QUALITY HEALTH CARE KEY TO AVERTING UNNECESSARY DEATHS IN CHILDBIRTH, SAYS BAN New York, Oct 8 2009 7:10PM Investing in quality health care in poor countries can make a dramatic difference to the survival rates of the estimated 500,000 women worldwide who die each year while giving birth, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an address this evening spotlighting the need to support the work of the United Nations Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/public/">UNFPA).
"Pregnancy and childbirth are inherently dangerous," Mr. Ban told the Americans for UNFPA Gala for the Health and Dignity of Women, held in New York. "Even a woman with access to the best possible services has no guarantee of an easy delivery, free of complications. But she and her baby are much, much more likely to survive."
Mr. Ban underscored his point by noting that less than one in 17,000 women in Sweden dies in childbirth, while in Sierra Leone, the number rises to one in eight.
Statistics from 2005 indicate that more than 500,000 women die each year from complications as a result of childbirth, with almost all of these deaths occurring in developing countries.
The quality of care and the placing of maternal health as a priority can mean the difference between life and death for women delivering a baby, said Mr. Ban, praising the audience for standing up for a woman's right to reproductive health care and for backing their calls with funding.
"You are all champions of women," he said. "You have supported UNFPA in good times and in bad. The resources you raise save lives. Your moral and political backing is just as valuable." Oct 8 2009 7:10PM ________________
NEW UN SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS DEAL BOOSTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY EFFORTS New York, Oct 8 2009 5:10PM In a bid to strengthen emergency communications before impending natural disasters strike and to save more lives by better coordinating relief efforts in their aftermath, the United Nations has teamed up with two leading global satellite companies, the UN telecommunications agency announced today.
Inmarsat and Vizada have agreed to donate 70 state-of-the-art and highly portable satellite devices – capable of delivering voice and broadband data wherever disasters take place – to the International Telecommunications Union (<"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/42.html">ITU).
ITU will receive preferential airtime rates and technical training support as part of the agreement, the UN agency said.
"This partnership builds on our long-standing cooperation and comes at a critical time when many countries are being affected by disasters resulting in thousands of people losing their lives," said Sami Al Basheer, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.
"When everything else fails, satellite communications provides a critical link for humanitarian agencies and victims," Mr. Al Basheer noted in a statement, welcoming the deal.
Cosmas Zavazava, ITU's Chief of Emergency Telecommunications, said that the agency "continues to attract partners committed to using technology to save lives. This people-oriented partnership is one such example."
Mr. Zavazava said that following the launch of an ITU initiative to enhance cooperation in the telecommunications field, industry leaders in technology, financing and air freight services are now able to rally around the agency's rapid response efforts, "helping countries hit by disasters through the use of information communications technology (ICT) when terrestrial networks are disrupted or destroyed."
In a related development, 19 chief technical officers (CTOs) <"http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/43.html">called on the ITU to lead efforts in overhauling global ICT standards in a meeting at the Geneva-based agency's headquarters on Tuesday.
The CTOs agreed on a set of recommendations to better address the evolving needs of the fast-moving ICT industry, including facilitating the launch of new products, services and applications; promoting cost-effective solutions; combating climate change; and greater inclusion of developing countries in creating standards. Oct 8 2009 5:10PM ________________
UN AID CHIEF ARRIVES IN YEMEN TO CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR 150,000 DISPLACED PERSONS New York, Oct 8 2009 5:10PM The top United Nations humanitarian official arrived in Yemen today in a bid to garner support for some 150,000 people driven from their homes by an armed conflict between Government forces and a rebel militia that first erupted in 2004.
"Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the latest wave of fighting in northern Yemen alone, and the number is growing daily," said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes at the start of a three-day mission to the country.
"I am here to see the situation for myself and galvanize support for the men, women and children whose lives have been overturned by this conflict," added Mr. Holmes, who also heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA).
The $23.7-million Yemen 'flash appeal' to fund immediate, life-saving activities has only received 16 per cent of the amount requested more than a month after it was launched, with another $3.5 million pledged.
"The money is simply not coming in fast enough to meet the requirements," said Mr. Holmes, urging donors to increase contributions. "The UN Central Emergency Response Fund [CERF] has already allocated over $7 million towards projects in Yemen this year and could do more but individual donors need to step up too."
During his mission, Mr. Holmes will visit one of the five makeshift camps established to shelter internally displaced persons (IDPs), and meet with high-level Government representatives and humanitarian workers to explore ways to improve the emergency relief response.
Recent assessments in the IDP camps show that the most urgent needs are for shelter, food, water and sanitation. In addition, communities that have been hosting IDPs and residents who have lost access to basics such as water, food, and health care also require support.
As well as support from the international community for the emergency relief aid effort, Mr. Holmes called for improved access to IDPs to help the agencies overcome some of the intense challenges they face on the ground. Oct 8 2009 5:10PM ________________
CÔTE D'IVOIRE: UN LEGAL TEAM ASSESSES PRISONS AND JUDICIARY New York, Oct 8 2009 5:10PM United Nations legal experts are on a 10-day visit to Côte d'Ivoire to study the West African country's implementation of national laws and its prison administration as well as the judiciary's interaction with other sectors of society.
Yesterday, the two experts from the UN Department Operations Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Agneta Johnson and Gwendolyn Chellam, went to the western region to discuss the redeployment of judicial and prison authorities across the country following years of tensions in the wake of a political and military crisis.
The UN Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (<"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI) says the visit will enable the UN and the international community, which has contributed to the reorganization of the judicial and prison sectors, to assess the progress achieved and the challenges remaining to be addressed.
