Todays Quote

I call on men around the world to lead by example: to make clear that violence against women is an act perpetrated by a coward, and that speaking up against that violence is a badge of honour. I call on Member States around the world: the responsibility, above all, lies with you. I call on all of you to pledge with me: United We Shall Succeed.

Statement by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launching global campaign to end violence against women, 25 February 2008
http://www.un.org/sg/

Researcher Judi Bailey freelance writer from Ohio.

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Cusp of History

12-16-2009 We are here today to write a different future. More than 130 Heads of State and Government have confirmed their presence in Copenhagen –- that is a clear proof that climate change has risen to the top of the international agenda. Every day brings new commitments to our cause –- from industrialized countries, emerging economies and developing countries alike.

We know what we must do. We know what the world expects. Our job, here and now, is to seal a deal … a deal in our common interest. A deal that reduces greenhouse gas emissions …. that protects the most vulnerable … that ushers in a new era of clean development and green growth for all.

Now is the time. For three years I have sought to bring world leaders to the table to solve climate change. Now they are coming. Three years of effort have come down to three days of negotiations and three days of action.

From my first day in office, I have spoken out about climate change. It is the defining challenge of our era. No issue is more fundamental to the global challenges we face –- reducing poverty … maintaining economic growth … ensuring peace and stability.

The evidence assaults us: melting ice caps, advancing deserts, rising sea levels. We have a chance … a real chance … here and now … to change the course of our history. The momentum is there. We see it from all sectors of our society. Business people … civic leaders … religious leaders … and young people.

Two months ago, I convened a summit meeting on climate change at the General Assembly in New York. Many of you were there. You will remember the young people, from around the world, reaching out to us at the time. “Show us change,” they asked. “Show us leadership.”

We are here today to seal a deal on climate change. To forge an agreement that all nations can embrace. An agreement that is fair … ambitious … and comprehensive. That acknowledges the demands of science … that involves all countries working to limit global temperature rise to within 2° C … that charts a path for green growth and strengthens our ability to adapt to inevitable climate changes.

Darfur Orders Immediate Release

29 August 2009 – The head of the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur has called for the immediate and unconditional release of two staff members who were abducted early Saturday. The mission, known as UNAMID, has not released the names or nationalities of the two international civilian staff – one man and one woman.

The two were abducted at gunpoint by four or five armed men from their residence in the West Darfur town of Zalingei at 4:30 a.m. local time and taken to an unknown destination, according to information provided by the mission.

Rodolphe Adada, the Joint Special Representative for Darfur and head of UNAMID, “called for the immediate and unconditional release of the two staff members, urging their abductors to return them unharmed.”

The Security Council established UNAMID in 2007 to try to quell the violence in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million others displaced as a result of conflict pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen since 2003.

UN Security Council Condems

N. Korea Misslie Tests

6 July 2009 – The Security Council today condemned the ballistic missile tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) over the weekend, saying they violate Council resolutions and pose a threat to regional and international security.

Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda of Uganda, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, read out a statement to journalists this evening saying that the 15-member panel had “expressed grave concerns” following the reported tests off the DPRK coast on 4 July.

H1N1 Global Threat

According to Secretary General of the U.N. Ban Moon - I briefed the General Assembly on the latest developments regarding the H1N1 epidemic Monday. A s you know, this outbreak is yet another reminder that we live an interconnected world. A threat to one country is a threat to all, requiring a collective, global response.

I understand that the World Health Organization does not plan at this time to raise its alert level. That said, there is still much that is not known about this new strain of virus and the dangers it poses. We must therefore be prepared, whatever trajectory the current outbreak may take. So far we have been fortunate that its consequences have been relatively mild we have learned valuable lessons.

Our watchword in potential health crises, now and in the future, must be solidarity for a global solidarity.I will, therefore, be asking Governments in the coming weeks to:

First, reach agreement on sharing of samples of viral and other materials, as well as data on outbreaks, in line with the International Health Regulations;

Second, agree to establish coordinated long-term financing mechanisms for supporting poorer countries so that they are able to build their defences against global health threats;

Third, ensure that WHO has all the resources it needs, when it needs them; and

Fourth, reverse restrictions on trade and travel unless there is clear scientific evidence that it is necessary.

I will begin these discussions in earnest when I travel to Geneva later this month for the World Health Assembly.

I will also meet with donors, technical partners and the private sector, including pharmaceutical companies, to explore how all can contribute. As I say, we still do not know how this particular health challenge will proceed and we must be prepared. As previous pandemics in the twentieth century showed, the situation can unfold in stages because what begins as mild in the first stage might be less so in the next.

As we look forward, we must remain vigilant and alert to the warning signs. This will help ensure the proper response that benefits all the people of our world.

Feed Young Minds

“Let us find ways to assure that we are feeding young minds, as well as bodies; creating safe havens for learners, as well as their larger communities,” the President of the General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, said at the opening of the Assembly’s day-long thematic dialogue on access to education for people caught in conflicts and disasters.

“Let us give these girls and boys, youth and women the opportunity to contribute in the recovery and the future of their societies,” he said. “Let us give them hope by learning to overcome what, in the midst of chaos, must seem to be insurmountable challenges. This is a real opportunity to transform poverty and oppression into opportunity and integration.”

