Saturday, June 30, 2012
UN-BACKED ACTION GROUP AGREES ON MEASURES FOR PEACEFUL TRANSITION IN SYRIA
UN-BACKED ACTION GROUP AGREES ON MEASURES FOR PEACEFUL TRANSITION IN SYRIA
New York, Jun 30 2012 4:10PM
The United Nations-backed Action Group on Syria today forged an agreement outlining the steps for a peaceful transition in the Middle Eastern country, while strongly condemning the continued and escalating violence that has taken place there over the past 16 months.
"Today the international community has taken its cooperation to a stronger level, by being clearer and more specific," said Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States on Syria, Kofi Annan, in his remarks to the Group in Geneva. "They have laid out a path that we hope the Syrian people can embrace and work with."
In a statement, the Group called for all parties to immediately re-commit to a sustained cessation of armed violence, to fully cooperate with UN monitors, and to implement the six-point plan put forward by Mr. Annan without waiting for the actions of others.
The six-point peace plan calls
for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.
The Group also agreed on a set of principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people, which includes the establishment of a transitional governing body that would exercise full executive powers and that would be made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups.
"We are determined to work urgently and intensively to bring about an end to the violence and human rights abuses and the launch of a Syrian-led political process leading to a transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enables them independently and democratically to determine their own future," Mr. Annan stressed, adding that for the transition to be successful "there must be a commitm
ent to accountability and national reconciliation."
Mr. Annan emphasized that the conflict must be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiation alone, noting that Action Group members are "opposed to any further militarization of the conflict."
The Group, also agreed on actions that they would take to implement the steps and measures outlined in the statement, and to support Mr. Annan's work in bringing the relevant parties together.
"The Action Group members will engage as appropriate, and apply joint and sustained pressure on, the parties in Syria to implement what we have discussed," Mr. Annan said. "The hard work starts now. We must work together to implement what has been agreed. We cannot do this alone. I hope all in Syria will embrace what has been laid out here and work with us to stop the killing and build a better future," he added.
The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the
uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 16 months ago.
Action Group members include Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Ban Ki-moon and Nabil Elaraby, respectively, the Foreign Ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America -- as well as the Turkish Foreign Minister, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, as Chair of the Summit of the League of Arab States; Kuwait, as Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States and Qatar, as Chair of the Follow-up Committee on Syria of the League of Arab States.
Jun 30 2012 4:10PM
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New York, Jun 30 2012 4:10PM
The United Nations-backed Action Group on Syria today forged an agreement outlining the steps for a peaceful transition in the Middle Eastern country, while strongly condemning the continued and escalating violence that has taken place there over the past 16 months.
"Today the international community has taken its cooperation to a stronger level, by being clearer and more specific," said Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States on Syria, Kofi Annan, in his remarks to the Group in Geneva. "They have laid out a path that we hope the Syrian people can embrace and work with."
In a statement, the Group called for all parties to immediately re-commit to a sustained cessation of armed violence, to fully cooperate with UN monitors, and to implement the six-point plan put forward by Mr. Annan without waiting for the actions of others.
The six-point peace plan calls
for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.
The Group also agreed on a set of principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people, which includes the establishment of a transitional governing body that would exercise full executive powers and that would be made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups.
"We are determined to work urgently and intensively to bring about an end to the violence and human rights abuses and the launch of a Syrian-led political process leading to a transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enables them independently and democratically to determine their own future," Mr. Annan stressed, adding that for the transition to be successful "there must be a commitm
ent to accountability and national reconciliation."
Mr. Annan emphasized that the conflict must be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiation alone, noting that Action Group members are "opposed to any further militarization of the conflict."
The Group, also agreed on actions that they would take to implement the steps and measures outlined in the statement, and to support Mr. Annan's work in bringing the relevant parties together.
"The Action Group members will engage as appropriate, and apply joint and sustained pressure on, the parties in Syria to implement what we have discussed," Mr. Annan said. "The hard work starts now. We must work together to implement what has been agreed. We cannot do this alone. I hope all in Syria will embrace what has been laid out here and work with us to stop the killing and build a better future," he added.
The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the
uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 16 months ago.
Action Group members include Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Ban Ki-moon and Nabil Elaraby, respectively, the Foreign Ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America -- as well as the Turkish Foreign Minister, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, as Chair of the Summit of the League of Arab States; Kuwait, as Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States and Qatar, as Chair of the Follow-up Committee on Syria of the League of Arab States.
Jun 30 2012 4:10PM
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Friday, June 29, 2012
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FOLLOWING RIO+20, UN EXPERT BODY CALLS ON BUSINESSES TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS
FOLLOWING RIO+20, UN EXPERT BODY CALLS ON BUSINESSES TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS
New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
A United Nations expert body today expressed concern that the outcome document agreed at the recent UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) failed to explicitly mention that businesses must respect human rights.
"Businesses will play a major role in developing the green economy and human rights safeguards are necessary to ensure that policies and business plans intended to advance environmental or development goals do not negatively impact people, communities and their livelihoods," said the head of the five-strong UN Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, Puvan Selvanathan.
"Inclusive, equitable and sustainable development can only become a reality when human beings are the central concern and their rights are realized and respected," Mr. Selvanathan stressed in a news release.
Governments need to send clear messages to companies on the respect of human rights as the world creates a green economy, Mr. Selvanathan emphasized, adding that they should provide them with access to effective remedies for those whose rights have been affected by business activities.
More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June.
The agreed outcome document calls for a wide range of actions. These include beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.
The Working Group called on States and business to work with it, civil society and other stakeholders, on ensuring that the path to sustainable development set up at Rio+20 is undertaken, while protecting and respecting human rights.
For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, welcomed the explicit commitment to progressively implement the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in the Rio+20 outcome document. However, she warned that "progressive realization" must not delay full implementation.
"'Progressive realization of the right' requires States to take concrete steps for its full realization to the maximum of available resources, including through international cooperation," Ms. de Albuquerque said. "'Progressive realization' is not an excuse to postpone implementation, but rather calls for immediate steps, as well as for developing a roadmap to implement it."
Ms. de Albuquerque reaffirmed her commitment to work with all States and stakeholders to develop sustainable development and post-2015 development goals for water and sanitation that ensure equality and non-discrimination as well as other human rights obligations.
"The future we want is within reach – it is a matter of will, courage and vision by the world's governments," she stated.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
A United Nations expert body today expressed concern that the outcome document agreed at the recent UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) failed to explicitly mention that businesses must respect human rights.
"Businesses will play a major role in developing the green economy and human rights safeguards are necessary to ensure that policies and business plans intended to advance environmental or development goals do not negatively impact people, communities and their livelihoods," said the head of the five-strong UN Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, Puvan Selvanathan.
"Inclusive, equitable and sustainable development can only become a reality when human beings are the central concern and their rights are realized and respected," Mr. Selvanathan stressed in a news release.
Governments need to send clear messages to companies on the respect of human rights as the world creates a green economy, Mr. Selvanathan emphasized, adding that they should provide them with access to effective remedies for those whose rights have been affected by business activities.
More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June.
The agreed outcome document calls for a wide range of actions. These include beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.
The Working Group called on States and business to work with it, civil society and other stakeholders, on ensuring that the path to sustainable development set up at Rio+20 is undertaken, while protecting and respecting human rights.
For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, welcomed the explicit commitment to progressively implement the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in the Rio+20 outcome document. However, she warned that "progressive realization" must not delay full implementation.
"'Progressive realization of the right' requires States to take concrete steps for its full realization to the maximum of available resources, including through international cooperation," Ms. de Albuquerque said. "'Progressive realization' is not an excuse to postpone implementation, but rather calls for immediate steps, as well as for developing a roadmap to implement it."
Ms. de Albuquerque reaffirmed her commitment to work with all States and stakeholders to develop sustainable development and post-2015 development goals for water and sanitation that ensure equality and non-discrimination as well as other human rights obligations.