UNOCI was set up in 2004 to help ensure a ceasefire and pave the way for permanent peace and democratic elections after civil war split the country into a Government-ruled south and a rebel-controlled north seven years ago. Reauthorized repeatedly since then, most recently until 31 January 2010, it currently comprises nearly 8,400 uniformed personnel, as well as 407 international civilian staff.
Earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Young-Jin Choi warned that technical difficulties might yet again delay the country's long-awaited presidential elections, which were to have been held as far back as 2005 and are now scheduled for 29 November. Oct 8 2009 5:10PM ________________
DR CONGO: UN RESTARTS STALLED REINTEGRATION OF ETHNIC FIGHTERS New York, Oct 8 2009 4:10PM A United Nations assessment team has succeeded in restarting the disarmament and integration of some ethnic fighters into the national army in strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after they rejected the process or set preconditions.
The discussions led the Mai Mai Yakutumba to drop some preconditions, ironed out misunderstanding and resulted in the release by both the Yakutumba and another armed group, Forces républicaines fédéralistes (FRF), of more than 450 combatants for integration, according to the UN Mission in the DRC, known as <"http://monuc.unmissions.org/">MONUC.
The Mission said the assessment was motivated by the reservations of some armed ethnic groups about disarming at a time of robust military operations by the UN and the national army against Rwandan Hutu rebel Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) in the Kivu provinces.
"The issues of function and rank, as a precondition posed by armed groups for their integration, are being sorted out gradually, which explains the over-enthusiasm shown by the ex-combatants for their integration," Major-General Dieudonné Amuli, a UN military coordinator said, noting that more combatants continue to arrive for integration.
The delegation, led by the new MONUC Coordinator for eastern DRC, Christian Manahl, met with local civilian and military actors as well as representatives of the Mai Mai Yakutumba, a signatory to peace accords on reintegration signed earlier this year with several rebel groups. The Yakutumba claimed credit for leading military operations against the FDLR in the Fizi region of South Kivu, which was previously under its control.
Maj.-Gen. Amuli said that combatants with weapons in North and South Kivu are immediately integrated into local units, while those without weapons are dispatched to a MONUC training centre for standard integration.
The Mai Mai Yakutumba armed group requested MONUC's assistance to transform into a political party and the Mission insisted on the importance of reconciliation between communities. Mr. Manahl highlighted that MONUC was ready to help as far as possible to help resolve inter-community tensions.
While much of the DRC has returned to relative calm after years of civil war, fighting has continued in the east, where an estimated 1.7 million people remain displaced in the provinces of North and South Kivu, with more than 400,000 persons having fled their homes since January. Oct 8 2009 4:10PM ________________
EXPERIENCED UN OFFICIAL SELECTED TO LEAD EFFORTS TO RESOLVE WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE New York, Oct 8 2009 3:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today that he intends to appoint a highly experienced United Nations official as the head of the Organization's efforts to resolve the long-running dispute over the status of Western Sahara.
Hany Abdel-Aziz of Egypt, who has 25 years of experience with the world body, will become the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Western Sahara and the head of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (known as <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/minurso/">MINURSO).
Mr. Ban said he has informed the Security Council of his plan to appoint Mr. Abdel-Aziz, who will succeed Julian Harston, now serving as Director of the UN Office in Belgrade, Serbia.
Currently the Director of Mission Support for the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known as <"http://monuc.unmissions.org/">MONUC), Mr. Abdel-Aziz has also worked for the UN – mostly in administrative roles – in posts in Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR), Lebanon, Iraq, Burundi, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mr. Ban "is grateful both to Mr. Harston and to Major General Jingmin Zhao of China, who has been fulfilling the responsibilities of Officer-in-Charge of the Mission for the past seven months, for their dedication and tireless work in fulfilling those responsibilities," his spokesperson said.
The conflict began when fighting broke out between Morocco and the Frente Polisario after Spain's colonial administration of Western Sahara ended in 1976. MINURSO is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire reached in September 1991 and organizing a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara.
Morocco has presented a plan for autonomy, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the territory's final status should be decided in a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an option.
The two sides have had several rounds of talks recently under the leadership of Christopher Ross, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy. Oct 8 2009 3:10PM ________________
UN REFUGEE AGENCY ENTERS FACEBOOK CONTEST TO WIN FUNDS FOR DISPLACED SOMALIS New York, Oct 8 2009 3:10PM The United Nations refugee agency is harnessing the ever expanding world of cyberspace to raise funds, entering a challenge on a Facebook platform that could net $50,000 to help forcibly displaced Somalis.
Under "America's Giving Challenge" on Facebook's Causes application, the organization which inspires most people to donate to their cause over 30 days, regardless of the dollar amount, will receive the top prize of $50,000 – with a second prize worth $25,000 and $10,000 each for those placing third to seventh. The challenge, sponsored by The Case Foundation and <i>Parade</i> magazine, will also be giving out daily prizes.
"We will encourage our supporters on social media to help us raise money for the tens of thousands who have been forced from their homes in Somalia by donating and asking friends, family and colleagues to join in," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/4acdd9036.html">UNHCR) fund-raising officer Suzanne Tremblay said.
Somalia has been plagued by violence for almost two decades and hundreds of thousands have fled overseas or sought refuge in other parts of their country. Each year, tens of thousands risk their lives by crossing the Gulf of Aden on smugglers' boats to reach Yemen.
UNHCR is asking donors to help displaced Somalis by contributing through its Gimme Shelter Cause on Facebook. This is linked to the Gimme Shelter campaign launched almost a year ago with the help of the United States actor Ben Affleck and the Rolling Stones to raise funds and awareness about the forcibly displaced around the world.