With the fundamental right to education denied to an estimated 75 million children worldwide, nearly half of them in conflict-torn countries, today’s three interactive panels explored why the world community needed to act now. They considered the means of making education work and looked at ways to move forward. The participants underscored the need to include education as an important part of the humanitarian response to conflicts and natural disasters and stressed the international community’s collective obligation to fulfil the right to education for all. The final panel addressed the measures the international community could take to end impunity, guarantee greater protection of students and teachers, and ensure quality education in emergencies.

Children and teachers, as well as policymakers, shared their experiences and “lessons learned through trial and error, action and reflection”, Mr. d’Escoto said. Most of those present believed that children needed schools in the same way they needed food, water and medical care. Yet only six development partners included education as part of their humanitarian policy.

“Let us, as a body, as Member States and specialized agencies, look for ways to integrate this simple conviction into the complex policies of our humanitarian assistance operations,” he said, stressing the need to translate today’s discussion and recommendations into concrete policies and programmes for tens of millions of children and young people around the world.

With education not enough of a priority in the world’s response to complex emergencies, the Assembly would press for clearer resolutions, legislation and policies to close that “glaring gap”, he added at the closing of the session. The legal basis for the protection of the right to education could be found in much of the international community’s human rights legislation, but in the face of rising incidents of violence and human disasters caused by natural phenomena those lofty goals had fallen victim to a culture of neglect, or worse, impunity. And the collective failure to stop impunity served as a license for perpetrators.

He agreed with the emergent view that States be called on to protect schools and make them safe havens, especially in the most difficult situations. He also voiced support for calls that States should criminalize attacks on schools as war crimes, in accordance with the Rome Statute, and prosecute offenders accordingly. Such actions must be taken routinely and systematically, especially in a world where violent conflicts were lethal and where natural disasters were increasing in frequency. “We must apply all our tenacity and creativity to develop sound responses, ones that are feasible and that work in the worst conditions,” he said.

That call for action was echoed by today’s keynote speaker, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who stressed the need to activate existing international conventions and establish a practical global mechanism to prohibit attacks on the right to education.

Perpetrators must be punished and made to compensate for the human and material damage resulting from their actions, she said, urging the debate to pave the way for an executive work plan, under United Nations auspices, to put that mechanism in place, so that educational institutions in areas of conflict could become true safe havens. Decision-makers should organize regional conferences with experts to deepen their understanding of the issue, and those efforts should culminate in an international conference, which Qatar would be willing to host.

Despite all the frustrations and disappointments deepened by the war in Gaza, she was committed to the right of quality education for everyone, she said. That right was the perfect path to bridge the gap between different cultures and to reconcile various civilizations. Without such a right, values of liberty, justice and equality would be meaningless.

United Nations

UN Global Crisis Sustainable Development

The developing world’s vulnerability to the prevailing multiple global crises and preparations for the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development were prominent among the concerns of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) as the 42 draft resolutions and 4 draft decisions it had recommended for action by the General Assembly were adopted today.

Among the texts adopted — all but four without a vote — were two brand new texts, the first titled “Towards global partnerships”, which called on the international community to continue promoting multistakeholder approaches to development. The second, “People’s empowerment and a peace-centric development model”, noted theproposal by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to host an international conference on the subject during the first half of 2012.

However, the focus fell on sustainable development ahead of the upcoming Conference on Sustainable Development, known as “Rio+20”, with the Assembly adopting 16 draft resolutions and 2 draft decisions on the subject. One new text dealt with international cooperation and coordination for the rehabilitation and economic development of the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan. Another noted the failure of donors to meet their commitments on official development assistance (ODA), stressing the vital importance of aid to financing for development, and of greater South-South cooperation.

Another adopted text stressed the challenges posed by desertification, land degradation and drought, including to food security in developing countries, and emphasized the need for financial resources, technology transfer and capacity-building to meet them.

Recorded votes were requested before action on two draft resolutions dealing with sustainable development. By the terms of one text, the Assembly requested for the sixth consecutive year that Israel compensate Lebanon and Syria for the pollution of their shores that followed the destruction of oil storage tanks near Lebanon’s El-Jiyeh power plant. Compensation was expected promptly and to be adequate to restore the marine environment and repair the environmental damage. The Assembly adopted that draft by a recorded vote of 165 in favour to 8 against (Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 6 abstentions (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Gabon, Panama, Tonga).

Adopted by a recorded vote of 141 in favour to 2 against (South Africa, Venezuela), with 33 abstentions was a text on agricultural technology for development. By its terms, the Assembly urged the strengthening of international efforts to develop sustainable agricultural technologies, and their transfer to developing countries under fair terms. It also requested that the United Nations promote, support and facilitate the exchange of experiences among Member States on ways to augment sustainable agriculture and management practices.

On the subject of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution that expressed deep concern over the number and scale of disasters and their impact on sustainable development, especially in developing countries.

Anothertext looked specifically at the adverse impact of disasters on sustainable mountain development, urging the international community to take concrete steps in support of national and regional efforts to ensure the sustainable development of mountain regions.