"The future we want is within reach – it is a matter of will, courage and vision by the world's governments," she stated.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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MEMBER STATES RENEW COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING UN COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY
MEMBER STATES RENEW COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING UN COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY
New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
The General Assembly today wrapped up its third review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by renewing its unwavering commitment to boost cooperation to combat the scourge and emphasizing the need to support its victims.
Adopted by the Assembly in September 2006, the Strategy is based on four pillars: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; preventing and combating terrorism; building States' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard; ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
In a resolution adopted at the end of the two-day review of the Strategy, the Assembly called on Member States, the UN and other appropriate international, regional and subregional organizations to step up their efforts to implement the framework in an integrated and balanced manner.
It also recognized the need to continue measures aimed at preventing and suppressing the financing of terrorism, and encouraged UN entities to cooperate with Member States on providing assistance, in particular to implement respective obligations to prevent such financing.
Recognizing the role that victims of terrorism could play, including in countering the appeal of terrorism, the Assembly emphasized the need to promote international solidarity in support of such victims and to ensure that they were treated with dignity and respect.
It also recognized the work of UN bodies and other organizations aimed at the support, recognition and protection of the rights of victims and urged them to step up their efforts to provide technical assistance for building the capacity of Member States to develop and implement programmes of assistance and support for victims of terrorism.
Opening the meeting yesterday, Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser had noted that the Strategy is "a watershed document in the international community's fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." He also voiced the hope that the review would provide the necessary momentum towards the full implementation of the Strategy on the ground.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
The General Assembly today wrapped up its third review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by renewing its unwavering commitment to boost cooperation to combat the scourge and emphasizing the need to support its victims.
Adopted by the Assembly in September 2006, the Strategy is based on four pillars: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; preventing and combating terrorism; building States' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard; ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
In a resolution adopted at the end of the two-day review of the Strategy, the Assembly called on Member States, the UN and other appropriate international, regional and subregional organizations to step up their efforts to implement the framework in an integrated and balanced manner.
It also recognized the need to continue measures aimed at preventing and suppressing the financing of terrorism, and encouraged UN entities to cooperate with Member States on providing assistance, in particular to implement respective obligations to prevent such financing.
Recognizing the role that victims of terrorism could play, including in countering the appeal of terrorism, the Assembly emphasized the need to promote international solidarity in support of such victims and to ensure that they were treated with dignity and respect.
It also recognized the work of UN bodies and other organizations aimed at the support, recognition and protection of the rights of victims and urged them to step up their efforts to provide technical assistance for building the capacity of Member States to develop and implement programmes of assistance and support for victims of terrorism.
Opening the meeting yesterday, Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser had noted that the Strategy is "a watershed document in the international community's fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." He also voiced the hope that the review would provide the necessary momentum towards the full implementation of the Strategy on the ground.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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ECOSOC TO TACKLE GLOBAL JOBS CRISIS DURING NEXT WEEK’S HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
ECOSOC TO TACKLE GLOBAL JOBS CRISIS DURING NEXT WEEK'S HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT
New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will tackle the global jobs crisis when it begins its high-level segment on Monday, its President told reporters today.
More than 500 delegates, including government ministers and heads of civil society groups, international institutions and the private sector, will attend the high-level segment which will focus on boosting productive capacity, strengthening development cooperation and creating decent, sustainable work.
"Our goal is to spotlight sustainable economic growth models which not only promise job creation but are also inclusive and equitable, tailored to the specific needs of individual countries and have sufficient levels of social protection," the President of the Council, Ambassador Milos Koterec of Slovakia, told reporters at a news conference at UN Headquarters.
The third biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) will also take place during the high-level segment, featuring interactive, multi-stakeholder dialogues to generate ideas and solutions to a number of critical issues.
In addition, ministers and representatives will deliver policy messages during the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and will exchange approaches for the implementation of the Global Jobs Pact, adopted in 2009 by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO).
The high-level segment is expected to conclude on 9 July with the adoption of a ministerial declaration that will be a road map on how to go forward in the achievement of full employment and decent work.
"We believe that these discussions are timely," said Mr. Koterec. "The turmoil in the global economy has demonstrated that the world needs concerted action to get out of the crisis. No one country or region can lead on its own and policy coordination has become more complicated just as it has become more important.
"The global concern over jobs and sustainability are unifying themes for international cooperation. We will learn in the next few days how some countries are tackling these challenges while trying to meeting the internationally agreed goals, including the MDGs," he added, referring to the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, which world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015.
ECOSOC will also hold its operational activities segment and humanitarian affairs segment before concluding on 27 July. The 54-member Council coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions, receives reports from ten UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system, as well as to Member States. It meets every year, alternating between New York and Geneva.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will tackle the global jobs crisis when it begins its high-level segment on Monday, its President told reporters today.
More than 500 delegates, including government ministers and heads of civil society groups, international institutions and the private sector, will attend the high-level segment which will focus on boosting productive capacity, strengthening development cooperation and creating decent, sustainable work.
"Our goal is to spotlight sustainable economic growth models which not only promise job creation but are also inclusive and equitable, tailored to the specific needs of individual countries and have sufficient levels of social protection," the President of the Council, Ambassador Milos Koterec of Slovakia, told reporters at a news conference at UN Headquarters.
The third biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) will also take place during the high-level segment, featuring interactive, multi-stakeholder dialogues to generate ideas and solutions to a number of critical issues.
In addition, ministers and representatives will deliver policy messages during the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and will exchange approaches for the implementation of the Global Jobs Pact, adopted in 2009 by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO).
The high-level segment is expected to conclude on 9 July with the adoption of a ministerial declaration that will be a road map on how to go forward in the achievement of full employment and decent work.
"We believe that these discussions are timely," said Mr. Koterec. "The turmoil in the global economy has demonstrated that the world needs concerted action to get out of the crisis. No one country or region can lead on its own and policy coordination has become more complicated just as it has become more important.
"The global concern over jobs and sustainability are unifying themes for international cooperation. We will learn in the next few days how some countries are tackling these challenges while trying to meeting the internationally agreed goals, including the MDGs," he added, referring to the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, which world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015.
ECOSOC will also hold its operational activities segment and humanitarian affairs segment before concluding on 27 July. The 54-member Council coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions, receives reports from ten UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system, as well as to Member States. It meets every year, alternating between New York and Geneva.
Jun 29 2012 6:10PM
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SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES UN REGIONAL STRATEGY TO COMBAT LRA THREAT
SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES UN REGIONAL STRATEGY TO COMBAT LRA THREAT
New York, Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
The Security Council today endorsed the regional strategy developed by the United Nations to tackle the threat posed by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and called for the necessary support to ensure that it is carried out successfully.
The strategy, developed by the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), focuses on five key strategic objectives to address the threat from the LRA, which has been causing suffering to civilians in South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in addition to Uganda.
They include support for the full operationalization and implementation of the African Union regional cooperation initiative against the LRA; enhancing efforts to promote the protection of civilians; and expanding current disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration activities to cover all LRA-affected areas.
The other objectives are to promote a coordinated humanitarian and child protection response in these areas, and to support LRA-affected governments in the fields of peacebuilding, human rights, rule of law and development, to enable them to establish State authority across their territories.
"The Security Council welcomes the development of the United Nations Regional Strategy to Address the Threat and Impact of the Activities of the LRA and takes note of the five strategic areas of intervention identified in the strategy," the 15-member body said in a presidential statement read out during a meeting on the issue.
It also called on the international community to "provide assistance as possible to advance these strategic goals."
The LRA carried out the worst of its atrocities in northern Ugandan in the 1990s, but had, by 2004, largely been driven out of the area through a sustained military effort. However, remnants of the insurgent group continued to attack civilians in the four affected countries. Led by Joseph Kony, the group is notorious for carrying out massacres in villages, mutilating its victims and abducting boys for use as child soldiers, while girls are forced into sexual slavery.
