team saw first-hand how <"http://www.unmin.org.np/#">UNMIN is electronically monitoring weapons, which are under live surveillance, stored by the Nepal Army at Chhauni barracks and by the Maoist army in Chulachuli. "That there is a light UN monitoring presence speaks to the confidence that the AMAAA [Agreement on Monitoring the Management of Arms and Armies] will be respected by the parties," Ms. Landgren, who also heads UNMIN, said. She underscored that there have been few serious violations of the agreement, which was struck between the parties and the UN, and the mission has made recommendations to both the Nepal Army and the Maoist army on how to enhance monitoring and cooperation. The Council mission – comprising Nepal-based diplomatic representatives of China, France, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – was also briefed today by some UNMIN arms monitors, who come from 18 countries. "The presence of weapons containers and arms monitors reflects the unfinished business of the peace process, and UNMIN calls on the parties to make strengthened and sincere efforts to create the conditions for UNMIN to complete its work and for Nepal's peace process to usher in a stable, just and prosperous future for its people," Ms. Landgren noted. A decade-long civil war, claiming some 13,000 lives, ended in 2006 with the signing of a peace accord between the Government and Maoists. After conducting Constituent Assembly elections in May 2008, the nation abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and declared itself a republic. UNMIN was established in 2007 as a special political mission tasked with helping advance the peace process. It has been extended through January 2010 to assist in the management of arms and army personnel contained in the cantonments.
Oct 23 2009 2:10PM
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| Personal Finance: 401(k)s may not be the answer now
October 23, 2009 at 2:08 pm
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Sandra Block: New credit card fee for paying bills on time | | | |  Investing
John Waggoner: Risks and rewards in China investment | | | |  Exec pay cut
Treasury slashes executive pay in bailed-out firms | | | | | | | | | Advertisement <  | | Sponsored Links To forward this e-mail to a friend, please click here. You are currently subscribed to this newsletter with the address: phoenixnews09@gmail.com.
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| Daily Travel News: Cold War nostalgia grips reunited Berlin
October 23, 2009 at 1:49 pm
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| To view the latest USA TODAY Travel headlines on your mobile device, click here. If you have trouble reading this e-mail newsletter click here. To make changes to your e-mail subscriptions, click here  | | | | | | |   |  | | |  | Delta/Northwest and Continental raise fares by $10 round trip
Read more |  | | | |  Photo gallery
Check out this week's top ten travel stories |  |  Second homes
Steamboat Springs, Colo., is more than a ski town | | |  | | | | Advertisement <  
 Top 10 Travel Deals | Powered by ShermansTravel.com | | | | | Sponsored Links To forward this e-mail to a friend, please click here. You are currently subscribed to this newsletter with the address: phoenixnews09@gmail.com.
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| REGISTRATION OF PEOPLE DISPLACED BY CONFLICT IN NORTHERN YEMEN CONTINUES – UN
October 23, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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| REGISTRATION OF PEOPLE DISPLACED BY CONFLICT IN NORTHERN YEMEN CONTINUES – UN
New York, Oct 23 2009 1:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency says that displaced families from embattled Sa'ada province in northern Yemen are continuing to arrive in Al Mazrak camp, which now houses an estimated 8,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). An average of 10 to 15 new families arrive at Al Mazrak camp every day, with another 11,000 IDPs being sheltered by host families and communities in the area, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some 150,000 people have been driven from their homes by sporadic fighting between Government forces and Al Houthi rebels that resumed in mid-August. The registration and verification of IDPs is ongoing, with a total of 71,225 people registered so far. Many more IDPs are believed to be unreachable in conflict areas. The security situation surrounding the IDP camp in Khaiwan in Amran governorate remains of serious concern to UNHCR. After a number of incidents, the agency has requested the Yemeni Government to reconsider further development of the site and not to move the newly displaced persons there. The UN is also working with Saudi authorities to find appropriate solution for those crossing the border into Saudi Arabia fleeing the conflict in Sa'ada. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the UN continues to appeal to the parties in the conflict to allow access for assistance to reach those in need. Since July, nearly 41,630 people in northern Yemen have received food aid. OCHA added that insecurity is preventing road convoys to Sa'ada via Al-Jawf governorate. Five trucks containing food and seven containing non-food items have been held up between the two governorates due to obstructions. Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has delivered emergency supplies for safe child delivery, emergency obstetric care interventions, contraceptives and medicines to treat victims of sexual violence and to prevent sexually transmitted diseases to its partners on the ground in Hajjah and Amran governorates for further distribution. A $23.7 million flash appeal issued in early September to provide life-saving support in northern Yemen is so far 36 per cent funded. OCHA reported that a review is under way of the humanitarian needs on the basis of recent rapid needs assessments and adjustments will be made to the appeal in the coming days.