The Assembly also adopted a text urging States to take practical steps to protect coral reefs and calling for international support for the efforts of developing countries in that regard. Another text emphasized that sustainable tourism in Central America was fundamental to regional integration, and an engine of social and economic development. A third draft resolution invited the United Nations to work with partners to better measure the environmental degradation resulting from human activity.

Two annual texts stressed, respectively, the need for continued substantive consideration of the promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, and the issue of biological diversity.

Be Thankful You Live in the United States Instead of Egypt or Belarus

11-25-11 Even though the future looks bleak sometimes we all make our own realities and control ourselves. Yes, there are many people who are out of work and are not being treated fairly while at work, but at least we have our freedom of speech and assembly on our sides if we want to picket people or those unfair companies policies. That is what the Occupy Wall Street protesters are doing is exercising their free speech and civil rights to peaceful demonstrations against corporate greed and unfairness everywhere.

That is not the case in Egypt, or Belarus at the moment. Egyptians are still storming the streets protesting their military rule since getting rid of their extremist leader Mubarek last year. In Belarus the United Nations say that human rights are being marginalized and they are trying to stop basic civil rights freedom of assembly, association and expression.

According to the U.N. in Belarus Under the new laws, organizing public assemblies without the prior and explicit consent of the authorities is a criminal offense, and organizers also face reporting liabilities regarding the financial resources used for any assemblies. Public calls for initiating assemblies and disseminating information -- including through social media platforms -- about assemblies without permission are also banned.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and four independent United Nations human rights experts today voiced alarm at the violent crackdown on protesters in Egypt, and urged the country’s interim authorities to guarantee the protection of key liberties ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections.

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 1,700 others injured since Saturday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators, according to media reports, with Cairo the focus of the violence.

Mr. Ban, in a statement issued by his spokes-person, deplored the loss of life and the many injuries.

“The Secretary-General calls on the transitional authorities to guarantee the protection of human rights and civil liberties for all Egyptians, including the right to peaceful protest,” the statement said.

“He urges restraint and calm by all parties to enable a peaceful and inclusive electoral process as part of Egypt’s transition to democracy and the early establishment of civilian rule.”

In a joint statement issued in Geneva, the human rights experts expressed concern both at the degree of violence and the deterioration of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association.

Christof Heyns, the Special Reporter on summary executions, said the use of lethal force should not be an option when controlling demonstrations.

“Dissent must be tolerated and not restrained with excessive force, which can lead to loss of life,” he said. “I strongly urge the security forces to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid the escalation of violence and take immediate measures to protect the right to life of the demonstrators.”

spolai famine victims photo

U. N. Photo Stuart Price

Somalis' Need Help Now

8-12-2011 According to U.N. officials:A complex amalgam in Somalia of accelerated political progress and the unexpected withdrawal of insurgents from the capital — amid a deadly famine devastating large swaths of the country — made increased international support to the nation urgent at this critical time, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today.

“This is an extraordinary moment for Somalia,” Augustine Mahiga said via video teleconference from Mogadishu. “Now is the time for the international community to demonstrate its commitment,” he said, adding: “The Somali people simply cannot wait any longer.” Describing the situation in the political and security sectors, he was joined by Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, who briefed on the food crisis.

In the political arena, the signing of the Kampala Accord on 9 June “has set us on a new trajectory in the peace process”, Mr. Mahiga said. The Accord, signed by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of the Transitional Federal Government and Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament, ended five months of political stalemate on the way forward, providing for elections in one year and establishing a road map with benchmarks, timelines and compliance mechanisms for implementing priority tasks.

He was further encouraged by implementation of the Accord so far, with former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed resigning ahead of schedule and his successor, Abdiweli Mohamed, overwhelmingly endorsed by Parliament in a timely manner. The Parliament itself had endorsed the Accord on 11 July, and 10 days later, the new Prime Minister had appointed a Cabinet of 18 ministers, following broad consultations. The Parliament had approved the Cabinet within the agreed timeline as well.

The next major step was the adoption procedure for the road map, which would give the people of Somalia much-needed ownership of the process, he said. The international community must be ready to provide support for that framework, he added, stressing that, at the same time, it would be made clear to the Transitional Federal Institutions that there would be consequences for non-compliance or obstruction of the blueprint.

On security, the recent and unexpected withdrawal from Mogadishu of the extremist Al-Shabaab insurgent group had opened up considerable opportunities well ahead of schedule, he said, even though the group had described the retreat as a tactical manoeuvre. In any case, the group had been compelled to retreat, and for that reason, he paid tribute to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Before the withdrawal, earliest projections had foreseen Transitional Federal Institution control and stabilization of the capital city one year from now.

The immediate priority, he said, was to fill the vacuum created by Al‑Shabaab’s departure so as to not allow the warlords and their militia to fill the gap. Basic administrative structures must be put in place as a matter of urgency. In addition, the revival of economic activities in Mogadishu was critical, especially at the Bakara market, hitherto under the control of Al-Shabaab.