The Council strongly condemned the ongoing attacks carried out by the LRA and the continued violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses committed by the group, and demanded an immediate end to all attacks.
Abou Moussa, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNOCA, told the Council that in spite of the recent capture of one of its senior commanders and its "significantly diminished" capacity, the LRA remains extremely dangerous and retains the capacity to inflict considerable suffering on the population.
"The strategy must only represent the beginning of vigorous attention by the Council to address the LRA issues, in order to put an end to these atrocities once and for all," he said. "Its successful implementation will depend on the level of cooperation and engagement among the affected countries and resource mobilization to address funding gaps."
The AU Special Envoy on the LRA, Francisco Madeira, said that the major objectives of the AU-led regional initiative are the strengthening of the capacity of the affected countries to effectively respond to and neutralize the LRA threat, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected communities and creating an environment conducive for the stabilization and rehabilitation of the affected areas.
When fully operational, the initiative is expected to bolster efforts against the LRA, particularly through military operations so as to heighten pressure on the group, leading to more captures, surrenders, defections and its eventual elimination, he stated.
Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
The Security Council today endorsed the regional strategy developed by the United Nations to tackle the threat posed by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and called for the necessary support to ensure that it is carried out successfully.
The strategy, developed by the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), focuses on five key strategic objectives to address the threat from the LRA, which has been causing suffering to civilians in South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in addition to Uganda.
They include support for the full operationalization and implementation of the African Union regional cooperation initiative against the LRA; enhancing efforts to promote the protection of civilians; and expanding current disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration activities to cover all LRA-affected areas.
The other objectives are to promote a coordinated humanitarian and child protection response in these areas, and to support LRA-affected governments in the fields of peacebuilding, human rights, rule of law and development, to enable them to establish State authority across their territories.
"The Security Council welcomes the development of the United Nations Regional Strategy to Address the Threat and Impact of the Activities of the LRA and takes note of the five strategic areas of intervention identified in the strategy," the 15-member body said in a presidential statement read out during a meeting on the issue.
It also called on the international community to "provide assistance as possible to advance these strategic goals."
The LRA carried out the worst of its atrocities in northern Ugandan in the 1990s, but had, by 2004, largely been driven out of the area through a sustained military effort. However, remnants of the insurgent group continued to attack civilians in the four affected countries. Led by Joseph Kony, the group is notorious for carrying out massacres in villages, mutilating its victims and abducting boys for use as child soldiers, while girls are forced into sexual slavery.
The Council strongly condemned the ongoing attacks carried out by the LRA and the continued violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses committed by the group, and demanded an immediate end to all attacks.
Abou Moussa, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNOCA, told the Council that in spite of the recent capture of one of its senior commanders and its "significantly diminished" capacity, the LRA remains extremely dangerous and retains the capacity to inflict considerable suffering on the population.
"The strategy must only represent the beginning of vigorous attention by the Council to address the LRA issues, in order to put an end to these atrocities once and for all," he said. "Its successful implementation will depend on the level of cooperation and engagement among the affected countries and resource mobilization to address funding gaps."
The AU Special Envoy on the LRA, Francisco Madeira, said that the major objectives of the AU-led regional initiative are the strengthening of the capacity of the affected countries to effectively respond to and neutralize the LRA threat, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected communities and creating an environment conducive for the stabilization and rehabilitation of the affected areas.
When fully operational, the initiative is expected to bolster efforts against the LRA, particularly through military operations so as to heighten pressure on the group, leading to more captures, surrenders, defections and its eventual elimination, he stated.
Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
________________
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NEPAL RECEIVES $8 MILLION FROM UN PEACEBUILDING FUND
NEPAL RECEIVES $8 MILLION FROM UN PEACEBUILDING FUND
New York, Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
The United Nations today released $8 million to help Nepal consolidate peace, improve policing, promote dialogue and reinforce national efforts to address the needs of those affected by conflict.
The South Asian country has been plagued by political disputes since the civil war between Government forces and Maoists formally ended in 2007 and the monarchy was abolished.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, Robert Piper, noted that there have been important achievements in the peace process to date, including the completion of the discharge and integration process of the ex-Maoist army, the successful and largely peaceful elections in 2008, the removal of all minefields, and a smooth transition to a Republic.
However, Mr. Piper also noted the ongoing challenges, including the recently missed 27 May deadline for a new Constitution and the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly that followed.
"As we saw in late May, some of the most difficult and sensitive issues of the peace process are still ahead of Nepal. At this uncertain juncture, we will target these resources towards interventions that will help move the peacebuilding process forward," said Mr. Piper. "The events of May also remind us of the need to think and act preventively to ensure we protect the important gains achieved to date."
The funds will be administered by the local UN Peace Fund for Nepal which is overseen by the Government, the UN and donors.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Judy Cheng-Hopkins noted that in addition to immediate funds for short-term issues, Nepal will also require investment for medium- and long-term initiatives to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
"We want to see our resources fund projects that will create momentum in support of the peace process in Nepal," Ms. Cheng-Hopkins said.
Today's allocation brings the total resources given to Nepal by the UN Peacebuilding Fund to almost $19 million. Nepal was declared eligible for funding from the Fund in December 2007.
The first funding allocation of $10 million was directed towards a range of activities relating to youth employment, conflict-affected children, mobile health camps, health services inside the cantonments and support to the discharge of minors from the Maoist army cantonments in early 2010.
The Fund is one pillar of the UN's peacebuilding architecture, which also includes the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), which was set up in 2005 to help struggling States avoid slipping back into war and chaos by providing strategic advice and harnessing expertise and financing from around the world to aid with recovery projects.
Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
The United Nations today released $8 million to help Nepal consolidate peace, improve policing, promote dialogue and reinforce national efforts to address the needs of those affected by conflict.
The South Asian country has been plagued by political disputes since the civil war between Government forces and Maoists formally ended in 2007 and the monarchy was abolished.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, Robert Piper, noted that there have been important achievements in the peace process to date, including the completion of the discharge and integration process of the ex-Maoist army, the successful and largely peaceful elections in 2008, the removal of all minefields, and a smooth transition to a Republic.
However, Mr. Piper also noted the ongoing challenges, including the recently missed 27 May deadline for a new Constitution and the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly that followed.
"As we saw in late May, some of the most difficult and sensitive issues of the peace process are still ahead of Nepal. At this uncertain juncture, we will target these resources towards interventions that will help move the peacebuilding process forward," said Mr. Piper. "The events of May also remind us of the need to think and act preventively to ensure we protect the important gains achieved to date."
The funds will be administered by the local UN Peace Fund for Nepal which is overseen by the Government, the UN and donors.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Judy Cheng-Hopkins noted that in addition to immediate funds for short-term issues, Nepal will also require investment for medium- and long-term initiatives to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
"We want to see our resources fund projects that will create momentum in support of the peace process in Nepal," Ms. Cheng-Hopkins said.
Today's allocation brings the total resources given to Nepal by the UN Peacebuilding Fund to almost $19 million. Nepal was declared eligible for funding from the Fund in December 2007.
The first funding allocation of $10 million was directed towards a range of activities relating to youth employment, conflict-affected children, mobile health camps, health services inside the cantonments and support to the discharge of minors from the Maoist army cantonments in early 2010.
The Fund is one pillar of the UN's peacebuilding architecture, which also includes the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), which was set up in 2005 to help struggling States avoid slipping back into war and chaos by providing strategic advice and harnessing expertise and financing from around the world to aid with recovery projects.
Jun 29 2012 5:10PM
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BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS PLACED ON UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER LIST
BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS PLACED ON UNESCO'S WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER LIST
New York, Jun 29 2012 3:10PM
The Church of the Nativity, which sits on a site in Bethlehem that is identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus, was inscribed today on the <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List of the United Nations Scientific, Cultural, and Educational Organization (UNESCO), as well as on the list of sites in danger.