Oct 23 2009 1:10PM
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| UN PREPARES FOR NEW FLOOD OF PAKISTANI CIVILIANS FLEEING FIGHTING WITH MILITANTS
October 23, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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| UN PREPARES FOR NEW FLOOD OF PAKISTANI CIVILIANS FLEEING FIGHTING WITH MILITANTS
New York, Oct 23 2009 1:10PM
United Nations aid agencies and their partners in north-western Pakistan are preparing emergency relief, including food, water and health services, for up to 250,000 civilians fleeing an intensification of fighting between the Government and militants.Some 155,000 people have already fled the conflict in the South Waziristan region, according to local government figures, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) reported today. "The planning figure of the humanitarian community for IDPs (internally displaced persons) who could eventually leave South Waziristan is a total of 250,000 civilians," OCHA said in its latest update on the situation. "To respond to that probable caseload, preparations have been under way for some time now, and relief items are pre-positioned in the area," it added. "The most urgent humanitarian needs include food, support to existing health facilities, water, sanitation and hygiene support, emergency shelter and education support." UN agencies and their humanitarian partner organisations have assisted the first wave of IDPs with emergency items, such as food, household and hygiene supplies, water, vaccination campaigns, as well as support in the registration process. In a breakdown of IDPs, local authorities say some 19,000 registered displaced families from South Waziristan (about 139,400 individuals) are in the Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), including 7,900 families (58,000 people) who arrived in the last 10 days and 11,080 families (80,500 people) who fled in May and August. Security concerns make humanitarian access to Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts a challenge, but UN agencies are continuing to deliver their assistance through local partners, OCHA said, noting that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) implementing partners are distributing non-food items in the first district. The IDPs are currently living with host families or in rented accommodation. The authorities might consider camps in the future, and UNHCR and its partners stand ready to aid in setting these up and running them. The UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) also stands ready to help all newly displaced families, and 1,000 tons of food have been distributed in the two districts so far to families registered before 16 August. Local authorities have asked WFP to help the second wave of IDPs, too. Currently the agency has relief stocks and implementation capacities to meet the October requirements. The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) is focusing on 26 health facilities in Dera Ismail Khan staffed by 70 health workers to support delivery of essential services as well as epidemics/disease control. To date, the agency has distributed in both districts 42 mini emergency health kits that can cover 252,000 people for two months, and six cholera kits for 600 interventions, and vaccines against snake venom and rabies. Two ambulances are on their way. IDPs are also moving into Bannu in NWFP and Zhob district in Baluchistan, with 1,630 families (12,000 people) and 650 families (4,700 individuals) registered in the two districts respectively, according to local authorities.
Oct 23 2009 1:10PM
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| FINAL STAGE OF UN-ORGANIZED REPATRIATION FROM SENEGAL TO MAURITANIA BEGINS
October 23, 2009 at 11:10 am
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| FINAL STAGE OF UN-ORGANIZED REPATRIATION FROM SENEGAL TO MAURITANIA BEGINS
New York, Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
The last phase of a two-decade-long United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) scheme to voluntarily repatriate Mauritanian refugees in Senegal back to their own country kicked off this week. By the end of December, up to 7,000 refugees are expected to return to Mauritania, wrapping up an organized repatriation programme that began in 1989. This year's returns, which started in January, were suspended between 20 July and 19 October because of the rainy season. Prior to this week's resumption, over 14,000 refugees had returned from Senegal. In 2007, Mauritanian authorities issued a call for their citizens to come home, two decades after they fled to neighbouring Senegal to escape fighting between Negro-African and Moorish communities, according to UNCHR. "Strong support is needed for them to rebuild their lives," <"http://www.unhcr.org/4ae19981a79.html">said UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic. The agency and its partners are helping to reintegrate the returnees by allocating farm land, providing Arabic and French language classes, conducting medical screenings, supplying water and distributing farming supplies, among others. "More challenges must still be addressed before returnees enjoy the same conditions as other Mauritanian citizens, including deficiencies in health, education, water and food security," Mr. Mahecic pointed out. In addition to Mauritanian refugees in Senegal, a recent census found that 8,000 out of 12,000 Mauritanian refugees in Mali have also expressed their desire to possibly return to their home country.
Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
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| UN LAUNCHES 'TOOLBOX' TO HELP NATIONS ENSURE ACCESS TO FOOD AS BASIC HUMAN RIGHT
October 23, 2009 at 11:10 am
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| UN LAUNCHES 'TOOLBOX' TO HELP NATIONS ENSURE ACCESS TO FOOD AS BASIC HUMAN RIGHT
New York, Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
The United Nations today took a step towards helping the billion people around the world suffering from hunger achieve access to adequate food with the publication of a 'how-to' guide providing the tools for governments, institutions and civil society to assert this basic human right. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has released a comprehensive six-volume set of guidelines, which it calls a "toolbox," containing hands-on advice on monitoring the right to adequate food, as well as identifying and classifying vulnerable groups suffering from hunger and food insecurity. There are also a large number of recommendations in the "Right to Food Methodological Toolbox" on planning, implementing and monitoring public allocations and expenditures on food access on a national level. FAO said that the publication comes at a time when scores of countries are seeking a way to incorporate the right to food into their legislations, strategies, policies and programmes. "The right to food is not a utopia," said Barbara Ekwall, FAO's right to food team leader. "It can be realized for every woman, man and child, even in times of crisis." Ms. Ekwall stressed that the legal framework exists in the form of international, regional and national human rights standards, but to "make the right to adequate food a reality for all, action at country level is essential. It is there that the difference will be made for those who are suffering from hunger."
Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
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| UNESCO PARTNERS WITH TRIPADVISOR TO HELP PRESERVE WORLD HERITAGE SITES
October 23, 2009 at 11:10 am
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| UNESCO PARTNERS WITH TRIPADVISOR TO HELP PRESERVE WORLD HERITAGE SITES
New York, Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) has teamed up with TripAdvisor, the largest global online travel community, to mobilize support to preserve natural and cultural sites inscribed on its World Heritage List. "Because of TripAdvisor's excellent reach to their member community, we can, together, raise awareness of World Heritage as well as receive member feedback about sites," said Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. "This certainly helps us flag site issues and provides useful information on how World Heritage travellers engage with the sites and their communities. We are looking forward to partnering with TripAdvisor on this initiative," he added in a <"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46769&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">news release announcing the two-year initiative. TripAdvisor founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kaufer pledged to donate up to $1.5 million over the next two years to help UNESCO's World Heritage Centre monitor the conservation of the 890 natural and cultural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Centre also provides technical and administrative support for States that have ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention, enabling them to translate its provisions into action. "We're calling on the world's largest travel community to help preserve the places around the world that we all love," said Mr. Kaufer. "In support of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, we will give not only dollars but also the collective wisdom and support of TripAdvisor's millions of travellers, and their trusted insights. We're eager to build global awareness about World Heritage sites, and about sustainable and responsible travel." More than 25 million online visitors use its TripAdvisor's websites every month to find and share travel information.