The United Nations Political Office in Somalia (UNPOS) was adjusting to the quicker-than-expected changes, as the new situation allowed an expanded United Nations presence inside Somalia, rather than a “light footprint”, he said. For that purpose, sped-up construction of permanent facilities to pave the way for the deployment of additional critical staff was needed, as was the creation of an additional force under AMISOM dedicated to provide protection and facilitate movement for United Nations staff in Mogadishu.

There was also an immediate imperative to augment AMISOM’s resources — in logistics, mobility, aviation and disposal of unexploded ordinance, he said. As the Somali police deployed in the recently recovered areas, the deployment of AMISOM police should be expedited to support those efforts.

Somalis' Deep in Famine

7-27-2011 Severe drought has plunged communities in the southern region of Somalia into famine and sent thousands fleeing both to Mogadishu and to neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya. The UN and partner aid agencies are seeking approximately $1.6 billion in aid to assist millions affected by the crisis in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa region.

On Monday, the top UNHCR officials in Somalia visited the Badbado settlement in Mogadishu which is currently home to an estimated 28,000 people.

“Given the growing numbers of displaced people in search of food assistance, the amounts being delivered are not sufficient to meet all of the needs. This has caused serious crowd crushes and even some looting,” said Ms. Tan.

“As a result, some of the weakest and most vulnerable are left with nothing, despite the best efforts of agencies and charities,” she added.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is hoping that the first in a series of airlifts to Somalia will begin today. The planes will bring, among other supplies, ready-to-use therapeutic food destined specifically for severely malnourished children, agency spokesperson Emilia Casella said in Geneva.

To enable people to carry the food and water they are able to obtain, UNHCR said it will begin distributing 4,000 assistance packages for 24,000 people in the coming week, including jerry cans, buckets, pots, plates, bowls, cups and other utensils. The agency has already distributed shelter materials, including plastic sheeting, in Badbado.

So far this year, UNHCR has distributed over 17,000 emergency assistance packages benefiting 102,000 people in south-central Somalia. It will distribute a further 19,000 packages in the coming days, containing essential items such as plastic sheeting for shelter, sleeping mats and blankets, buckets and jerry cans for water, kitchen sets, utensils, plates and cups for food to 114,000 people.

Another 40,000 packages containing high-energy biscuits, oral re-hydration solution and water purification tablets, are being procured by UNHCR and will reach an estimated 240,000 people in the coming days.

In neighbouring Kenya, UNHCR began an operation yesterday to relocate Somali refugees currently living on the outskirts of the Dadaab refugee camps to a new site known as the Ifo Extension. Over 500 five-person family tents were erected, with a capacity to accommodate at least 2,500 people. A second site, known as Kambioos, will also open in the next few days, to help decongest the outskirts of Dagahaley refugee camp.

The Dadaab camps – whose population has swelled to nearly 380,000 in recent months – have been receiving an average of 1,300 new refugees daily, fleeing conflict, drought, famine and insecurity in Somalia. UNHCR said the Somali refugees are arriving in an “appalling” state of health, dehydrated and severely malnourished, especially children.

Meanwhile, the agency stated that the overall nutrition situation in the remote Dollo Ado camps in Ethiopia remains a concern, with malnutrition levels among the new arrivals still high. One in three children under five arriving from Somalia is severely malnourished.

UNHCR and its partners are responding to address the situation, with supplementary feeding at the transit centre for children under five and hot meals for all refugees waiting to be registered and transferred to the refugee camps.

As of Friday, there were 114,646 Somalis in the Dollo Ado area camps, UNHCR said. The total number of Somali refugees in Ethiopia is currently over 156,000.

Desperate in the Famine Situation

7-21-2011 The United Nations today confirmed the existence of famine in two regions of southern Somalia: southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle, and made an urgent appeal for “exceptional efforts” to support Somalis in overcoming that humanitarian crisis, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden, told correspondents today at a Headquarters press conference.

Speaking via video conference, Mr. Bowden reported that, across the country where malnutrition rates were currently the highest in the world and peaking at 50 per cent in certain areas in the south, nearly half of the Somali population, or 3.7 million people, were now in crisis, with some 2.8 million in the south.

To expedite the delivery of supplies into the worst-affected areas, he said, the United Nations had begun airlifting urgently needed medical, nutrition and water supplies.

In southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle, acute malnutrition rates exceeded 30 per cent, with deaths among children under 5 years old topping 6 per 10,000 a day in some areas. In the last few months, tens of thousands of Somalis had died — the majority, children — from malnutrition and related causes.

Consecutive droughts had affected the country in the last few years, while the ongoing conflict had made it difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country, he explained. “If we don’t act now, famine will spread to all eight regions of southern Somalia within two months, due to poor harvests and infectious disease outbreaks,” he declared. “We still do not have all the resources for food, clean water, shelter and health services to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Somalis in desperate need.”

He estimated that $300 million was needed in the next two months to face the famine, and said that, meanwhile, the lack of resources was alarming. “Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine-affected areas,” he warned.

While United Nations humanitarian agencies had welcomed the recent request by Al-Shabaab for international assistance in southern Somalia, he said, the inability of food agencies to work in the region since early 2010 had prevented the United Nations from reaching those who needed food — particularly children. That, of course, had contributed to the current crisis.