The church, and the pilgrimage route on the site, was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger since it is suffering from damages due to water leaks, according to a news release issued by UNESCO.
A church was first completed on the site in 339 A.D. and the edifice that replaced it after a fire in the 6th century retains elaborate floor mosaics from the original edifice. The site, situated 10 kilometres south of Jerusalem, includes the church as well as Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches as well as bell towers and terraced gardens.
The <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/">List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of threats to the outstanding universal values for which a property has been inscribed, and to encourage corrective action.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, until 6 July, also inscribed sites from Israel, Palau, Indonesia, Morocco, China, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire on the World Heritage List today.
The Nahal Me'arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves at Mount Carmel in Israel covers 54 hectares and contains cultural deposits representing 500,000 years of human evolution with evidence of burials, early stone architecture and the transition from a hunter-gathering lifestyle to agriculture and animal husbandry.
The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon in Palau contains 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin, and also counts with a complex reef system featuring over 385 coral species and different types of habitat. The site harbours the highest concentration of marine lakes anywhere and isolated bodies of seawater separated from the ocean by land barriers.
Five rice terraces and their water temples in Bali, Indonesia, were also recognized for their cooperative water management system, known as subak, which dates back to the 9th century.
The modern capital of Morocco, Rabat, and the site of Xanadu, north of China's Great Wall, were also added to the List, as were Bassari and Bedik Cultural Landscapes in south-east Senegal and the first capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the historic town of Grand-Bassam.
The Committee meets once a year and is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, which defines the kind of natural or cultural sites that can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. It also considers the inscription or deletion of sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Jun 29 2012 3:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 3:10PM
The Church of the Nativity, which sits on a site in Bethlehem that is identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus, was inscribed today on the <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list">World Heritage List of the United Nations Scientific, Cultural, and Educational Organization (UNESCO), as well as on the list of sites in danger.
The church, and the pilgrimage route on the site, was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger since it is suffering from damages due to water leaks, according to a news release issued by UNESCO.
A church was first completed on the site in 339 A.D. and the edifice that replaced it after a fire in the 6th century retains elaborate floor mosaics from the original edifice. The site, situated 10 kilometres south of Jerusalem, includes the church as well as Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches as well as bell towers and terraced gardens.
The <"http://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/">List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of threats to the outstanding universal values for which a property has been inscribed, and to encourage corrective action.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, until 6 July, also inscribed sites from Israel, Palau, Indonesia, Morocco, China, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire on the World Heritage List today.
The Nahal Me'arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves at Mount Carmel in Israel covers 54 hectares and contains cultural deposits representing 500,000 years of human evolution with evidence of burials, early stone architecture and the transition from a hunter-gathering lifestyle to agriculture and animal husbandry.
The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon in Palau contains 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin, and also counts with a complex reef system featuring over 385 coral species and different types of habitat. The site harbours the highest concentration of marine lakes anywhere and isolated bodies of seawater separated from the ocean by land barriers.
Five rice terraces and their water temples in Bali, Indonesia, were also recognized for their cooperative water management system, known as subak, which dates back to the 9th century.
The modern capital of Morocco, Rabat, and the site of Xanadu, north of China's Great Wall, were also added to the List, as were Bassari and Bedik Cultural Landscapes in south-east Senegal and the first capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the historic town of Grand-Bassam.
The Committee meets once a year and is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, which defines the kind of natural or cultural sites that can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. It also considers the inscription or deletion of sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Jun 29 2012 3:10PM
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SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TERMS OF SERVICE OF UN RWANDA GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL STAFF
SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TERMS OF SERVICE OF UN RWANDA GENOCIDE TRIBUNAL STAFF
New York, Jun 29 2012 2:10PM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10691.doc.htm">decided to permit four judges of the United Nations tribunal trying serious crimes committed during the 1994 Rwanda genocide to serve beyond the expiry of their terms of office so that the court can wrap up its work by the target date of December 2014.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council decided that Judge William H. Sekule of Tanzania, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda and Judge Mparany Mamy Richard Rajohnson of Madagascar may continue until the completion of cases that they began before the 30 June expiry of their tenure.
The Council also decided to extend until 31 December 2014 the service of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Judge Vagn Joensen of Denmark, whose term was also to have expired on 30 June, in an effort to complete the court's remaining work.
In addition, the 15-member body requested the Tribunal to report on the projected schedule for transferring its remaining functions to the so-called "Residual Mechanism."
The Council set up the International Residual Mechanism in December 2010 and mandated it to take over and finish the remaining tasks of the ICTR when it is closed after its mandate expires. The ICTR branch of the mechanism will begin functioning on 1 July this year, and is set to conclude its work by the end of 2014.
The ICTR was created after the Rwandan genocide, when at least 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed during three months of bloodletting that followed the death of then president Juvenal Habyarimana when his plane was brought down over the capital, Kigali.
In other action today, the Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10692.doc.htm">adopted a resolution in which it requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to increase from eight to nine the size of the group of experts assisting the so-called 1540 committee that monitors a UN resolution seeking to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Resolution 1540, adopted by the Council in 2004, imposes binding obligations on all States to establish controls preventing the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery.
In addition to monitoring the resolution, the committee encourages greater international cooperation on issues related to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to promote universal adherence to existing non-proliferation treaties.
Jun 29 2012 2:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 2:10PM
The Security Council today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10691.doc.htm">decided to permit four judges of the United Nations tribunal trying serious crimes committed during the 1994 Rwanda genocide to serve beyond the expiry of their terms of office so that the court can wrap up its work by the target date of December 2014.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council decided that Judge William H. Sekule of Tanzania, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda and Judge Mparany Mamy Richard Rajohnson of Madagascar may continue until the completion of cases that they began before the 30 June expiry of their tenure.
The Council also decided to extend until 31 December 2014 the service of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Judge Vagn Joensen of Denmark, whose term was also to have expired on 30 June, in an effort to complete the court's remaining work.
In addition, the 15-member body requested the Tribunal to report on the projected schedule for transferring its remaining functions to the so-called "Residual Mechanism."
The Council set up the International Residual Mechanism in December 2010 and mandated it to take over and finish the remaining tasks of the ICTR when it is closed after its mandate expires. The ICTR branch of the mechanism will begin functioning on 1 July this year, and is set to conclude its work by the end of 2014.
The ICTR was created after the Rwandan genocide, when at least 800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed during three months of bloodletting that followed the death of then president Juvenal Habyarimana when his plane was brought down over the capital, Kigali.
In other action today, the Council <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10692.doc.htm">adopted a resolution in which it requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to increase from eight to nine the size of the group of experts assisting the so-called 1540 committee that monitors a UN resolution seeking to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Resolution 1540, adopted by the Council in 2004, imposes binding obligations on all States to establish controls preventing the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery.
In addition to monitoring the resolution, the committee encourages greater international cooperation on issues related to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to promote universal adherence to existing non-proliferation treaties.
Jun 29 2012 2:10PM
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LivingSocial Moving Beyond Daily Deals, Analysts Feelings on Zynga’s New Games & Groupon’s Competition Intensifies
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PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS IN LIBERIA AND ANGOLA COME TO AN END – UN
PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS IN LIBERIA AND ANGOLA COME TO AN END – UN
New York, Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
The United Nations has <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fed81049.html">announced that, as of Saturday, people who fled the civil wars in Liberia and Angola and remain abroad will no longer be regarded as refugees by the world body and host governments, bringing to an end two of the most protracted refugee situations in Africa.
Cessation clauses will enter into force tomorrow for refugees from Liberia and Angola on the basis that these countries have both enjoyed many years of peace and stability after bitter civil wars, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"We are working with the governments of origin and of asylum to find solutions for those refugees who wish either to return home or to remain in their host countries due to strong ties there," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fed82459.html">told journalists in Geneva today.
He added that voluntary returns will continue to be assisted while possibilities for local integration and/or an alternative legal status are also being discussed.