The Gimme Shelter Cause was launched on Facebook earlier this year and has raised almost $60,000 from 135,000 members in the past six months. UNHCR invites all Facebook members to contribute to the Gimme Shelter Cause and help the refugee agency be among the top non-profit causes on its application during October. Oct 8 2009 3:10PM ________________
UN OFFICIAL SEEKS TO DEFUSE TENSION AT HOLY SITE IN JERUSALEM New York, Oct 8 2009 2:10PM A senior United Nations official today visited Jerusalem's Harem Al Sharif/Temple Mount compound, a site holy to both Jews and Muslims, in a bid to defuse tensions, calling for an immediate end to all provocations following recent clashes in the city.
"We cannot allow a further outbreak of violence or let extremists set the agenda," UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry said after the visit as a guest of Muslim religious authorities.
"This holy city is important to both Israelis and Palestinians, and to people of three great faiths. Incitement from any quarter regarding holy sites, as well as provocative actions in East Jerusalem, do not serve the sanctity of the city or the cause of peace, and must stop."
Mr. Serry conveyed his assessment of the situation to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.
He said that from his visit and contacts it was clear that the situation was not yet resolved although tensions had somewhat eased, with everyone assuring him of their desire to see calm restored. "I trust that we will see immediate practical steps of de-escalation on the ground and messages of calm and responsibility in public statements," he added.
He stressed that the way forward is for all parties to fulfil their commitments to the internationally endorsed Roadmap calling for two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace, and to resume final status negotiations on all core issues, including the final status of Jerusalem.
"Only this offers a route to lasting peace for both peoples and this holy city," he concluded. Oct 8 2009 2:10PM ________________
AFGHANISTAN: BAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS DEADLY SUICIDE BLAST IN CAPITAL New York, Oct 8 2009 2:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today spoke out against the suicide bombing in Afghanistan this morning that reportedly killed 17 people and injured another 80.
In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, the Secretary-General said he "strongly condemns the senseless attack that took place in Kabul today, in the vicinity of the Indian Embassy and the Afghan Ministry of the Interior."
Mr. Ban offered his "deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and his best wishes for a swift recovery to those that were injured."
The Secretary-General's Special Representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, also issued a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4143">statement deploring the attack, the fifth such explosion in the capital since August.
"I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims," said Mr. Eide. Oct 8 2009 2:10PM ________________
SUCCESSFUL CLIMATE DEAL HANGS ON EMISSIONS CUTS AND FINANCING – UN OFFICIAL New York, Oct 8 2009 2:10PM A successful new climate change deal hinges on industrialized nations committing to ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets and reaching agreement on financing to help poor countries adapt, a senior United Nations official said today.
The latest round of negotiations in Bangkok, Thailand, held ahead of the UN conference in Copenhagen in December when nations are expected to reach a new agreement, have resulted in "real advances" against a backdrop of a "spirit of cooperation" towards adaptation programmes and cooperation on technology, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/meetings/intersessional/bangkok_09/items/4967.php">UNFCCC), told reporters.
"But you can only take good faith so far," he stressed.
The "stark reality," the official said, is that there has not been similar progress on setting developing nations' emissions reductions targets and a lack of clarity on financial support that is crucial for developing countries to both adapt to and mitigate global warming.
Poorer nations have been "engaging very constructively over the past two weeks to put real meat on the bones of an agreed outcome in Copenhagen, to enhance and advance the Kyoto Protocol," the 1997 emissions treaty whose first commitment period ends in 2012, he noted.
However, "we're not seeing an advance on the key political issues," Mr. de Boer underscored, making it difficult for negotiations to proceed.
Some 4,000 people – including government delegates from nearly 180 countries and representatives from the private sector and environmental organizations – are in Bangkok for the two-week talks.
After those discussions wrap up tomorrow, there will only be five negotiating days left before the start of the Copenhagen summit. That last pre-Copenhagen round of negotiations will be held in Barcelona, Spain, next month.
The current talks in the Thai capital come shortly after last month's high-level summit, the largest ever on climate change, which was convened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN Headquarters in New York.
That event drew some 100 heads of State and government who issued a call for a comprehensive pact to be reached in Copenhagen. The leaders also stressed the need to boost action to help the world's most vulnerable and poorest adapt to global warming, as well as the importance of industrialized countries agreeing on ambitious emissions reduction targets.
"Your words have been heard around the world. Let your actions now be seen. There is little time left. The opportunity and responsibility to avoid catastrophic climate change is in your hands," Mr. Ban said at the end of the summit, which he convened in a bid to mobilize political will ahead of the Copenhagen meeting. Oct 8 2009 2:10PM ________________
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The masterful 'Mentalist' Last season's sole breakout hit, The Mentalist returned for a second season this fall with a higher-profile time slot and higher expectations to match. Read more
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UN EXPERT PRESSES UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO END BIGOTRY AGAINST FOREIGNERS New York, Oct 8 2009 1:10PM An independent United Nations human rights expert today <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/CBFE7875F3132506C1257649004FD2A2?opendocument">urged the United Arab Emirates to push ahead with creating robust legal institutions and laws to combat racism aimed at foreign migrant populations, who form the majority in the Persian Gulf nation.
Githu Muigai, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, wrapped up a five-day visit to the UAE by welcoming the steps the Government has taken until now to address racism in the country.
However, he voiced a number of concerns over UAE's policy on granting citizenship, the working and living conditions of construction and domestic workers, the situation of "Bidoons" or stateless persons, the victims of human trafficking, as well as the Emirati public education system which seems to be hampering the integration of foreigners in the society.
"The United Arab Emirates is a unique country, where non-nationals constitute the vast majority of the population and where nationals represent a minority in their own country," said Mr. Muigai.