However, despite those challenges, he said, humanitarian agencies were working hard to respond, and in an effort to reach more children with life-saving interventions, the United Nations and its partners had scaled up emergency nutrition, water and sanitation, and immunization efforts to combat malnutrition and reduce disease.

He provided additional details about the most affected areas of Somalia in the south, in particular the region of Lower Shabelle, Middle and Lower Juba, Bay, Bakool, Benadir, Gedo and Hiraan, which hosted an estimated 310,000 acutely malnourished children. The number of people in crisis throughout the country had increased by over 1 million in the last six months. “More than ever, Somali people need and deserve our full attention. At this time of crisis, we must make exceptional efforts to support Somalis wherever they are in need and expect that all parties will do the same,” he urged.

To a question about African support for humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, he said the countries affected were providing assistance to their own people but outside of that, African countries had not provided assistance to the United Nations appeal.

Responding to another question on whether it was possible to get the $300 million he felt was needed in the two months, he said it was possible if there was a willingness to provide it. He cited the strong lead taken by both the United Kingdom and the European Commission in that regard; they had accepted the risks that went with providing that support, based on the urgency of the need. He added, however, that their support was not enough; it was up to Member States to “step up to the plate at this time”.

Osama bin Laden

The Secretary-General, in remarks to reporters this morning, said that the death of Osama bin Laden is a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism. He said that the crimes of Al-Qaida touched most continents, bringing tragedy and loss of life to thousands of men, women and children.

The Secretary-General said that the United Nations condemns in the strongest possible terms terrorism in all its forms, regardless of its purpose and wherever it is committed. This is a day to remember the victims and families of victims, here in the United States and everywhere in the world, he added.

He noted that the General Assembly has adopted a global counter-terrorism strategy, and on the basis of that, we will continue to work together with Member States of the United Nations to completely eradicate global terrorism.

Women and Equality

8 March 2011 – According to the U.N. One hundred years after more than a million women poured out onto the streets around the world on the first International Women’s Day, the United Nations used the anniversary today to warn that despite the gains made much remains to be done to eliminate gender discrimination.Equality is still ellusive to most of them.

“In too many countries and societies, women remain second-class citizens, they do not have equality” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message. “Although the gender gap in education is closing, there are wide differences within and across countries, and far too many girls are still denied schooling, leave prematurely or complete school with few skills and fewer opportunities.

“Women and girls also continue to endure unacceptable discrimination and violence, often at the hand of intimate partners or relatives. In the home and at school, in the workplace and in the community, being female too often means being vulnerable. And in many conflict zones, sexual violence is deliberately and systematically used to intimidate women and whole communities.”

Mr. Ban cited the urgent need for significant progress in women’s and children’s health. He also noted that while in the realm of decision-making more women in more countries are taking their rightful seat in parliament, fewer than 10 per cent of countries have female heads of State or government.

Even where women are prominent in politics, they are often severely underrepresented in other areas of decision-making, including at the highest levels of business and industry, he added. This year’s observance focuses on equal access to education, training, and science and technology.

“Only through women’s full and equal participation in all areas of public and private life can we hope to achieve the sustainable, peaceful and just society promised in the United Nations Charter,” Mr. Ban concluded.

Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, the new entity grouping together the work of four previous UN bodies, highlighted the gains made since those marches of 100 years ago, when only two countries allowed women to vote, compared with virtually universal suffrage today, with women elected to lead governments in every continent.

But, she said: “I suspect those courageous pioneers would look at our world today with a mixture of pride and disappointment. There has been remarkable progress as the last century has seen an unprecedented expansion of women’s legal rights and entitlements. Indeed, the advancement of women’s rights can lay claim to be one of the most profound social revolutions the world has seen…

“But despite this progress over the last century, the hopes of equality expressed on that first International Women’s Day are a long way from being realized. Almost two out of three illiterate adults are women. Girls are still less likely to be in school than boys. Every 90 seconds of every day, a woman dies in pregnancy or due to childbirth-related complications despite us having the knowledge and resources to make birth safe,” she added.

She stressed that across the world, women continue to earn less than men for the same work, and in many countries they have unequal access to land and inheritance rights. Despite high-profile advances, women still make up only 19 per cent of legislatures, 8 per cent of peace negotiators, and only 28 women are heads of State or government, she noted.

“I have seen myself what women, often in the toughest circumstances, can achieve for their families and societies if they are given the opportunity,” said Ms. Bachelet, a former president of Chile. “The strength, industry and wisdom of women remain humanity’s greatest untapped resource. We simply cannot afford to wait another 100 years to unlock this potential.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay devoted her message to the courageous role women played in the recent peaceful mass movements that saw the ouster of the entrenched leaders of Tunisia and Egypt.

“The work, however, is far from over,” she said. “In these moments of historic transition in Egypt and Tunisia, it is important to ensure that women’s rights are not set aside as something to be dealt with after the ‘crucial’ reforms are won. Women’s rights should be at the top of the list of new priorities.”