In addition, refugees with protection concerns about returning to Liberia or Angola have the option to ask for an exemption to cessation, he noted. If approved by the authorities in their host country, they will maintain their refugee status.
In Liberia, the ending of refugee status will apply to people who left the country during the two civil wars that tore the West African nation apart between 1989 and 2003, killing more than 250,000 people and forcing some 750,000 to flee their homes.
>From the time that voluntary repatriation to Liberia was launched in 2004, UNHCR has helped almost 135,000 people return, including more than 8,500 this year. A further 16,641 Liberian refugees have registered to return home and will be repatriated by UNHCR in the coming weeks.
"Liberian refugees who wish to remain in the country of asylum will have to meet the necessary legal requirements of that country," Mr. Edwards pointed out.
UNHCR and its government partners have worked to ensure that they have the necessary documents and are also supporting integration through livelihood projects and training, as well as ensuring that refugees have access to education and health facilities. About 12,300 Liberians in exile for more than 20 years recently reconfirmed their desire to locally integrate.
In Angola, the ending of refugee status will apply to those who fled that country during the 1965-75 war of independence from Portugal and the subsequent civil war, which ended in 2002.
Last year, UNHCR and the Angolan Government launched a new organized return programme for Angolan refugees in neighbouring countries. Nearly 23,000 Angolans have returned home since then, and a further 26,000 have confirmed their intention to return.
The refugee agency is also discussing with host countries local integration options for people who do not wish to return to Angola. Some 51,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have said they do not want to repatriate, and the Zambian Government has offered to locally integrate up to 10,000 Angolan refugees, with international support.
UNHCR has also been supporting projects to help returnees reintegrate in Liberia and Angola. In Liberia, returnees have been given cash grants to help them get to their places of origin and to help rebuild their lives, and some of them have attended UNHCR-supported skills training programmes.
Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
The United Nations has <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fed81049.html">announced that, as of Saturday, people who fled the civil wars in Liberia and Angola and remain abroad will no longer be regarded as refugees by the world body and host governments, bringing to an end two of the most protracted refugee situations in Africa.
Cessation clauses will enter into force tomorrow for refugees from Liberia and Angola on the basis that these countries have both enjoyed many years of peace and stability after bitter civil wars, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"We are working with the governments of origin and of asylum to find solutions for those refugees who wish either to return home or to remain in their host countries due to strong ties there," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fed82459.html">told journalists in Geneva today.
He added that voluntary returns will continue to be assisted while possibilities for local integration and/or an alternative legal status are also being discussed.
In addition, refugees with protection concerns about returning to Liberia or Angola have the option to ask for an exemption to cessation, he noted. If approved by the authorities in their host country, they will maintain their refugee status.
In Liberia, the ending of refugee status will apply to people who left the country during the two civil wars that tore the West African nation apart between 1989 and 2003, killing more than 250,000 people and forcing some 750,000 to flee their homes.
>From the time that voluntary repatriation to Liberia was launched in 2004, UNHCR has helped almost 135,000 people return, including more than 8,500 this year. A further 16,641 Liberian refugees have registered to return home and will be repatriated by UNHCR in the coming weeks.
"Liberian refugees who wish to remain in the country of asylum will have to meet the necessary legal requirements of that country," Mr. Edwards pointed out.
UNHCR and its government partners have worked to ensure that they have the necessary documents and are also supporting integration through livelihood projects and training, as well as ensuring that refugees have access to education and health facilities. About 12,300 Liberians in exile for more than 20 years recently reconfirmed their desire to locally integrate.
In Angola, the ending of refugee status will apply to those who fled that country during the 1965-75 war of independence from Portugal and the subsequent civil war, which ended in 2002.
Last year, UNHCR and the Angolan Government launched a new organized return programme for Angolan refugees in neighbouring countries. Nearly 23,000 Angolans have returned home since then, and a further 26,000 have confirmed their intention to return.
The refugee agency is also discussing with host countries local integration options for people who do not wish to return to Angola. Some 51,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have said they do not want to repatriate, and the Zambian Government has offered to locally integrate up to 10,000 Angolan refugees, with international support.
UNHCR has also been supporting projects to help returnees reintegrate in Liberia and Angola. In Liberia, returnees have been given cash grants to help them get to their places of origin and to help rebuild their lives, and some of them have attended UNHCR-supported skills training programmes.
Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
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US HEALTH CARE LAW CAN HELP CLOSE GAPS IN SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE – UN AGENCY
US HEALTH CARE LAW CAN HELP CLOSE GAPS IN SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE – UN AGENCY
New York, Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
The health care overhaul law in the United States, which was upheld by the Supreme Court yesterday, can help close gaps in social security coverage that currently affect 30 million people in the country, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said today.
"The new legislation can certainly help people who currently have no access to health care and is very much in line with our efforts to expand social protection throughout the world," <"http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/press-and-media-centre/news/WCMS_184410/lang--en/index.htm">said Xenia Scheil-Adlung, the Health Policy Coordinator at ILO's Social Security Department.
"The US was behind many other countries for social security coverage in health, especially at a time when the economic crisis has further increased these needs," she said in a news release issued by the Geneva-based agency.
Health protection, Ms. Scheil-Adlung said, is the first pillar of what the ILO calls the "social protection floor" – a nationally-defined set of basic social security guarantees.
"The new ILO recommendation [on social protection floors] makes it clear that social protection needs to be defined at national levels and should be discussed with all stakeholders, including civil society. So the current debate taking place in the US around social protection can be beneficial in a way," she said.
Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
The health care overhaul law in the United States, which was upheld by the Supreme Court yesterday, can help close gaps in social security coverage that currently affect 30 million people in the country, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said today.
"The new legislation can certainly help people who currently have no access to health care and is very much in line with our efforts to expand social protection throughout the world," <"http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/press-and-media-centre/news/WCMS_184410/lang--en/index.htm">said Xenia Scheil-Adlung, the Health Policy Coordinator at ILO's Social Security Department.
"The US was behind many other countries for social security coverage in health, especially at a time when the economic crisis has further increased these needs," she said in a news release issued by the Geneva-based agency.
Health protection, Ms. Scheil-Adlung said, is the first pillar of what the ILO calls the "social protection floor" – a nationally-defined set of basic social security guarantees.
"The new ILO recommendation [on social protection floors] makes it clear that social protection needs to be defined at national levels and should be discussed with all stakeholders, including civil society. So the current debate taking place in the US around social protection can be beneficial in a way," she said.
Jun 29 2012 1:10PM
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BAN CONGRATULATES EGYPT’S MORSI ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WIN
BAN CONGRATULATES EGYPT'S MORSI ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WIN
New York, Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Muhammad Morsi on his win in Egypt's presidential election, and offered the continued assistance of the United Nations as the country pursues the path of democracy.
In a phone call on Wednesday, Mr. Ban urged the President-elect to ensure that all Egyptians would be able to realize their aspirations for greater democracy, the promotion of human rights, and a more prosperous and stable country, according to information <"http://www.un.org/sg/offthecuff/index.asp?nid=2381">released by his office.
Mr. Morsi is reportedly due to be sworn in tomorrow, two weeks after he defeated ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in the run-off election. He is the first president to be elected following the ouster of long-time leader Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising last year that was part of the wider pro-democracy movement across the Middle East and North Africa.
Mr. Ban also spoke with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's Acting head of State, on Thursday. He congratulated him on the recent presidential elections and expressed appreciation for his leadership in having the elections transpire in a peaceful and transparent manner.
The Secretary-General noted that the elections did not mark the end of a process but an end of one phase in the process towards democracy, his office stated.
Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Muhammad Morsi on his win in Egypt's presidential election, and offered the continued assistance of the United Nations as the country pursues the path of democracy.
In a phone call on Wednesday, Mr. Ban urged the President-elect to ensure that all Egyptians would be able to realize their aspirations for greater democracy, the promotion of human rights, and a more prosperous and stable country, according to information <"http://www.un.org/sg/offthecuff/index.asp?nid=2381">released by his office.