"The influx of foreigners which has been supported by the Government to satisfy the demands of a fast-growing economy has contributed to the building of the country in a positive manner," he said. "Yet it has created tremendous challenges for the Emirati society in terms of national identity, social integration and capacity of absorption."
The Special Rapporteur encouraged the Government to strengthen efforts to end discrimination on the grounds of national or ethnic origin, which often prevents individuals from receiving equal pay for equal work, as well as equality before the law.
Mr. Muigai reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity, as do all Special Rapporteurs. Oct 8 2009 1:10PM ________________
SPEEDY FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SOMALIA VITAL TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, UN WARNS New York, Oct 8 2009 1:10PM There is slow but notable progress towards stability in strife-torn Somalia, but international financial support for the transitional government is vital, with speed being the most critical element, the United Nations political chief said today.
"Money received today in Somalia will have far greater impact on stability than that which arrives in three months' time," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council, adding that the "extremely generous pledges" of $200 million made earlier this year need to be fulfilled immediately.
At the same time, he said, the humanitarian situation has "worsened dramatically" over the past three months due to intensified fighting in Mogadishu, the capital, growing insecurity in much of southern and central Somalia, and deepening drought.
Some 3.7 million people – or about 50 per cent of the population – are now in need of livelihood and humanitarian aid, up from 3.2 million in January.
Presenting Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report, he noted that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) had overcome repeated attacks by foreign-funded and heavily armed groups, and that the African Union (AU) and its crucial peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, remained fully committed to bringing peace and stability to a country that has known little of either for the past two decades.
Beyond the international trust for financial support, he suggested that development partners start direct bilateral economic and financial cooperation with the TFG, and he stressed the "urgent need" to provide additional resources for AMISOM, which has some 5,200 troops stationed in Mogadishu, 65 per cent of its mandated strength of 8,000.
Craig Boyd, Director of the UN Support Office for AMISOM, told the Council that contributions to an AMISOM trust fund now stood at almost $25 million, 80 per cent of the total pledged, up from $15 million in July.
Mr. Boyd stressed growing UN services for the force, including the provision of a strategic communications network, increased freight shipping from Kenya, and the prompt arrangement of evacuation flights, ambulances and hospitalizations when AMISOM's headquarters was attacked last month.
Mr. Pascoe noted that the UN and the international community supported the TFG's openness to talks with all parties ready to commit to peace, and the world body is increasing the visits of senior political officials to Mogadishu.
He also praised the role of international navies in combating piracy, the bane of international shipping off Somalia's coast, and stressed the need to cut off the source for the scourge. "It is critical that we strengthen the central Government and the regional authorities and help provide economic opportunities for fishing communities and other rural populations," he said.
"After years of conflict, peace will not come to Somalia overnight," he concluded of a country that has not had a functioning central government and has been riven by sectarian and clan factions since 1991.
"Stability must be promoted, national and external spoilers must be neutralized. Targeted sanctions can be one effective way to deal with the spoilers. At the same time, our approach must be flexible enough to allow those who have changed course and are now committed to peace to be removed from the sanctions list." Oct 8 2009 1:10PM ________________
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By Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY Funny how a pair of smartphones from the same handset maker come across so differently. The Hero from Sprint is generally a pleasure to use and a credible new rival against BlackBerrys and iPhones. AT&T's Pure, on the other hand, reminds me of cranky child. The two phones are sired by HTC of Taiwan. Read more
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UN MISSION IN DR CONGO LAUNCHES CHILD PROTECTION CAMPAIGN IN STRIFE-RIDDEN PROVINCE New York, Oct 8 2009 12:10PM The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has launched a child protection campaign in a war-ravaged eastern province of the African nation.
The UN mission, known by its French acronym as MONUC, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and local authorities expect the initiative, focused in north-eastern Oriental province, to sensitize the public to the rights of children and create a protective environment for them.
Using various media outlets, the campaign plans to flood the public with broadcast and published messages on children's rights until 20 November, marking Universal Children's Day.
<"http://monuc.unmissions.org/">MONUC kicked off the campaign yesterday in the city of Kisangani with a two-day sensitization session for 30 journalists on the rights of the child under international and national law.
In March, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) reported that in a six month period almost 1,000 Congolese had been murdered by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and some 750 abducted, the vast majority of them children, whom the group is notorious for forcing into combat or utilizing as sex slaves.
Mr. Ba underscored the importance of the targeting the media in the campaign, saying that journalists "are capable of distributing messages to the general public that encourage the development of attitudes and behaviours favourable to the respect of children's rights."
The initiative includes several other sensitization training and workshop sessions for different civil society groups, and will end next month with organized exhibitions and activities with and for children. Oct 8 2009 12:10PM ________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 8, 2009 EPA Awards Competitive Grants for Students to Design Sustainable Technologies that Help Environment and Economy
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded 43 grants to teams of college and university students across the country who will design creative technologies to sustainability challenges in the developed and developing world. The People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Phase I awards for the 2009-2010 competition challenges students, working together on interdisciplinary teams, to design and build sustainable technologies that improve quality of life, promote economic development, and protect the environment.
The competition begins in Phase I with the award of $10,000 grants to student teams who submit applications that focus on a wide range of categories, including water, energy, agriculture, built environment, materials and chemicals, and information technology. After working on the project for eight months, the teams will bring their designs to the 6th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At the Expo, the projects will be judged by a panel of experts and a select few will be awarded P3 Awards and Phase II grants up to $75,000for students to further their designs, implement them in the field, or move them to the marketplace.
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TOP UN AIDS OFFICIAL URGES INDIA NOT TO WAVER IN FIGHT AGAINST EPIDEMIC New York, Oct 8 2009 11:10AM The role of India's political leadership is vital to ensure that the country with the highest number of HIV-infected people in Asia achieves its goals of universal access to prevention, care and treatment by 2010, according to a top United Nations AIDS official.