She noted concerns that constitutional reviews and the development of reforms are undertaken without women’s full participation. “In fact, there are worrying signs about the content of some proposed reforms in Egypt being downright discriminatory,” she said. “The women and men in the Middle East and North Africa must ensure this is not the case.”

All over the world, major disparities remain between female and male access to education, employment and salaries, she added, stressing that while women are the world’s main food producers and their working hours are longer than those of men, women earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income and own less than one per cent of property worldwide. They also comprise nearly two thirds of the world’s 759 million illiterate adults.

Highlighting the many advances in women’s and girls’ health in the last 100 years, such as reforms of the minimum age of marriage and sexual consent, safe abortions, contraception, mammograms, and progress towards ending sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation, UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan also stressed that women’s health involves much more than reproduction.

“We are also faced with challenges,” she said. “Maternal mortality rates and HIV rates among young women are still too high, tobacco consumption among women is increasing, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence continue to be widespread, and there is an increasingly heavy burden of non-communicable diseases on women,” she added, underscoring how lack of education negatively affects fertility, smoking rates, and HIV prevention.

President Muammar Al-Qadhafi's Violence

3-3-2011– The General Assembly suspended Libya from the United Nations Human Rights Council for “gross and systematic” human rights violations and violence because of President Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s violent repression of peaceful protesters demanding his ouster. The vote by the 192-member political Assembly, for which a two-thirds majority was required, followed a request last Friday from the Geneva-based Council itself that it suspend the North African country – one of the top UN right’s body’s 47 elected members – and was passed by acclamation.

It was the latest measure taken against Mr. Qadhafi’s regime by the UN, where the Security Council has already imposed sanctions and requested that the International Criminal Court investigate it for possible crimes against humanity. Only Venezuela expressed reservations about Tuesday’s suspension on the grounds that an investigation was needed first – but it did not stand in the way of the vote.

Terming the Qadhafi regime’s actions “flagrant human rights violations,” the President of the General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, warned that there can be no security or development without respect for rights.

“The credibility of the international community, the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council is at stake in ensuring that these rights are respected and that human rights violations are punished,” he told the representatives gathered in the hall before the vote.

“Today it is up to us, the General Assembly, to do our part. We must show unity and resolve in our determination to promote the fundamental values of the [UN] Charter,” Mr. Deiss added. “This is our duty to all the men and women who are hoping and struggling to have their rights respected and who, today, are running the greatest risks. Their hopes must not be dashed.”

Also addressing the Assembly before the vote, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced grave concern at the continued loss of life, “the ongoing repression of the population and the clear incitement to violence against the civilian population by Colonel Qadhafi and his supporters.”

Mr. Ban said the actions taken by the various UN bodies send a strong and important message – “a message of great consequence within the region and beyond: that there is no impunity, that those who commit crimes against humanity will be punished, that fundamental principles of justice and accountability shall prevail.”

The Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, which had been considered ineffective. The 47 countries that make up the Council’s membership are elected by secret majority vote of the General Assembly based on geographical distribution, and serve for three years, with no more than two consecutive terms. Libya was elected last year with its term scheduled to end in 2013.

Mr. Ban warned of a crisis marked by on-going violence, a growing humanitarian emergency and a political situation that could quickly deteriorate further. He cited reports that government had opened arms depots and arsenals “to gangs who terrorize communities” and that its forces had fired indiscriminately on peaceful protesters.

The Secretary-General stated that the international community must recognize that any changes to societies in the region “must come from within.”

“Above all, this means local ownership and local leadership, consistent with popular aspirations for dignity and justice,” Mr. Ban said. “In this great and noble quest, the United Nations stands ready to assist in every way possible, should the people of the region and their governments request our help.”

He noted that while the death toll from nearly two weeks of violence in Libya is unknown, it is likely to exceed 1,000, with thousands injured. “Credible and consistent reports include allegations of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture,” the Secretary-General said.

Citing a growing crisis of refugees and displaced persons, with nearly 150,000 people already fleeing to Tunisia and Egypt, he warned that the violence could disrupt distribution networks and lead to food shortages.

“In these difficult and unpredictable circumstances, it is critical that the international community remain united,” he said, citing his meeting yesterday in Washington, D.C., with United States President Barack Obama, and talks he plans to hold with other world and regional leaders in the coming days.

“Our collective challenge will be to provide real protection for the people of Libya – first, to halt the violence and, second, to deal with the growing humanitarian emergency,” Mr. Ban said. “The arms embargo, travel ban and assets freeze imposed by Security Council resolution 1970 [on Saturday] must be swiftly and effectively enforced. We need concrete action on the ground to provide humanitarian and medical assistance. Time is of the essence. Thousands of lives are at risk.”

In the coming days, UN assessment teams will deploy to organize the humanitarian response, working on the ground where they can in the eastern and western regions of Libya, Mr. ban said, adding that he would bring together the heads of UN humanitarian agencies and international and regional groups including the Arab League, the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Conference to consolidate the response, for which he plans to appoint a Special Envoy.

Afgan News

The Secretary-General welcomes the inauguration earlier today of the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament, presided over by President Hamid Karzai.