Mr. Morsi is reportedly due to be sworn in tomorrow, two weeks after he defeated ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in the run-off election. He is the first president to be elected following the ouster of long-time leader Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising last year that was part of the wider pro-democracy movement across the Middle East and North Africa.
Mr. Ban also spoke with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's Acting head of State, on Thursday. He congratulated him on the recent presidential elections and expressed appreciation for his leadership in having the elections transpire in a peaceful and transparent manner.
The Secretary-General noted that the elections did not mark the end of a process but an end of one phase in the process towards democracy, his office stated.
Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
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UN REFUGEE AGENCY REDEPLOYS STAFF TO ADDRESS HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN MYANMAR
UN REFUGEE AGENCY REDEPLOYS STAFF TO ADDRESS HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN MYANMAR
New York, Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency today said that it had begun redeploying staff members to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, where violence has displaced thousands of people.
Adrian Edwards, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said more staff members had returned to Rakhine on Wednesday, joining an earlier team that had gone back on 20 June and others who were already there.
"We are also participating in a joint visit by the Government, UN, non-governmental organization, and representatives from donor countries to areas affected by the violence," Mr. Edwards said during a press briefing in Geneva. "They will spend two or three days in Rakhine state."
Serious inter-communal disturbances took place in Rakhine state last month, leading the Government to declare a state of emergency there. In addition, the UN also temporarily relocated, on a voluntary basis, some of its staff based in the towns of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, as well as Rakhine state's capital, Sittwe.
According to the Myanmar authorities, the violence, between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, left 78 people dead, 87 injured, and thousands of homes destroyed. It also displaced more than 52,000 people.
Mr. Edwards noted that UNHCR has begun needs assessments in relief camps and has distributed relief items such as blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets and mosquito nets to some 5,000 people in 30 locations. Further supplies for an additional 35,000 people will reach Sittwe early next week, he said.
"We and our partners are concerned about the possibility of disease outbreaks because of poor water supplies and sanitation at a time when it is raining heavily," Mr. Edwards added.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it has distributed food to some 92,000 people who were affected by the violence.
WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs told the briefing that the agency had sent 440 tons of food and 1,000 tons of rice to Sittwe for distribution and was increasing its logistical capacities in terms of small trucks and stocking possibilities.
Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency today said that it had begun redeploying staff members to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, where violence has displaced thousands of people.
Adrian Edwards, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said more staff members had returned to Rakhine on Wednesday, joining an earlier team that had gone back on 20 June and others who were already there.
"We are also participating in a joint visit by the Government, UN, non-governmental organization, and representatives from donor countries to areas affected by the violence," Mr. Edwards said during a press briefing in Geneva. "They will spend two or three days in Rakhine state."
Serious inter-communal disturbances took place in Rakhine state last month, leading the Government to declare a state of emergency there. In addition, the UN also temporarily relocated, on a voluntary basis, some of its staff based in the towns of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, as well as Rakhine state's capital, Sittwe.
According to the Myanmar authorities, the violence, between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, left 78 people dead, 87 injured, and thousands of homes destroyed. It also displaced more than 52,000 people.
Mr. Edwards noted that UNHCR has begun needs assessments in relief camps and has distributed relief items such as blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets and mosquito nets to some 5,000 people in 30 locations. Further supplies for an additional 35,000 people will reach Sittwe early next week, he said.
"We and our partners are concerned about the possibility of disease outbreaks because of poor water supplies and sanitation at a time when it is raining heavily," Mr. Edwards added.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it has distributed food to some 92,000 people who were affected by the violence.
WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs told the briefing that the agency had sent 440 tons of food and 1,000 tons of rice to Sittwe for distribution and was increasing its logistical capacities in terms of small trucks and stocking possibilities.
Jun 29 2012 12:10PM
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UN RELIEF CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER WORSENING HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SUDAN
UN RELIEF CHIEF VOICES CONCERN OVER WORSENING HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SUDAN
New York, Jun 29 2012 10:10AM
The United Nations emergency relief coordinator today voiced concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan, and called for unrestricted access for aid agencies so they can assist people in need.
"Hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the conflict zone with little access to food, water, shelter and medical services," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos in a <"http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/ERC%20Valerie%20Amos%20statement%20on%20Sudan%2028%20June%202012.pdf">statement.
"In order to respond to these growing needs, humanitarian agencies need unimpeded and complete access to all areas. I remain especially concerned that there continues to be no access to areas controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)," she said.
Thousands of people are also crossing into neighbouring countries each day after fleeing conflict and related food shortages in Sudan and, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of Sudanese refugees arriving in South Sudan and Ethiopia has more than doubled since April, amounting to 200,000.
"The new arrivals are in a desperate state, with large numbers of children in urgent need of treatment for malnutrition," Ms. Amos said.
While the Sudanese Government announced its acceptance of the Tripartite Proposal of the African Union (AU), the Arab League and the UN for the delivery of humanitarian assistance in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the Government has laid out operational conditions that do not allow for the delivery of assistance by neutral parties in SPLM-N-controlled areas, Ms. Amos noted.
"I therefore continue to call on the Government of Sudan to deliver on its stated commitment: that assistance can reach all Sudanese people in need," Ms. Amos said, reiterating the UN's commitment to work with all parties to "find an acceptable solution for the immediate delivery of assistance to all people in need."
Ms. Amos also welcomed the joint World Food Programme (WFP) and Government verification exercise that recently took place in six Government-controlled areas of South Kordofan, noting that food distribution had already begun, with the initial aim of reaching more than 100,000 people.
Jun 29 2012 10:10AM
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New York, Jun 29 2012 10:10AM
The United Nations emergency relief coordinator today voiced concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan, and called for unrestricted access for aid agencies so they can assist people in need.
"Hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the conflict zone with little access to food, water, shelter and medical services," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos in a <"http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/ERC%20Valerie%20Amos%20statement%20on%20Sudan%2028%20June%202012.pdf">statement.
"In order to respond to these growing needs, humanitarian agencies need unimpeded and complete access to all areas. I remain especially concerned that there continues to be no access to areas controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)," she said.
Thousands of people are also crossing into neighbouring countries each day after fleeing conflict and related food shortages in Sudan and, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of Sudanese refugees arriving in South Sudan and Ethiopia has more than doubled since April, amounting to 200,000.
"The new arrivals are in a desperate state, with large numbers of children in urgent need of treatment for malnutrition," Ms. Amos said.
While the Sudanese Government announced its acceptance of the Tripartite Proposal of the African Union (AU), the Arab League and the UN for the delivery of humanitarian assistance in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the Government has laid out operational conditions that do not allow for the delivery of assistance by neutral parties in SPLM-N-controlled areas, Ms. Amos noted.
"I therefore continue to call on the Government of Sudan to deliver on its stated commitment: that assistance can reach all Sudanese people in need," Ms. Amos said, reiterating the UN's commitment to work with all parties to "find an acceptable solution for the immediate delivery of assistance to all people in need."
Ms. Amos also welcomed the joint World Food Programme (WFP) and Government verification exercise that recently took place in six Government-controlled areas of South Kordofan, noting that food distribution had already begun, with the initial aim of reaching more than 100,000 people.
Jun 29 2012 10:10AM
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UN TEAMS UP WITH FASHION INDUSTRY TO FIGHT POVERTY
UN TEAMS UP WITH FASHION INDUSTRY TO FIGHT POVERTY
New York, Jun 28 2012 5:10PM
The United Nations today announced its partnership with the fashion industry to fight poverty and provide assistance to millions of women and children worldwide through the Fashion for Development (F4D) initiative.
"The fashion industry in the past several years has redefined how to market, how to brand, how to raise awareness and how to inspire others," said Ray Chambers, a Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Advocate, at a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.
F4D is a global platform to advance the MDGs, which are a set of targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, and HIV/AIDS reduction with a 2015 deadline.