Making his first visit to the world's second most populous country in his official capacity, Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp">UNAIDS) Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with Indians ministers and other officials, congratulating the Government for the progress made in its response to HIV.
He praised the results achieved by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in expanding access to treatment beyond targets and implementing programmes which are having a positive impact on HIV transmission rates in the a country where an estimated 2.4 million people are living with HIV.
Mr. Sidibé urged Dinesh Trivedi, India's Minister of State for Health, to guard against complacency towards HIV in the face of other emerging challenges such as H1N1 flu and climate change-related health issues. He appealed for India to strengthen its role in the UNAIDS programmes and become a donor to UNAIDS in view of the country's increased political and economic status in the world community.
For every 100 people living with HIV in India, 61 are men and 39 women and prevalence is high in the 15-49 age group. As in most of Asia, the epidemic is concentrated among key populations at higher risk of HIV, such as sex workers, drug injectors and homosexuals.
Mr. Sidibé <"http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2009/20091007_EXD_India.asp">expressed his support for the recent decision of a Delhi court to annul Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalized homosexuality, a breakthrough for rights groups that strengthens the NACO's efforts to reach out to people at higher risk of HIV, such as men who have sex with men and trans-gendered people.
The Commission on AIDS in Asia, an independent body, has noted that India has significantly increased domestic spending on HIV in recent years, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the country's total AIDS budget. Oct 8 2009 11:10AM ________________
HIKE IN AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT NEEDED TO FEED WORLD'S SURGING POPULATION – UN New York, Oct 8 2009 11:10AM Net investments of $83 billion a year, a 50 per cent increase, must be made in agriculture in developing countries if there is to be enough food to feed over 9 billion people in 2050, according to a United Nations <"http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/36107/icode/">paper published today.
More than a third of this – $29 billion – would be needed for the two countries with the largest populations, India and China. Regionally, sub-Saharan Africa would require about $11 billion, Latin America and the Caribbean $20 billion, the Near East and North Africa $10 billion, South Asia $20 billion and East Asia $24 billion.
Required areas of investments include crops and livestock production, downstream support services such as cold chains, storage facilities, market facilities and first-stage processing, according to the paper prepared to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) discussion paper for a High Level Experts' Forum on How to Feed the World in 2050 to be held in Rome on 12 and 13 October.
Projected needs include some $20 billion for crop production and $13 billion for livestock, with mechanization accounting for the single biggest investment area, followed by expansion and improvement of irrigation. A further $50 billion would be needed for downstream services to help achieve a global 70 per cent expansion in agricultural production by 2050.
Most of the investment will come from private investors, including farmers purchasing implements and machinery and businesses investing in processing facilities.
Public funds will be needed to achieve a better functioning agricultural system and food security, including research and development; large-scale infrastructure such as roads, ports and power; and education, particularly of women, sanitation, clean water supply and healthcare.
But in 2000, total global public spending totalled only some $23 billion, and it has been highly uneven, the publication says. Official Development Assistance (ODA) to agriculture decreased by some 58 per cent in real terms between 1980 and 2005, dropping from a 17 per cent share of aid to 3.8 percent over the period. Presently it stands at around 5 per cent.
Foreign direct investment in agriculture in developing countries could make a significant contribution to bridging the investment gap, the paper says.
But political and economic concerns have been raised about so-called "land grab" investments in poor, food-insecure countries, it notes. Such deals should be designed in such a way as to maximize benefits to host populations, effectively increasing their food security and reducing poverty. Oct 8 2009 11:10AM ________________
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TOP UN ENVOY REBUFFS ACCUSATIONS OF IMPARTIALITY IN AFGHAN POLLS New York, Oct 8 2009 10:10AM Rejecting "unacceptable" media accusations ranging from impartiality in Afghanistan's presidential election process to fraud concealment, the top United Nations envoy to the South Asian nation today reiterated his resolve to do all he can to ensure that a final outcome to the polls is determined.
"I have been motivated by my determination to make every effort to bring the election process to a conclusion," he added.
The audit of suspicious ballot boxes being carried out by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) and Independent Election Commission (IEC), in the presence of monitors and candidates' representatives, is nearing an end.
"We need to allow both these bodies, which were created under the laws of this country, to conclude their investigations, identify fraud, and deliver a credible result in the next few days," Mr. Eide, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1741">UNAMA), said.
The mission reported yesterday that just over 100 of the 358 suspicious ballot boxes remain to be examined by the auditing process, with the remaining boxes slated to be inspected today.
The Special Representative also underscored in today's statement that "the accusations that the United Nations has covered up or that I asked for fraud to be covered up are patently false," adding that he plans to deal with these allegations "at the appropriate time."
The world body, he said, is mandated by the Security Council to support the election process but not to interfere in it. "This has been, and remains, the basis of all my efforts."