Oct 23 2009 11:10AM
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| Entertainment news: Chris Rock's 'Good Hair' gets tangled up in controversy
October 23, 2009 at 11:00 am
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| Today's News from TheEagle.com
October 23, 2009 at 10:11 am
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| A parcel of pink Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Bryan Collegiate freshman Robert Cardoza carries a Pink Out sign while walking with classmates from the high school to Bryan Radiology as part of the school's annual Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness Rally on Thursday. The students also raised money f ... | | Report critical of chicken plant Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT The Sanderson Farms processing plant near Bryan is the second-worst water polluter in the state, according to a report released this week by an environmental group.Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the nonprofit Environment Texas s ... | | 30 considered for A&M presidency Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Texas A&M has more than 30 candidates for the university's presidency, including nationally recognized names and individuals who have been "highly placed" in federal government, officials said Thursday. Not on the list are Texas Gov. Rick Perry, ... | | Madison County wreck kills 5 CS residents Posted: 23 Oct 2009 01:03 AM PDT Officials said they were investigating a head-on wreck near Normangee Thursday night that killed two adults and three young children from College Station. Amy Wise, 28, of Centerville was driving a 2000 Ford pickup westbound on OSR when she crossed ... | | Property tax bill is coming Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Tax bills should begin arriving in mailboxes next week for about 90,000 Brazos County property owners.Brazos County Tax Assessor-Collector Kristeen Roe said property taxes from the cities of Bryan, College Station and Kurten, along with unincorporate ... | | Man dies after crashing into tree in Cameron, police say Posted: 23 Oct 2009 02:04 AM PDT A 28-year-old man died early Friday in Cameron after his vehicle crashed into a tree, authorities said.A witness told police the man sped past her before crashing into the tree in the city park at the intersection of Fourth Street and Milam Avenue at ... | | Man accused of ramming home, charging at officers with vehicle Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:11 AM PDT Police said a 64-year-old man was taken for a medical evaluation after he rammed a mobile home and then charged at officers with his vehicle in Burleson County Wednesday.Police received a call from a person who lives in the 5100 block of County Road ... | | Club keeps Lights on Afterschool Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Turnout was low for a rally at the Boys and Girls Club of Brazos Valley in Bryan on Thursday, but the kids said they didn't mind -- there was cake, and that made the afternoon special enough for them. Rallies were held at about 7,500 locations across ... | | Taylor man dies in rollover near Rockdale Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:39 AM PDT A 31-year-old Taylor man died early Wednesday after he lost control of his vehicle and was ejected in Milam County, authorities said.Jimmy John Jones was headed south on F.M. 908 near Rockdale around 5 a.m. when his sport utility vehicle left the roa ... | | Ganter bids CS schools farewell Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Ann Ganter retired from the College Station school district Friday after working there for almost 25 years as a teacher and administrator. Ganter started her career with the district as a first-grade teacher. "It was wonderful," she said. "When you t ... | | Activities halted after death Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Prairie View A&M University has suspended all pledging activities because the death of a student may be related to hazing, a university spokesman said.Police said Donnie Wade "experienced difficulty" during an early morning run at a nearby high s ... | | Bryan men charged in shop burglary Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Two Bryan men were in the Robertson County Jail without bail Thursday evening on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary of a building. Robertson County Sheriff Gerald Yezak said a Camp Creek Lake resident returned home around ... | | 3 from CS arrested in drug case Posted: 22 Oct 2009 12:41 PM PDT Three College Station residents are facing multiple charges after police reported finding a variety of drugs during a search of their home. Police obtained a search warrant because they suspected marijuana was in the home of Ryan James Delongchamp, 2 ... | | Honda, shelter to host pet adoptions Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Allen Honda has partnered with the Brazos Animal Shelter to offer a series of free pet adoption days.Shelter animals will be available for adoption at no cost from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 21 at the College Station dealership, 2450 Earl ... | | Bryan cookout to benefit United Way Posted: 22 Oct 2009 12:37 PM PDT The city of Bryan on Friday will host its annual hamburger cookout to benefit United Way of the Brazos Valley.The cookout will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sue Haswell Memorial Park, 1142 E. William Joel Bryan Parkway. Bryan's United Way committ ... | | Bryan man, 25, freed from jail after drug, assault charges Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:41 PM PDT Eagle Staff ReportA 25-year-old Bryan man was released from the Brazos County Jail on Thursday after his arrest on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated and possession of PCP. According to a police report, Robe ... | | Panel moves to shield public Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- A federal agency to regulate home loans, credit cards, savings accounts and other financial services won the approval of a House committee Thursday in spite of loud complaints from banks and businesses.President Barack Obama, who had pr ... | | FDA warns of bogus swine flu claims Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Air "sterilizers." A photon machine. Supplement pills to boost the immune system. Protective shampoos and face masks. Even fake Tamiflu.These and other products making bogus claims to prevent or treat swine flu are flooding the Internet as scam artis ... | | Abused kids from CPS cases dying Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Nearly half of all Texas children killed by abuse belonged to families previously investigated by Texas Child Protective Services -- a statistic that has shown no improvement since 2004 despite efforts to save more children, records show.In hopes of ... | | More than 300 arrested in raids Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT In the largest single strike at Mexican drug operations in the U.S., federal officials on Thursday announced the arrests of more than 300 people in raids across the country aimed at the newest and most violent cartel.La Familia has earned a reputatio ... | | Treasury: Bailed-out firms to slash pay Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department on Thursday ordered seven companies that received billions of dollars in government bailouts to halve total compensation for their top executives. But the big reductions will not apply to pay earned before Novemb ... | | Panel wants NASA to forgo return to moon Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- NASA needs to make a major detour on its grand plans to return astronauts to the moon, a special independent panel told the White House on Thursday.Under current plans, NASA has picked the wrong destination with the wrong rocket, the pa ... | | Weight may set cost of ambulance Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT Ambulance crews are trying to improve how they transport extremely heavy patients, who become significantly more difficult to move as they surpass 350 pounds. Caring for such patients is expensive, requiring costly equipment and extra workers, so som ... | | 3.4% raise for military OK'd Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- Military personnel will get an above-inflation pay raise of 3.4 percent under a Pentagon policy bill the Senate passed Thursday and sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.The pay increase was a half-percentage point more than ... | | Diabetes Complication Causes Memory Problems Posted: 22 Oct 2009 07:11 PM PDT (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Children who suffer a common complication of diabetes may be prone to persistent memory problems, new research shows. Kids who develop diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes that occurs when the body is low in insuli ... |  |
| UN AGENCY CONCERNED OVER FORCED RETURNS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS FROM CENTRAL IRAQ
October 23, 2009 at 10:10 am
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| UN AGENCY CONCERNED OVER FORCED RETURNS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS FROM CENTRAL IRAQ
New York, Oct 23 2009 10:10AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) today expressed its concern that some European nations have recently been forcibly returning asylum-seekers from central Iraq -- which has witnessed serious human rights violations and continuing insecurity.