The initiative was founded in 1996 by former supermodel Bibi Russell with the support of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and seeks to assist women in the developing world with creating new businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities in the fashion industry.
Mr. Chambers noted that F4D is also working to reduce tariffs on threads and fabric, and to raise capital for new factories, train local people and enlist established designers to get involved in these initiatives, many of whom are based in Africa.
"I think the fashion industry will lead the emergence of so many of the developing economies," Mr. Chambers said. "So the leadership of the fashion industry could not have come along at a better time."
Among the supporters of the partnership are Franca Sozzani, Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia and F4D Goodwill Ambassador, and Evie Evangelou, co-founder and Global Chair of F4D.
Mr. Chambers, who is also the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria, said the UN is exploring other opportunities to build close partnerships with the fashion industry.
"In September the UN General Assembly week generally follows Fashion Week in New York so we are hoping to bring them together to do a lot of cross-promoting and media coverage. We are also looking to people in social media to take up the support of what the fashion industry can do to help."
Ms. Sozzani spoke of the F4D projects with women in Africa and the challenges that they face when working in the fashion industry, from production and fabric prices to their working conditions.
"Africa can really produce great things," she said. "They have the best raw materials and the talent to succeed, but the raw materials are not treated there so we have to find and fund the textile industry in the continent."
Jun 28 2012 5:10PM
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New York, Jun 28 2012 5:10PM
The United Nations today announced its partnership with the fashion industry to fight poverty and provide assistance to millions of women and children worldwide through the Fashion for Development (F4D) initiative.
"The fashion industry in the past several years has redefined how to market, how to brand, how to raise awareness and how to inspire others," said Ray Chambers, a Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Advocate, at a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.
F4D is a global platform to advance the MDGs, which are a set of targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, and HIV/AIDS reduction with a 2015 deadline.
The initiative was founded in 1996 by former supermodel Bibi Russell with the support of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and seeks to assist women in the developing world with creating new businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities in the fashion industry.
Mr. Chambers noted that F4D is also working to reduce tariffs on threads and fabric, and to raise capital for new factories, train local people and enlist established designers to get involved in these initiatives, many of whom are based in Africa.
"I think the fashion industry will lead the emergence of so many of the developing economies," Mr. Chambers said. "So the leadership of the fashion industry could not have come along at a better time."
Among the supporters of the partnership are Franca Sozzani, Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia and F4D Goodwill Ambassador, and Evie Evangelou, co-founder and Global Chair of F4D.
Mr. Chambers, who is also the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria, said the UN is exploring other opportunities to build close partnerships with the fashion industry.
"In September the UN General Assembly week generally follows Fashion Week in New York so we are hoping to bring them together to do a lot of cross-promoting and media coverage. We are also looking to people in social media to take up the support of what the fashion industry can do to help."
Ms. Sozzani spoke of the F4D projects with women in Africa and the challenges that they face when working in the fashion industry, from production and fabric prices to their working conditions.
"Africa can really produce great things," she said. "They have the best raw materials and the talent to succeed, but the raw materials are not treated there so we have to find and fund the textile industry in the continent."
Jun 28 2012 5:10PM
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SENIOR UN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR PROBE INTO LATEST INCIDENT IN KOSOVO
SENIOR UN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR PROBE INTO LATEST INCIDENT IN KOSOVO
New York, Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
The United Nations envoy for Kosovo has <"http://www.unmikonline.org/PR/UNMIK%20PR%201775%20-%20SRSG%20condemns%20today's%20incidents%20and%20provocative%20acts.docx">condemned the incidents that occurred there today, particularly the attack on buses carrying a number of children of Serbian nationality, and called on all parties to refrain from actions that could worsen the situation.
A group of about 70 Serbs was travelling in two buses to Gazimestan, a religious and historic site close to the capital, Pristina, when police turned them back, according to media reports. The subsequent clashes reportedly left 50 people injured.
Farid Zarif, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, strongly condemned the "incidents and provocative acts," in a statement issued by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Mr. Zarif called on the authorities to conduct a complete and thorough investigation into the incidents.
Established in 1999, UNMIK is mandated to help ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo and advance regional stability in the western Balkans.
Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
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New York, Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
The United Nations envoy for Kosovo has <"http://www.unmikonline.org/PR/UNMIK%20PR%201775%20-%20SRSG%20condemns%20today's%20incidents%20and%20provocative%20acts.docx">condemned the incidents that occurred there today, particularly the attack on buses carrying a number of children of Serbian nationality, and called on all parties to refrain from actions that could worsen the situation.
A group of about 70 Serbs was travelling in two buses to Gazimestan, a religious and historic site close to the capital, Pristina, when police turned them back, according to media reports. The subsequent clashes reportedly left 50 people injured.
Farid Zarif, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, strongly condemned the "incidents and provocative acts," in a statement issued by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Mr. Zarif called on the authorities to conduct a complete and thorough investigation into the incidents.
Established in 1999, UNMIK is mandated to help ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo and advance regional stability in the western Balkans.
Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
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UN SENIOR OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT RIO+20 ACHIEVEMENTS
UN SENIOR OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT RIO+20 ACHIEVEMENTS
New York, Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
United Nations senior officials today highlighted the achievements made during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held last week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stressing that they represent a global movement of change in which governments, the private sector and civil society all contribute to achieve global prosperity while protecting the environment.
"Let me be clear. Rio+20 was a success," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a General Assembly meeting on the outcome of the Conference. "In Rio, we saw the further evolution of an undeniable global movement for change."
More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June. The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
In his <"/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=1588">remarks, Mr. Ban highlighted several parts of the Rio+20 outcome document, entitled 'The Future We Want,' which he hailed as "an important victory for multilateralism after months of difficult negotiations."
Through the document, the UN chief said, countries renewed their political commitment to sustainable development, agreed to establish a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and established a high-level political forum on sustainable development.
The outcome document also calls for a wide range of actions, such as detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.
Mr. Ban emphasized the importance of the more than 700 commitments registered during the Conference.
"This is a remarkable testament to bottom-up, grassroots commitment," Mr. Ban said. "The world is watching and will hold us all accountable to the commitments made in Rio."
In his remarks to the gathering, the President of the General Assembly, Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, called on Member States to respect their commitments made in relation to Rio+20 "so that they can guide our future actions."
"Implementation is imperative if we are to attain the future we want," he added. "Now that the summit is over, the real work begins, and we all have our parts to play for ultimate success."
Mr. Al-Nasser reiterated the Assembly's commitment to play a central role in helping define and establish the SDGs. He also announced a series of meetings in the area of sustainable development and global prosperity, to help tackle the issue related to the global financial crises, which are also linked to countries' capabilities to work towards sustainable development.
"No country has been completely immune from the global economic and financial crisis that hit the world in 2008. To tackle this issue successfully, the world needs to come together like never before and act collectively with a sense of urgency," he said.
Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
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New York, Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
United Nations senior officials today highlighted the achievements made during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held last week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stressing that they represent a global movement of change in which governments, the private sector and civil society all contribute to achieve global prosperity while protecting the environment.
"Let me be clear. Rio+20 was a success," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a General Assembly meeting on the outcome of the Conference. "In Rio, we saw the further evolution of an undeniable global movement for change."
More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June. The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
In his <"/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=1588">remarks, Mr. Ban highlighted several parts of the Rio+20 outcome document, entitled 'The Future We Want,' which he hailed as "an important victory for multilateralism after months of difficult negotiations."
Through the document, the UN chief said, countries renewed their political commitment to sustainable development, agreed to establish a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and established a high-level political forum on sustainable development.
The outcome document also calls for a wide range of actions, such as detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.
Mr. Ban emphasized the importance of the more than 700 commitments registered during the Conference.
"This is a remarkable testament to bottom-up, grassroots commitment," Mr. Ban said. "The world is watching and will hold us all accountable to the commitments made in Rio."