Yesterday, UN officials stressed that the envoy has only ever sided with electoral institutions in the country's recent presidential ballot, and never with any of the candidates. In recent days, former Deputy Special Representative Peter Galbraith has accused Mr. Eide of favouring incumbent Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the run-up to and after the country's 20 August election by allowing voting irregularities to occur. "What Kai Eide did, what he was supposed to do and what he did very faithfully, is side with the institutions," a Director of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, told reporters yesterday in New York. "He was always keen and he still is keen to let the institutions work out the process," said Mr. Weisbrod-Weber, who runs the Asia and Middle East Division of DPKO. In the preparations for the election and in the aftermath, Mr. Eide has been dedicated to strengthening the ECC and IEC – especially regarding the rules and regulations governing the ballot – to make it as credible as possible, said Mr. Weisbrod-Weber. Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet said yesterday that Mr. Galbraith made "all sorts of assertions that were not true and that are completely out of bounds with our mandate in UNAMA regarding the election." Mr. Mulet added that Mr. Galbraith wanted to close 1,500 of the 6,900 polling stations in volatile regions, a measure that would disenfranchise a large number of potential voters. The Government decided to close down 500 of the stations. He also proposed to annul the elections and set up a transitional government, said Mr. Mulet. "The fact that he was proposing this unconstitutional change and establishing a de facto government in Kabul was one of the elements that convinced us that he was not the right person to be in UNAMA at this point." Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled Mr. Galbraith from Afghanistan at the end of September, terminating his appointment with UNAMA. In a related development, Mr. Eide strongly condemned today's suicide attack near the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the fifth such explosion in the city since August. According to media reports, at least 12 people have been killed, with dozens injured. Oct 8 2009 10:10AM ________________
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STOCKHOLM -- Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller has the won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature. The Swedish Academy said that Mueller "who with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed."
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UN MUST HELP POOR NATIONS MEET LOOMING DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE DEADLINES – OFFICIAL New York, Oct 7 2009 5:10PM The United Nations development system must quickly build the capacity of national partners to meet the multiple challenges facing them, from achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to fighting climate change, as a host of deadlines loom on these issues, a top UN official said today.
"We are up against timelines – the MDG target dates are scarcely six years away," UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/october/helen-clark-attends-human-development-report-launch-meets-officials-in-thailand.en">UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark told a regional meeting in Bangkok of her agency's representatives from Asia and the Pacific, referring to the targets adopted at the UN Millennium summit of 2000 to slash poverty, hunger, maternal and infant mortality and vastly expand access to health care and education, all by 2015.
"On climate change the clock is ticking and the adverse effects are being felt most in developing countries. A person in a developing country is 79 times as likely to experience a climate disaster as a person in the developed world."
Prior to the global food, fuel, and economic crises, the region was on track to achieve the <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDG for reducing extreme poverty, with around 500 million people lifted out of it between 1990 and 2005, largely due to dramatic progress in China. In East Asia under 20 per cent of the population was living on less than $1.25 a day in 2005, down from nearly 80 per cent in 1981.
This region has also been on track to meet the MDGs for providing universal access to primary education and reducing gender inequalities in education, and has also witnessed achievements in stemming the spread of HIV.
"Yet big challenges remain, not least in reducing infant mortality, improving maternal health, and expanding access to clean water and sanitation," Ms. Clark said. "Keeping momentum on internationally agreed development goals throughout the global recession and the many other crises which have affected our world is in itself a challenge."
Many countries in the region face significant economic challenges – from reduced domestic revenue to governments this year owing to negative or lower growth; from a slowdown in financial inflows, including remittances; and from reduced demand for goods and services, including tourism.
"The number of unemployed people in Asia increased from 79 million in 2007 to 84 million in 2008, and is projected to increase further to 94 million this year, even with the overall growth outlook for the region on the positive side of the ledger," Ms. Clark said. "UNDP, both as a leading development agency, and through our leadership and coordination of other agencies in the UN development system, must work to galvanize support for the MDGs in every country."
Turning to climate change, she noted that the brunt of the burden is being borne by poor people in developing countries, whether the dry lands of Africa, the deltas of Asia, or the world's small atoll nations. The Asian Development Bank puts the total cost of lost agricultural production and other negative impacts as high as around 6.7 per cent of gross domestic product in some In Southeast Asia countries by the end of the century.
"There is no simple choice to be made between fostering growth and development or protecting our climate and ecosystems – both objectives are necessary, and compatible," Ms. Clark said. "We [UNDP] can assist countries to develop low carbon growth, energy access, and adaptation strategies – and to place them at the heart of their national development plans."
During her stay in Bangkok, she also met with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasi Piromya to discuss climate change in the run-up to the Copenhagen negotiations in December, when it is hoped that countries will agree on a new agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Oct 7 2009 5:10PM ________________
SENIOR UN OFFICIALS DENY ACCUSATIONS OF FAVOURITISM IN AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS New York, Oct 7 2009 5:10PM The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has only ever sided with electoral institutions in the country's recent presidential ballot, and never with any of the candidates, UN officials said today as they refuted allegations of bias.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) and Independent Election Commission (IEC), both established under Afghan law, began an audit of the disputed election results on Monday, with all political parties monitoring the process, including representatives of the two main presidential candidates.
But the former UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Peter Galbraith, has in recent days accused his erstwhile boss – the Secretary-General's Special Representative Kai Eide – of favouring incumbent Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the run-up to and after the country's 20 August election by allowing voting irregularities to occur.
"What Kai Eide did, what he was supposed to do and what he did very faithfully, is side with the institutions," a Director of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, told reporters in New York.
"He was always keen and he still is keen to let the institutions work out the process," said Mr. Weisbrod-Weber, who runs the Asia and Middle East Division of DPKO.
In the preparations for the election and in the aftermath, Mr. Eide has been dedicated to strengthening the ECC and IEC – especially regarding the rules and regulations governing the ballot – to make it as credible as possible, said Mr. Weisbrod-Weber.
"This is a line that we very much support… to trust the institutions, to trust the mechanisms that were in place to detect fraud, [and] to trust the [audit] process. We'll see where the chips fall," he said.
Only Afghan participants in the election – candidates, voters and observers – can file a complaint with the ECC, and they must be accompanied by evidence, said Craig Jenness, the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA).