Agency guidelines issued last April noted that asylum-seekers from Iraq's central governorates should be considered to be in need of international protection."UNHCR therefore advises against involuntary returns to Iraq of persons originating from Central Iraq until there is a substantial improvement in the security and human rights situation in the country," spokesperson Andrej Mahecic <"http://www.unhcr.org/4ae1998e9.html">told reporters. Earlier this month, the United Kingdom tried to forcibly send 44 Iraqi men to Baghdad, but upon arrival in Iraq's capital, authori
ties only accepted 10 of them, while the rest were sent back to the UK and placed in immigration centres. Other European countries have signed re-admissions agreements with Iraq for both voluntary and forced returns. Denmark has forcibly returned 38 people -- mainly from central and southern Iraq -- since signing the agreement in May, while Sweden, another signatory, has sent 250 people back. "UNHCR has also concerns about the safety and dignity of these returns," Mr. Mahecic said. The agency recommended that the protection needs of asylum-seekers from the three northern governorates and from the southern governorates and Al Anbar be assessed on an individual basis. According to a report released yesterday by UNHCR, Iraqis head the list of the growing number of people seeking asylum in industrialized countries again this year, just ahead of people searching for safety from war-torn Afghanistan and Somalia. Some 185,000 asylum-seekers filed applications in the first six months of
2009 across 38 European countries, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea (ROK), representing a 10 per cent increase on the same period last year. The report showed that 13,200 claims came from Iraqis, making it the top country of origin for the fourth successive year, 12,000 came from Afghans and 11,000 from Somalis, as security conditions continued to deteriorate in large parts of those countries. Oct 23 2009 10:10AM
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| BREAKING NEWS ALERT
October 23, 2009 at 9:52 am
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| | IRAN REPORTEDLY REJECTS U.N. PLAN TO SHIP NUCLEAR FUEL TO RUSSIA Read More:
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| UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF HAILS NEW PACT TO PROTECT AFRICA'S DISPLACED
October 23, 2009 at 9:10 am
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| UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF HAILS NEW PACT TO PROTECT AFRICA'S DISPLACED
New York, Oct 23 2009 9:10AM
The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed a new treaty to protect and assist those uprooted from their homes due to conflict and natural disasters in Africa, which accounts for nearly half of the world's 26 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)."The endorsement of the Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa marks a significant step forward in filling the unfortunate vacuum that has traditionally been the lot of internally displaced people," <"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx">said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The new treaty was endorsed today at the special summit of heads of State of the African Union (AU), held in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. "It is very good to see Africa taking a leadership role in creating the first legally-binding instrument to protect and assist internally di
splaced persons across the continent," Ms. Pillay said. Millions of Africans -- in countries such as Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Somalia and Sudan -- are displaced due to conflict and natural disasters. Ms. Pillay noted that people who flee persecution or conflict and cross into another country are categorized as refugees and, as such, benefit from a long-standing international legal protection system, including the 1951 Refugee Convention. "But, until now, internally displaced people have been more or less excluded from the system of international legal protection, even though they are often displaced in exactly the same way, and for exactly the same reasons, as refugees. "At least in Africa, that should no longer be the case," she stated, adding that she hoped the other regions will be inspired to take similar action. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR), the Convention is ground-b
reaking in that it is the first, legally binding instrument to define -- on a continental scale -- the responsibilities that States and even armed groups have to protect and assist their own uprooted citizens. "Beyond armed conflict, the Convention covers major causes of displacement, including obligations that governments have toward their citizens fleeing natural and man-made disasters and people removed from their land when development projects take over," <"http://www.unhcr.org/4ae1998d9.html">said UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic. "People forced to flee will find in the Convention the full range of rights they should be entitled to -- before, during and after displacement." At least 15 AU member States will have to ratify the Convention before it can enter into force. Oct 23 2009 9:10AM
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| Daily Briefing: Hopes buoyed on race, poll finds
October 23, 2009 at 7:41 am
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| Sports Briefing: Angels trim Yankees' lead
October 23, 2009 at 6:03 am
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| 10/23 azcentral.com | asu sports
October 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| 10/23 KPHO.com - Video
October 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| Take Care Clinics Have H1N1 Vaccine
October 22, 2009 at 3:53 pm
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| | Some Walgreens Take Care Clinics have the H1N1 vaccine available. |
| F-16 Makes Hard Landing In Wickenburg
October 22, 2009 at 3:49 pm
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| | Two F-16 pilots are OK after they made a hard landing at Wickenburg Municipal Airport. |
| Cancer Death Spurs Drive To Get Others Screened
October 22, 2009 at 11:44 am
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| | Deron Miller believes early screening would have caught his wife Kim's colon cancer before it was too late. |
| Scam Alert: Fake Antiques
October 22, 2009 at 11:34 am
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| | Investigative reporter Morgan Loew explains one of the latest scams hitting the country. | 
| 10/23 NBA.com - Play of The Day
October 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| Play of the Day
October 21, 2009 at 4:01 pm
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| | Mario Chalmers picks this long pass off like a cornerback and gets it to D. Wade for the finish. | | |  |
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| 10/23 Arizona Cardinals : News
October 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| The Road Less Traveled