1-27-2011 The inauguration marks the end of the electoral process and the beginning of a period in which Afghan governing institutions must work together to solve the pressing problems that the country faces, putting aside differences as any robust and vibrant democracy demands.

The Secretary-General acknowledges the statesmanship of President Karzai and supports his call for unity in the interests of all Afghans as the new Parliament assumes its functions. He further commends Afghan political leaders and all who participated in the electoral process — voters, the electoral institutions and both winning and losing candidates — for their contribution to Afghanistan’s democratic development.

New Agreement on the Cusp of History Says Ban Ki-moon

19 December 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the climate change deal reached by world leaders at a United Nations summit in Copenhagen, calling it an "essential beginning" that contains progress on all key fronts, but adding that work must now focus on turning the deal into a legally binding treaty.

Delegates representing 194 countries attending the Copenhagen conference agreed overnight to work towards implementing an accord forged by some world leaders after two weeks of marathon negotiations in the Danish capital.

"Finally we sealed the deal. And it is a real deal. Bringing world leaders to the table paid off... We have the foundation for the first truly global agreement that will limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable and launch a new era of green growth," Mr. Ban told journalists at the conference today.

"The Copenhagen Accord may not be everything that everyone hoped for, but this decision of the Conference of Parties is a beginning, an essential beginning."

He said results have been made on all four of the benchmarks for success that he laid out during the special leaders' summit on climate change held in New York in September.

"All countries have agreed to work towards a common long-term goal to limit the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius; many governments have made important commitments to reduce or limit emissions; countries have achieved significant progress on preserving forests; and countries have agreed to provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable to cope with climate change."

The Secretary-General said these commitments have been backed up by $30 billion of pledges for short-term adaptation and mitigation measures for poorer countries, and further commitments to raise $100 billion by 2020 to achieve those goals.

The deal also provides a mechanism for drawing the many nationally announced climate goals into an international deal. Through an annex, developed countries would choose to list their greenhouse gas reduction targets and financing offers, and developing countries would register mitigation and adaptation projects that could be monitored or reviewed.

But he cautioned that serious work lies ahead in turning the Copenhagen Accord into a legally binding treaty, and said he would work closely with world leaders to make that happen.

The so-called Copenhagen Green Climate Fund, aimed at helping poor countries adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, must be launched as soon as possible so it can start providing assistance to those in need and kick-start clean energy projects.

Mr. Ban acknowledged that the current mitigation commitments offered by countries fail "to meet the scientific bottom line." The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that to stave off the worst effects of global warming, industrialized countries must slash emissions by 25 to 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, and global emissions must be halved by 2050.

"We still face serious consequences. So while I am satisfied we have a deal here in Copenhagen, I am aware that it is just the beginning. It will take more than this to definitively tackle climate change, but it is a step in the right direction."

UN Assistant Secretary-General Robert Orr said the Copenhagen conference may have “topped the list” for complexity.

End Poverty

11-27-2009 Global poverty-fighting commitments are more important than ever in a world facing economic, food and climate crises, the UN said today, in a report on support for the Millennium Development Goals.

Although development assistance rose to record levels in 2008, donors are falling short by $35 billion per year on the 2005 pledge on annual aid flows made by the Group of Eight in Gleneagles, and by $20 billion a year on aid to Africa, according to UN estimates.

The report on Strengthening the Global Partnership for Development in a Time of Crisis was written by the Secretary-General’s MDG Gap Task Force, which brings together more than 20 UN agencies, the IMF, the World Bank, WTO and the OECD, to track progress on the development partnership called for in the eighth Millennium Development Goal.

Speaking as world leaders prepare for next week’s General Assembly opening in New York, and the G20 Pittsburgh summit later in the month, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro cited last year’s confluence of steep recession and food shortages, the expected spread of pandemic influenza this year, and the continuing impact of climate change as factors impeding progress on realization of the MDGs.

“In times of growth, we achieved a great deal,” she said. “Now, the world must show that it can also make progress under adverse conditions—when the poor, the hungry and the vulnerable need us most.”

ODA ‘coverage gap’

Official development assistance (ODA) rose by about 10 per cent in 2008, to $119.8 billion, according to the Report. The share of ODA in the gross national income of donor countries improved as well – from 0.28 per cent in 2007 to 0.30 per cent in 2008. But this increase remains far from the agreed target of 0.7 per cent to be reached by 2015. It also falls short of the commitment to increase annual aid flows to about $155 billion per year by 2010. The global crisis has put aid budgets of donor countries under pressure, making it harder to meet that intermediate target.

The Report also highlights a ‘coverage gap’ in ODA distribution, as most of the increase in ODA since 2000 has been limited to a handful of post-conflict countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan. In contrast, many of the poorest nations in Africa have seen very little increase in aid.

UN takes a stand on global aid, trade and debt commitments, as G20 prepares to meet Issued by the UN Department of Public Information and the UN Development Programme Developing countries have been hurt by the collapse in trade finance since the onset of the financial crisis, tallied at a falloff of somewhere between $100 and $300 billion. Strangulation of trade finance has been combined to ill effect with new trade restrictions in many countries, and a stalemate in the Doha development round of trade negotiations.