Mr. Jenness said that in addition to the audit that got under way on Monday, the ECC is investigating some 2,500 complaints submitted by candidates. In its deliberations the ECC is also considering information from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://unama.unmissions.org/default.aspx?/">UNAMA) collected by its staff in interviews at polling stations over a five-day period during the election.
UNAMA reported today that just over 100 of the 358 suspicious ballot boxes remain to be examined by the IEC and ECC's auditing process. The remaining boxes are slated to be inspected on Thursday.
"The audit process is making good progress," IEC spokesperson Noor Mohammad Noor told UNAMA. "If all goes well, 84 of the additional boxes will arrive by the end of today."
A 10-member team representing Abdullah Abdullah, Mr. Karzai's main presidential rival, is closely monitoring the process. The head of the delegation, Ahmad Zia Kechkenni, told UNAMA that the campaign is "satisfied with the transparency of the level of random sampling. We have some minor concerns about access to information… and we have told the IEC about it."
A representative of Mr. Karzai's 10-member team observing proceedings said that the process was a "bit slow on the first day but things are speeding up." Arsala Jamal added they also have some concerns over clerical errors and other issues, "which we hope the IEC and ECC will address."
Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet told reporters that Mr. Galbraith made "all sorts of assertions that were not true and that are completely out of bounds with our mandate in UNAMA regarding the election."
Mr. Mulet added that Mr. Galbraith wanted to close 1,500 of the 6,900 polling stations in volatile regions, a measure that would disenfranchise a large number of potential voters. The Government decided to close down 500 of the stations.
He also proposed to annul the elections and set up a transitional government, said Mr. Mulet. "The fact that he was proposing this unconstitutional change and establishing a de facto government in Kabul was one of the elements that convinced us that he was not the right person to be in UNAMA at this point."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled Mr. Galbraith from Afghanistan at the end of September, terminating his appointment with UNAMA. Oct 7 2009 5:10PM ________________
BAN ANNOUNCES SEVEN NEW MEMBERS OF ADVISORY GROUP OF UN EMERGENCY FUND New York, Oct 7 2009 4:10PM A Finnish humanitarian official and the founder of a Polish non-governmental organization (NGO) are among the seven new members of the group of advisers, announced by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today, for the United Nations emergency relief fund.
The Central Emergency Relief Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005, and was created to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after a disaster and finance under-funded emergencies.
Its funds are also made available to address the existing imbalance in global aid distribution which results in millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remaining in need.
Since its inception, the CERF has allocated nearly $1.3 billion for humanitarian aid in almost 70 countries.
The 16-member Advisory Group, created at the same time as the CERF, provides periodic policy guidance and expert advice on the use and impact of the Fund, which is managed by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes on behalf of the Secretary-General.
The Group's members – who serve in their individual capacity – include government officials from countries that have contributed to or received funding from CERF, representatives of humanitarian NGOs and academic experts.
The newest members are: Luz Amanda Pulido, Director of Colombia's Risk Management Department in the Ministry of the Interior and Justice; Satu Helinä Lassila, Senior Adviser for Finland's Humanitarian Assistance Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Silvano Langa, Senior Adviser in Mozambique's Ministry of State Administration; Janina Ochojska, founder and head of Poland's Polska Akcja Humanitarna; Brigadier General Abdullah Muhammad Alsuwedi, General Manager of Qatar's Directorate of Civil Defence; Elena Madrazo, Secretary-General of Spain's Agency for International Aid and Development (AECID); and Jon C. Brause, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Oct 7 2009 4:10PM ________________
UN ENVOY CALLS ON CYPRIOTS TO FOCUS ON UNIFICATION ISSUES New York, Oct 7 2009 4:10PM The senior United Nations official charged with steering negotiations between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders in their talks on unification of the Mediterranean island today urged the people of Cyprus to concentrate on the issues at hand in the ongoing discussions.
Today's meeting between Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to discuss governance issues and the presidency of a bi-communal republic were positive, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer told reporters in Nicosia.
Mr. Downer added that the leaders will meet again tomorrow to continue talks on governance and twice again next week.
"It is really important here in Cyprus that people concentrate on the central question of getting the Cyprus question resolved," said Mr. Downer.
In May last year, Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat committed themselves to working towards a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions.
The 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. Oct 7 2009 4:10PM ________________
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TAJIKISTAN: UN BACKS CAMPAIGN TO VACCINATE AGAINST MEASLES AND RUBELLA New York, Oct 7 2009 3:10PM Two United Nations agencies are backing a two-week nationwide campaign by health authorities in Tajikistan to immunize an estimated 2.5 million children in the mountainous, landlocked Central Asian country against measles and rubella.
The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) are helping health officials conduct the campaign, which targets all children between the ages of one and 14 and is scheduled to conclude this week.
Vaccinations are being carried out at health centres in both cities and rural areas, while mobile teams are also visiting schools and kindergartens.
The campaign is taking place as UN aid agencies warn that an appeal launched earlier this year to help Tajikistan recover from the destruction wrought by spring floods and mudslides remains seriously under-funded.
The appeal, launched by the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in August, has so far attracted $1.2 million, or only about 16 per cent of the $7.7 million.
At least 26 people died and more than 3,000 others were displaced by the floods and mudflows, which struck 40 districts of Tajikistan. Some 2,000 houses, hospitals, schools and other buildings have been abandoned because of severe damage. Oct 7 2009 3:10PM ________________
FOOD ENTERS GAZA THROUGH CROSSINGS WHILE FUEL PIPELINE REMAINS SHUT DOWN – UN New York, Oct 7 2009 3:10PM Food and animal feed have entered Gaza from Israel in recent days, but the Nahal Oz fuel pipeline remains closed, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (<"http://www.unsco.org/about.asp">UNSCO) has reported.