October 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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| | Cardinals trying to show they have forged new path away from home |
| A Matter Of Protection
October 22, 2009 at 6:33 pm
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| | Notebook: Keeping Giants off Warner will be crucial for Cards | 
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| 10/23 Phoenix Local News
October 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| CLIMATE CHANGE TO ACCELERATE DISPLACEMENT IN AFRICA, TOP UN OFFICIAL WARNS
October 22, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| CLIMATE CHANGE TO ACCELERATE DISPLACEMENT IN AFRICA, TOP UN OFFICIAL WARNS
New York, Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
Climate change will lead to ever greater numbers of people being uprooted in Africa, the top United Nations humanitarian official said today, calling for enhanced and swift actions to reduce disaster risk and step up mitigation."Too often, the humanitarian implications of climate change and the need for adaptation to the new, more dangerous reality of more frequent and intense natural disasters are forgotten as the world focuses on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said at the African Union (AU) Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kampala, Uganda. Addressing a panel on "Natural Disasters, Climate Change and Food Security," he noted that displacement is prompted by natural disasters and climate change, with the resulting food and water shortages promising to be "one of the greatest – if not the greatest – challenge many countries will face in the years ahead." Many African countries, Mr. Holmes pointed out, have already experienced the effects of more frequent and intense natural hazard events, including floods and storms, brought on by climate change. Last year, there were 104 globally reported natural disaster, 99 per cent of them climate related, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA). The number of people impacted in Africa has doubled in the past two decades, up from 9 million in 1989 to nearly 17 million in 2008. Those most vulnerable to climate change will be hardest hit, Mr. Holmes pointed out, calling for intensive water retention measures in drought-prone areas and other actions to be taken. The AU gathering, which began today, is expected to adopt the Convention on Protection and Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, which would be the first legally-binding regional treaty recognizing the multiple causes of internal displacement and that natural disasters and conflict are drivers of this phenomenon. During his five-day visit to Uganda, Mr. Holmes will also tour areas of the north of the Great Lakes nation where nearly 2 million people have been driven from their homes by over two decades of fighting between the Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
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| HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ADDRESS UN EVENT AS BAN CALLS FOR BROAD-BASED ACTION
October 22, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ADDRESS UN EVENT AS BAN CALLS FOR BROAD-BASED ACTION
New York, Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
The United Nations hosted a special event at its New York Headquarters today for the victims and survivors of human trafficking, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issuing a broad-based call to action for States to tackle the root causes and ensure swift justice against the perpetrators."Our fight against human trafficking is guided by three Ps: prevention, protection and prosecution," he said in an opening <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4177">address at the event at which four survivors bore living witness with accounts of their own horrific plight, including a girl who was abducted at age 14 by Ugandan rebels and kept as a sex slave for eight years. "We must also empower victims. They need support systems, information and education. They need viable ways to earn a living. They also need criminal justice systems to pursue traffickers, and subject them to serious penalties. Conviction rates in most countries are microscopic compared to the scope of the problem. But when States help victims, the victims can help States break up trafficking networks." Mr. Ban cited a litany of abhorrent practices, including debt bondage, forced labour, torture, organ removal, sexual exploitation and slavery-like conditions. "Human trafficking injures, traumatizes and kills individuals. It devastates families and threatens global security," he declared of a worldwide industry that generates billions of dollars in profit at the expense of millions of victims. "Human trafficking touches on many issues, from health and human rights to development and peace and security. Our response must be equally broad, and must tackle this challenge at its roots," he added, noting that the global economic crisis is making the problem worse as jobs and food get scarcer and rising social exclusion makes minorities and women especially vulnerable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, whose office organized the Giving Voice to the Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking Special Event, stressed that persisting economic disparities, conflict and discrimination, particularly against women and migrants, continue to push those least able to protect themselves into dangerous situations from which they cannot escape. Central to the battle "is eradicating discrimination and the unjust distribution of power that underlie trafficking, that grant impunity to traffickers, and that deny justice to victims," she said. "A victim-centred approach to trafficking demands that we listen to the victims and survivors of trafficking. We must use their first-hand insights to craft better and more effective responses." She added that according to international trafficked persons should not be subjected to summary deportations, nor held in detention or prosecuted for immigration or other offences that are a direct outcome of their situation. They should be given the support to recover their dignity and rights and their mobility should not be further curtailed, nor should they be denied the right to make decisions. Victims who addressed the event included Charlotte Awino, abducted at age 14 by Lord's Resistance Army rebels in Uganda and kept as a sex slave for eight years; Buddhi Gurung from Nepal, trafficked for labour to Iraq to work on a United States military base; Kika Cerpa from Venezuela, forced into prostitution by a man she thought of as her boyfriend; and Rachel Lloyd, an activist who survived commercial sexual exploitation as a teenager and started a New York organization to aid girls victimized by sex traffickers. Today's event came on the eve of the presentation to the General Assembly of the latest report on the scourge by UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons Joy Ngozi Ezeilo.
Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
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| UN EXPERT SPOTLIGHTS 'ABYSMAL' HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN DPR KOREA
October 22, 2009 at 6:10 pm
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| UN EXPERT SPOTLIGHTS 'ABYSMAL' HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN DPR KOREA
New York, Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
The human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) remains "abysmal" as a result of the repressive nature of the ruling regime, the independent United Nations expert monitoring the situation in the East Asian nation said in his latest report submitted today."The freedoms from want, from fear, from discrimination, from persecution and from exploitation are regrettably transgressed with impunity by those authorities, in an astonishing setting of abuse after abuse," said Vitit Muntarbhorn, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. "They compromise and threaten not only human rights, but also international peace and security," Mr. Muntarbhorn said in his report to the General Assembly. The report noted that almost 9 million people in the DPRK are suffering from food shortages, with the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) only able to reach fewer than 2 million of the hungry population due to a shortfall in international aid, which the report said is "doubtlessly" influenced by reaction to the Government's nuclear and missile tests. "Food aid is important," Mr. Muntarbhorn told reporters in New York after he addressed the Assembly. "It should be supported bearing in mind that food aid also involves monitoring to ensure accountability. No access, no food." Mr. Muntarbhorn highlighted the fact that the DPRK's export trade last year amounted to several billion dollars, and that the country has a greater abundance of natural resources than its neighbour to the south. "The country is not poor, and yet the money is not spent on the people," he told reporters. "People should be entitled to a fair share of the budget, and the benefits from trade in terms of access to sustainable development." Despite various formal guarantees in their Constitution, the people of the DPRK are subject to "persecution, clampdowns, collective punishment, torture, arbitrary executions, public executions, etc.," said the Special Rapporteur. In addition, the report said that people live in continual fear in a system where citizens are pressured into informing on each other, the State practises extensive surveillance over the population and even officials live in trepidation as their colleagues are encouraged to "whistleblow" on one another. "Throughout the years, the authorities have bred a culture of mistrust and a policy of divide and rule that permeate families and communities," he wrote in the report. The media is also heavily censored, forming the "backbone of an enormous propaganda machine," the report said, adding that reading books from the Republic of Korea (ROK) is punishable as a crime of espionage; computer ownership and use of the Internet without official permission are forbidden; and it is prohibited to watch foreign videos. In his report, the human rights expert makes a number of recommendations to the Government, including measures to ensure effective provision of and access to food in cooperation with UN and other agencies; to address the fear factor in the country by terminating public executions and abuses against security of the person by means of law reform, clearer instructions to law enforcement agencies to respect human rights, and related capacity-building and monitoring of their work to ensure accountability; and to institute a democratic process, shifting the military budget to the social sector. The Rapporteur, who has served in the position since the mandate was established in 2004, will present his final report of his tenure to the Human Rights Council in 2010.
Oct 22 2009 6:10PM
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| NATIONS JOIN FORCES WITH UN TO STAMP OUT RIGHTS ABUSES IN CONFLICT ZONES
October 22, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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| NATIONS JOIN FORCES WITH UN TO STAMP OUT RIGHTS ABUSES IN CONFLICT ZONES
New York, Oct 22 2009 5:10PM
With the worst abuses of human rights by corporations taking place in areas of conflict, an independent United Nations expert today announced that a group of nations is joining forces with the world body to identify how to quash such violations in war zones.Areas wracked by fighting "attract illicit enterprises who treat them as lawless zones," John Ruggie, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, told reporters in New York. Even well-recognized firms can become involved in some of the most serious abuses, including complicity in forced labour and genocide, he added. The first meeting of the more than one dozen nations, to be held next month, will be an informal and off-the-record session to come up with practical administrative and legal measures Mr. Ruggie could then propose to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. The governments will "bring their experiences to the table and we will pick and choose from what makes the most sense," he said. Countries that have agreed to take part include Brazil, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Nigeria, Norway, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom and the United States. On criticism over the actions of Chinese firms in Africa and Latin America, Mr. Ruggie likened their situation to that of North American mining companies when they first entered the Andean region. "Their operations were run by cowboys who thought they'd never left Denver or Calgary and they did a miserable job and made a mess of things," but ultimately they were forced to change their practices, he said. "My aim in this project is to shorten the learning curve significantly and to make sure that everybody does learn." The mandate of Mr. Ruggie, who was first appointed to his role in 2005, includes operationalizing a three-pronged framework which emphasizes the need for the State to protect against rights abuses by third parties; corporations' responsibilities to respect human rights; and access to remedies, be they judicial or mediation services.
Oct 22 2009 5:10PM
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| MYANMAR: UN EXPERT URGES RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS BEFORE ELECTIONS
October 22, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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| MYANMAR: UN EXPERT URGES RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS BEFORE ELECTIONS
New York, Oct 22 2009 5:10PM
An independent United Nations expert has called on Myanmar's Government to release all political prisoners before the national elections planned for 2010 so that the polls can be as inclusive as possible. "I told the Government that these elections should be fair and transparent, that freedom of speech, movement and association should be guaranteed in the country, and of course that all prisoners of conscience should be released before those elections," Tomás Ojea Quintana told a news conference in New York. In his most recent report on the issue, Mr. Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said the Government missed an opportunity to prove its commitment to holding inclusive elections by extending the house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, effectively barring her from participating in next year's polls. Earlier today he told the General Assembly committee dealing with social and humanitarian issues, also known as the Third Committee, that all political prisoners should be released to be able to participate, either as candidates or voters, in the elections – which the Government announced as the fifth step in its seven-step roadmap to democracy. Last year the Special Rapporteur proposed that four core human rights elements be completed before the 2010 elections. He again urged the Government to implement the elements, which are the revision of domestic laws that limit fundamental rights, the progressive release of the estimated 2,000 prisoners of conscience still in detention, the reform and training of the military so that it conforms with human rights, and changes to the judiciary so that it is fully independent. He reported that the situation of human rights in Myanmar remains "alarming," with "a pattern of widespread and systematic violations." In addition, the prevailing impunity allowed for the continued of those violations. "I urge the Government to take prompt measures to establish accountability and responsibility with regard to those widespread and systematic human rights violations." Mr. Quintana also referred to the "starvation situation" in many parts of the country – including Kayin, North Rakhine, Chin, North Shan and East Shan states – and reports of "dire" economic and social conditions. He said he has asked the Government and the international community to try to find solutions to tackle poverty in the country. Mr. Quintana, who has visited Myanmar twice since being appointed Special Rapporteur in May 2008, announced he will make his trip by the end of November. Like all Special Rapporteurs, he reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity.