In his remarks to the gathering, the President of the General Assembly, Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, called on Member States to respect their commitments made in relation to Rio+20 "so that they can guide our future actions."
"Implementation is imperative if we are to attain the future we want," he added. "Now that the summit is over, the real work begins, and we all have our parts to play for ultimate success."
Mr. Al-Nasser reiterated the Assembly's commitment to play a central role in helping define and establish the SDGs. He also announced a series of meetings in the area of sustainable development and global prosperity, to help tackle the issue related to the global financial crises, which are also linked to countries' capabilities to work towards sustainable development.
"No country has been completely immune from the global economic and financial crisis that hit the world in 2008. To tackle this issue successfully, the world needs to come together like never before and act collectively with a sense of urgency," he said.
Jun 28 2012 4:10PM
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UN AND PARTNERS APPEAL FOR $193 MILLION TO ASSIST SYRIAN REFUGEES
UN AND PARTNERS APPEAL FOR $193 MILLION TO ASSIST SYRIAN REFUGEES
New York, Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners today appealed for $193 million to help the growing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
"The Governments and host communities of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have shown tremendous generosity and hospitality to Syrian refugees," <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fec4a5f6.html">said Panos Moumtzis of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "It is essential that the international community steps up its support for relief operations for refugees."
In the past three months, humanitarian agencies have registered an average of over 500 Syrian refugees per day. According to UNHCR, more than 96,000 Syrians are either registered or being assisted in neighbouring countries, with numbers doubling since March. The agency estimates that the figure could double again by the end of the year.
"Around 75 per cent of Syrian refugees are women and children. Most are entirely dependent on life-saving humanitarian assistance," said Mr. Moumtzis, who is UNHCR's Regional Coordinator for Syrian Refugees. To date, the appeal is only 26 per cent funded.
The appeal seeks to provide assistance to Syrian refugees in camps as well as technical advice to the Government of Turkey, which is hosting some 33,000 Syrians who fled the conflict, representing the majority of refugees.
In addition, the appeal would support the increasing number of Iraqi and Somali refugees who have fled Syria for towns and cities in Turkey.
The plan is the result of the coordinated efforts of 44 international and national agencies involved in responding to the needs of Syrian refugees in four countries. The UN agencies taking part include UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The agencies had originally appealed for $84.1 million in March, and the revision comes as the number of refugees continues to rise.
Meanwhile, WFP began a food voucher programme to assist 40,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The voucher system allows people living in urban settings to buy their food, including fresh commodities from local shops, as well as boost the local economy.
"The majority of Syrians have left their homes and lives behind – living, at best, with host families and, at worst, share derelict houses with other refugee families," said WFP Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Daly Belgasmi. "WFP is addressing the immediate food needs of these refugees as part of a UN joint effort to alleviate the suffering of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees."
According to a news release issued by the agency, WFP has also scaled up its operations inside Syria to reach half a million people in need of food assistance and is preparing to further expand operations in July to reach 850,000 people affected by the current crisis.
The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.
Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
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New York, Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners today appealed for $193 million to help the growing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
"The Governments and host communities of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have shown tremendous generosity and hospitality to Syrian refugees," <"http://www.unhcr.org/4fec4a5f6.html">said Panos Moumtzis of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "It is essential that the international community steps up its support for relief operations for refugees."
In the past three months, humanitarian agencies have registered an average of over 500 Syrian refugees per day. According to UNHCR, more than 96,000 Syrians are either registered or being assisted in neighbouring countries, with numbers doubling since March. The agency estimates that the figure could double again by the end of the year.
"Around 75 per cent of Syrian refugees are women and children. Most are entirely dependent on life-saving humanitarian assistance," said Mr. Moumtzis, who is UNHCR's Regional Coordinator for Syrian Refugees. To date, the appeal is only 26 per cent funded.
The appeal seeks to provide assistance to Syrian refugees in camps as well as technical advice to the Government of Turkey, which is hosting some 33,000 Syrians who fled the conflict, representing the majority of refugees.
In addition, the appeal would support the increasing number of Iraqi and Somali refugees who have fled Syria for towns and cities in Turkey.
The plan is the result of the coordinated efforts of 44 international and national agencies involved in responding to the needs of Syrian refugees in four countries. The UN agencies taking part include UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The agencies had originally appealed for $84.1 million in March, and the revision comes as the number of refugees continues to rise.
Meanwhile, WFP began a food voucher programme to assist 40,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The voucher system allows people living in urban settings to buy their food, including fresh commodities from local shops, as well as boost the local economy.
"The majority of Syrians have left their homes and lives behind – living, at best, with host families and, at worst, share derelict houses with other refugee families," said WFP Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Daly Belgasmi. "WFP is addressing the immediate food needs of these refugees as part of a UN joint effort to alleviate the suffering of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees."
According to a news release issued by the agency, WFP has also scaled up its operations inside Syria to reach half a million people in need of food assistance and is preparing to further expand operations in July to reach 850,000 people affected by the current crisis.
The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.
Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
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ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES NEED FOR STRONG RESOLVE, ACTION TO DEFEAT TERRORISM
ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES NEED FOR STRONG RESOLVE, ACTION TO DEFEAT TERRORISM
New York, Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
The resolve of Member States to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is strong, but it requires action and results if the international community is to defeat this global scourge, the President of the General Assembly said today.
"Only through strong political will, and by implementation and delivery, can we realize our hopes of a world free of terrorism," Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said as Member States began the third review of the Strategy.
Adopted by the Assembly in September 2006, the Strategy is based on four pillars: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; preventing and combating terrorism; building States' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard; ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
"The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a watershed document in the international community's fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," said Mr. Al-Nasser, noting that it is "comprehensive in scope, preventative in nature and integrated in approach."
He voiced the hope that the two-day review will provide the necessary momentum towards the full implementation of the Strategy on the ground. In particular, he underscored the importance of regional cooperation in global counter-terrorism efforts.
"Several regions around the world have demonstrated the advantage that regional cooperation brings to counter-terrorism activities. We need to learn from those experiences, and see how we can use improved regional collaboration to strengthen counter-terrorism work, both at the national and international levels," he stated.
"In short, this requires multi-national efforts that go beyond traditional and localized approaches. No nation, acting alone, no matter how powerful it is, can prevent every threat from being carried out."
The UN's counter-terrorism framework also includes the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which facilitates coordination of anti-terrorism efforts with international, regional and sub-regional organizations and promotes coherence in the implementation of the Strategy at the national, regional and global levels. Members States can request assistance from the task force, especially in capacity-building.
Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
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New York, Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
The resolve of Member States to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is strong, but it requires action and results if the international community is to defeat this global scourge, the President of the General Assembly said today.
"Only through strong political will, and by implementation and delivery, can we realize our hopes of a world free of terrorism," Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said as Member States began the third review of the Strategy.
Adopted by the Assembly in September 2006, the Strategy is based on four pillars: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; preventing and combating terrorism; building States' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard; ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
"The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a watershed document in the international community's fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," said Mr. Al-Nasser, noting that it is "comprehensive in scope, preventative in nature and integrated in approach."
He voiced the hope that the two-day review will provide the necessary momentum towards the full implementation of the Strategy on the ground. In particular, he underscored the importance of regional cooperation in global counter-terrorism efforts.
"Several regions around the world have demonstrated the advantage that regional cooperation brings to counter-terrorism activities. We need to learn from those experiences, and see how we can use improved regional collaboration to strengthen counter-terrorism work, both at the national and international levels," he stated.
"In short, this requires multi-national efforts that go beyond traditional and localized approaches. No nation, acting alone, no matter how powerful it is, can prevent every threat from being carried out."
The UN's counter-terrorism framework also includes the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which facilitates coordination of anti-terrorism efforts with international, regional and sub-regional organizations and promotes coherence in the implementation of the Strategy at the national, regional and global levels. Members States can request assistance from the task force, especially in capacity-building.
Jun 28 2012 2:10PM
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