Yesterday, 69 trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, more than half of which were carrying fruit, sugar, dairy products and frozen wheat. On Monday, 80 trucks passed through the crossing, with two carrying industrial diesel for Gaza's power plant.
Also yesterday, more than 4,000 tons of wheat and animal feed made it through the Karni crossing, which was closed on Monday.
Last month, the UN's top humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian territory joined aid agencies in calling for the immediate opening of Gaza's crossings to allow the entry of spare parts and materials critical to restoring the area's water and sanitation services.
"The deterioration and breakdown of water and sanitation facilities in Gaza is compounding an already severe and protracted denial of human dignity in the Gaza Strip," Maxwell Gaylard said in a joint statement issued with the NGO Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA).
Israel's closure of Gaza's crossing points, imposed since June 2007, has meant that equipment and supplies needed for the construction, maintenance and operation of water and sanitation facilities have not been able to enter the area, leading to the deterioration of these services.
Currently, some 10,000 people do not have access to the water network, while another 60 per cent of Gaza's population of 1.5 million do not have continuous access to water.
In addition, some 50 to 80 million litres of untreated and partially treated waste-water have been discharged daily into the Mediterranean Sea since January 2008, due to damage to sewage treatment facilities, lack of treatment capacity because of postponed plant upgrade projects, and a critical shortage of fuel and electricity necessary to operate them. Oct 7 2009 3:10PM ________________
MADAGASCAR: BAN URGES LEADERS TO BUILD ON MOMENTUM FOR UNITY GOVERNMENT New York, Oct 7 2009 3:10PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Madagascar's leaders to quickly conclude talks on a transitional government following progress made under United Nations-backed mediation in the crisis that led to the President's ouster earlier this year.
The UN will remain engaged in the process through the Joint Mediation Team on Madagascar, chaired by former president of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano, he said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4142">statement issued by his spokesperson, urging the leaders to make the necessary concessions to ensure that the transitional process runs smoothly.
"It [the UN] is committed to support the full implementation of the Maputo agreements and a rapid return to constitutional order through credible elections," he added, referring to the accord reached in the Mozambican capital in August committing the parties to a government of national unity after months of turmoil and political violence in the Indian Ocean island.
President Marc Ravalomanana resigned in early March amid a dispute with Andry Rajoelina, mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, who now leads the country.
Yesterday in Antananarivo, UN Special Envoy Tiébilé Dramé read a communiqué from the International Contact Group on Madagascar supporting the Government's request that sanctions imposed on the country be lifted.
The communiqué also endorsed Madagascar's request for international financial aid, backing for the political transition, including preparations for agreed-upon elections, and support for development and other aid projects. Oct 7 2009 3:10PM ________________
INTER-ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN SOUTHERN SUDAN THREATENS RETURN OF DISPLACED – UN New York, Oct 7 2009 2:10PM Significant challenges remain to the return of displaced people in southern Sudan following the 2005 peace accord between the Government and separatists, particularly this year's inter-ethnic violence, a senior United Nations refugee official warned today.
"Long-term stability is essential for sustainable return, along with access to such essentials as health services, education and jobs," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) Representative Peter de Clercq told a news conference in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
"Potentially, if you are looking very much at the implementation of the CPA which is extremely important for the overall peace process in the country, yes, we could characterize this as serious," he said, referring to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending the two-decades-long north-south civil war that killed at least 2 million people.
But he voiced pride in UNHCR's contribution to the successful return so far of nearly 2.5 million displaced persons, including 328,000 refugees from outside Sudan's border, out of an estimated 4.5 million driven from their homes by the war, beyond the more than 2 million killed, while acknowledging that violent inter-ethnic clashes throughout this year have caused new displacements.
"This situation could take a much more permanent character so we really take it seriously," Mr. de Clercq said.
He also noted other concerns in Sudan, including the east, where the flow of refugees from neighbouring countries, overwhelmingly Eritrea but also Ethiopia and Somalia, continues at an annual rate of 1,800 a month, and the strife-torn Darfur region where, despite a reduction in open armed conflict, 2.7 million people remain displaced, still vulnerable to isolated attacks and banditry.
Moreover, continuing attacks by the rebel Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have driven 18,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) into Sudan, where they are seeking shelter along with some 68,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Oct 7 2009 2:10PM ________________
LEBANON: UN OFFICIAL CONFERS WITH MINISTER ON CEASEFIRE WITH ISRAEL New York, Oct 7 2009 1:10PM A senior United Nations official today conferred with Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on the need for a longer-term ceasefire in the south of the country, where Israel and Hizbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006.
"We are very pleased by the calm that has been restored in south Lebanon and by statements of commitment to the resolution from all sides concerned," UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said, referring to Security Council resolution 1701, which called for a full cessation of hostilities and greatly increased the UN peacekeeping force in the conflict zone.
"However, the minister and I agreed that more needs to be done to move towards a longer term ceasefire which would help confirm this calm and stability that now prevails along the Blue Line [which separates the combatants]."
The two also discussed the "critical issues" of Israeli withdrawal from part of the village of Ghajar which lies north of the Blue Line, "constant intrusive" Israeli flights into Lebanese airspace, and the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
Mr. Williams and Mr. Salloukh also broached the issue of government formation in Lebanon, with the UN official voicing the "strong hope" that a national unity administration can be forged as soon as possible. Oct 7 2009 1:10PM ________________
Despite a change in his 287(g) agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he'll keep holding crime-suppression sweeps.
Phil Jackson confirmed after practice on Tuesday that Andrew Bynums place on the second team during Saturday evenings scrimmage was more an issue of matchups* than it was a forecast of the starting lineup, suggesting that Lamar Odom would likely continue
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