Oct 22 2009 5:10PM
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| UNDERMANNED UN MISSION IN CHAD FACES FURTHER TEMPORARY CUTS
October 22, 2009 at 4:10 pm
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| UNDERMANNED UN MISSION IN CHAD FACES FURTHER TEMPORARY CUTS
New York, Oct 22 2009 4:10PM
The United Nations force seeking to provide security in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad, already at barely half its mandated strength, will be further constrained in the coming months due to the departure of some units, a top UN official warned today."While <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minurcat/">MINURCAT is developing measures to ensure the continuation of operations in all sectors, the capacities of the force will be stretched," UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Edmund Mulet <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9771.doc.htm">told the Security Council, using the acronym of the mission set up two years ago to protect civilians and assist the distribution of aid for thousands of people uprooted by inter-ethnic conflict and the spill-over of fighting from Sudan's neighbouring Darfur region. "We continue to do everything possible to expedite the deployment of all pledged contingents," he said, noting that MINURCAT at present comprised only 2,750 troops, or 53 per cent of its authorized strength, due to difficulties faced by some contributing countries in acquiring and transporting equipment. This is all the more critical since replacements for departing engineering and transport units are only scheduled to arrive between December and March, he added. Mr. Mulet said that despite the challenges, the mission had continued to build confidence through high-profile operations to deter criminality and provide a security umbrella, particularly for humanitarian aid, including a UN initiative to combat sexual violence by promoting the enforcement of legislation in line with international human rights. He noted the expressed desire of the Chadian and Sudanese Governments to restore confidence but added: "Progress to normalize relations between Chad and Sudan must be matched by efforts to address the internal conflicts prevailing in both Sudan and Chad." In his latest report to the Council released earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that continuing tensions between Chad and Sudan have stalled regional peace efforts, prolonging the humanitarian crisis in both nations. Mr. Mulet welcomed the establishment of an independent electoral body to oversee elections in Chad, and announced that UN agencies would soon begin discussions with the Government on the electoral process. On CAR he said the situation had stabilized to a degree but remained unpredictable as the underlying causes of insecurity, notably inter-ethnic tensions, had not been resolved.
Oct 22 2009 4:10PM
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| PREPARATIONS FOR AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF IN FULL SWING, UN MISSION REPORTS
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| PREPARATIONS FOR AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF IN FULL SWING, UN MISSION REPORTS
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
Ballot papers have been printed and delivered, polling stations kits have been packed and distribution began today as preparations got under way for the second round of voting in Afghanistan's presidential election, the United Nations mission there reported.President Hamid Karzai will face former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah in the 7 November run-off, which was announced earlier this week after the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) found evidence of fraud in the first round of voting. The preparations are being carried out by Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC), which organized the presidential and provincial council elections of 20 August. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://unama.unmissions.org/default.aspx?/">UNAMA) said the world body will offer every support to Afghanistan's electoral institutions to ensure a credible final result that is accepted and faithfully reflects the will of the people, adding that the country's voters deserve nothing less. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters on Tuesday that the UN will advise the IEC not to re-recruit those officials who might have been involved in fraudulent electoral processes, as one way to ensure that the run-off takes place in a free, fair, transparent and secure environment. "Having learned lessons from the first elections [round], that there was widespread fraud and irregularities, we will try our best, in close coordination with the Afghan leadership and Afghan institutions, and other major international partners, to make this election as fair and free of fraud [as possible]," he stated. In a related development, Mr. Ban has decided to temporarily dispatch Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, Director of the Asia and Middle East Division in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), to Afghanistan to work with the UN's top envoy, Kai Eide. Mr. Weisbrod-Weber will serve as the acting Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, with responsibility for political affairs.
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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| PROPERTY ISSUES AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS THE FOCUS OF LATEST UN-BACKED TALKS ON CYPRUS
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| PROPERTY ISSUES AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS THE FOCUS OF LATEST UN-BACKED TALKS ON CYPRUS
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders have discussed property rights and external relations during the latest two days of United Nations-backed talks aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island.Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat held a tête-à-tête for two hours today in the UN Protected Area in Nicosia, focusing largely on property rights. Yesterday they held several hours of discussion on the issue of external relations, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser Alexander Downer told journalists. Mr. Downer said the two leaders have agreed to meet again next Tuesday to talk about the competencies of a federal government and also continue their discussions on external relations. He characterized this week's talks as useful. Last year Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat committed themselves to working towards "a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions." That partnership would comprise a Federal Government with a single international personality, along with a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, which would be of equal status. A UN peacekeeping force known as <"http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1">UNFICYP has been in place on the island of Cyprus since 1964, following the outbreak of inter-communal violence.
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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| SENIOR UN OFFICIAL ON TWO-DAY VISIT TO REINFORCE PEACE-BUILDING IN SIERRA LEONE
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| SENIOR UN OFFICIAL ON TWO-DAY VISIT TO REINFORCE PEACE-BUILDING IN SIERRA LEONE
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
A senior United Nations official is on a two-day visit to Sierra Leone for wide-ranging talks on the situation in a country that was the first to be put on the agenda of the new UN Peacebuilding Commission, set up three years ago to prevent conflict-plagued States from relapsing into bloodshed.Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Judy Cheng-Hopkins' visit comes a little over a month after the top UN official in the West African nation warned that the journey towards a stable, peaceful and democratic country would will be bumpy, long, and even dangerous despite remarkable progress made since the end of a civil war earlier this decade. She will meet with Government and UN officials as well as other stakeholders including civil society groups in a country that provides a good case study for examining the work of the UN in peacebuilding. In September, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Executive Representative for Sierra Leone Michael Schulenberg told the Security Council the country needs time, patience, determined national leadership and continued international support. "We must anticipate accidents, derailments and mistakes along this road… there are no easy benchmarks that will tell us that Sierra Leone is out of the woods," he said, noting that the country is one of the poorest in the world, does not have a large educated middle class, and over 70 per cent of the population remains illiterate. State institutions, moreover, remain weak and the nation's journey towards prosperity is taking place in a "difficult" regional environment, with the political and security situation in West Africa remaining "highly precarious" amid worrying signs of military coups, ethnic and inter-religious conflicts, and threats from illicit drug trafficking and international crime, he added. In October 2006, at its first ever country-specific meeting, the Peacebuilding Commission recommended Sierra Leone for support from the newly established Peacebuilding Fund, set up a week earlier to assist countries emerging from conflict to rebuild and prevent them falling back into bloodshed. Last month the Security Council extended for another year the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) after Mr. Ban stressed in his latest report that greater efforts are needed by all Sierra Leoneans to build on momentum from a key peace pact signed in April between the governing All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) to end political violence.
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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| CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN ENVOY APPEALS FOR NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO KEEP ON TRACK
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN ENVOY APPEALS FOR NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO KEEP ON TRACK
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
The top United Nations envoy to the Côte d'Ivoire today called on the West African nation to build on momentum towards holding its much-delayed presidential elections, slated for the end of next month. In a bid to give new impetus to efforts to stage Côte d'Ivoire's elections, originally scheduled for as far back as 2005 and are now planned for 29 November, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Young-Jin Choi met with the President of neighbouring Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, who is the Facilitator of the Ivorian Dialogue. After the meeting in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, Mr. Choi welcomed the progress made so far in resolving some of the issues surrounding the stalled polls. Mr. Choi, who heads the UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI), also highlighted the challenges which remain, especially the posting of the provisional electoral list and underscored the urgent need to find a compromise on the issue. The names of more than 2.75 million people who had registered during the identification and voter registration process have subsequently disappeared. Mr. Choi was accompanied at the meeting by UNOCI's Force Commander, General Fernand Marcel Amoussou, and the Chief of the mission's Electoral Assistance Division, Ahmedou El Becaye Seck.
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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| BLUE HELMETS BRING DEADLY TRIBAL VIOLENCE UNDER CONTROL IN DARFUR
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| BLUE HELMETS BRING DEADLY TRIBAL VIOLENCE UNDER CONTROL IN DARFUR
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
Peacekeepers serving with the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Sudan's war-wracked Darfur region have intervened in deadly tribal clashes, bringing the situation under control, it was announced today.The fighting between the Zaghawa and Birgid tribes near Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur state killed two people, with six people from both sides sustaining injuries. Four people who were critically wounded were taken by helicopter to El Fasher by the mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID, for treatment at a Government hospital. UNAMID attributes the fighting to disputes over access to water, and as a temporary solution, the mission has made arrangements to supply water to the communities. Since January 2008, UNAMID has been trying to quell the violence in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million others displaced as a result of conflict pitting rebels against the Government and its allied Janjaweed militiamen since 2003. Earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined other UN officials in welcoming the release of two female aid workers who were abducted in Darfur over three months ago.
The Irish and Ugandan staffers, Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, were kidnapped by a group of armed men on 2 July while working for the international non-governmental organization (NGO) known as GOAL in North Darfur. In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4171">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban commended "the thousands of humanitarian personnel working in Sudan for their critical efforts."
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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| SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR REDOUBLED EFFORTS ON ISSUES PENDING SINCE 1990 GULF WAR
October 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR REDOUBLED EFFORTS ON ISSUES PENDING SINCE 1990 GULF WAR
New York, Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
The Security Council today called on Iraq and Kuwait to redouble their efforts in the search for persons and property missing since the 1990 Gulf war, noting limited progress on this matter in recent months. Progress on this front "would further strengthen existing friendly relations between Iraq and Kuwait," the 15-member body said in a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Le Luong Minh of Viet Nam, which holds the Council presidency this month. "The members of the Security Council noted that limited progress had been made on the identification of human remains," he said. They also took note that no progress had been made on clarifying the fate of the Kuwaiti national archives, he added. Nevertheless, the Council welcomed the return by the Iraqi Government of currency and postage stamps to Kuwait. "The members of the Security Council also welcomed the Iraqi Government's Action Plan on reconnaissance activities, including sending technical teams to burial sites and their preparation for exhumations, and looked forward to its implementation in the coming months." The statement followed the Council's closed-door meeting with Ambassador Gennady Tarasov, the Secretary-General's High-Level Coordinator for the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and the repatriation of Kuwaiti property. Mr. Tarasov briefed Council members on the Secretary-General's latest report, in which he notes that recent months have brought about some "initial indications of movement" on the issue. "Progress remains fragile, however. The main task of discovering and identifying the victims and, finally, closing their files lies ahead," Mr. Ban wrote, adding that this objective can be achieved only through increased cooperation between the two countries.
In its statement, the Council also voiced support for the Secretary-General's proposal for a "confidence- and cooperation-building period," to further encourage the parties to achieve progress. It also agreed to finance the continuation of the activities of the High-Level Coordinator for an additional eight months.
Oct 22 2009 3:10PM
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