Compared with a 2005 agreement by the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong to allow 97 per cent duty-free access to imports from the poorest countries, only 80 per cent of least developed country (LDC) exports have acquired duty-free status in industrialized country markets.

The Report also finds that even after the success of two major debt relief initiatives, high prices for imported fuel and food combined with weak demand for export commodities have left many developing countries with difficulties in paying their external debts. Access to medicines and technology

The UN Report finds that just as the purchasing power of the poor is under threat, the cost of many essential medicines is rising. On average, people in developing countries now pay three to six times more than international reference prices for the cheapest generic medicines. The digital divide between the prosperous and the poor remains wide, both among and within countries. Although more than 65 million new mobile phone subscribers signed up in Africa in 2007, the penetration rate is still less than a third of the population, as compared to 100 per cent in developed countries. Fixed broadband Internet service remains prohibitively expensive in the developing world, where people pay 10 times more than in industrialized countries.

Strengthening the Global Partnership for Development recommends public-private partnerships to improve access to essential medicines, mobile cellular telephony and Internet service. A major theme emerging from the UN study is that implementation of the full range of global commitments can effectively advance economically and environmentally sustainable growth —growth that mitigates climate change while addressing the political, economic and public health deficits associated with extreme poverty.

Illegal Drug Trade

Raising grave concerns over the dangers posed to political and socio-economic stability by the illegal drug trade, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today approved, by consensus, a draft resolution paving the way for the General Assembly to adopt a declaration and plan of action on international cooperation towards a strategy to counter the world drug problem, as adopted at the high-level segment of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March.

That resolution was one of 14 approved by the Committee -- six by vote -- on a wide range of topics: crime prevention and criminal justice, international drug control, advancement of women, elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, right of peoples to self-determination, the promotion and protection of human rights, and country-specific resolutions on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Myanmar.

Titled “international cooperation against the world drug problem”, the draft would have the Assembly recognize that strategies for controlling crops used for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances should be based on the principle of shared responsibility. It would stress the urgent need to respond to challenges posed by links between drug trafficking, corruption and other forms of organized crime, including trafficking in human beings, trafficking in firearms, cybercrime and, in some cases, terrorism and money-laundering. The Assembly would recommend the Economic and Social Council to devote one of its high-level segments to a theme related to the world drug problem, and also to recommend that the Assembly itself hold a special session.

As noted by the representative of the Russian Federation, the resolution did not include a clear appeal to strengthen regional cooperation in and around Afghanistan. Earlier resolutions had drawn attention to the drug trade emanating from Afghanistan, which, the Russian Federation explained, was because Afghan opiates on the illegal drug market, and the proliferation of terrorist groups in that country in relation to the drug trade, was a global threat. But, in recent years, States had developed diverging opinions on whether Afghanistan’s poppy cultivation and the resulting drug trade should be an element of the text.

Also approved by consensus was the draft resolution on the right to food, which passed without a vote for the first time to a jubilant round of applause from Member States. By its terms, the Assembly would reaffirm that hunger constituted an “outrage” and a violation of human dignity and, therefore, required urgent measures at the national, regional and international levels for its elimination. It would have the Assembly express concern that women and girls were disproportionately affected by hunger, food insecurity and poverty, and would reaffirm the need to ensure that programmes to deliver safe and nutritious food were inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities. The Assembly would also recognize State support for small farmers, fishing communities and local enterprises as a key element for food security and the provision of the right to food.

Pakistani in Need of Health Care

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today launched a revised appeal for $543 million to meet the humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons in Pakistan, Under-Secretary-General John Holmes said today at Headquarters.

8-28-2009 Mr. Holmes, who is also United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the appeal had been launched this morning by Antonió Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Permanent Representative of Pakistan. The revised Humanitarian Response Plan was meant to deal with the “very volatile and fluent situation” resulting from the rising number of internally displaced persons. Over the last few weeks, some 1.9 million internally displaced persons had joined an existing half million, bringing the total to 2.4 million, 90 per cent of whom were staying with families, communities or in public facilities. Adding to concerns about the growing numbers -- 120,000 of whom were in camps -- was the expectation that Government military operations might soon start in Waziristan.

As no information was available about people currently in the conflict zone, he called on all parties concerned to respect international humanitarian law, in particular those relating to the protection of civilians. The humanitarian response was using the “cluster” system”, in which 12 new camps had been built over the last three weeks. Mobile teams and stationary clinics were used to meet health-care needs. Some 1.4 million litres of water were being distributed, and latrines were being built. A matter of concern was that people coming from the higher valleys were not used to the extremely high temperatures, which could reach 42 degrees centigrade.

Mr. Holmes said efforts must be scaled up to raise the $543 million required to cover assistance through December, on the assumption that 1.5 million people would be displaced, of whom some 200,000 would be in need of assistance. Only 21 per cent of the required resources had been covered so far, $17 million of which had come from the Central Emergency Response Fund. While the $114 million currently available could only cover one month, the Pakistani authorities, as well as families and communities, were responding generously, which put a big strain on them.

Responding to questions, he said the appeal had taken place this morning and had been attended by some 80 to 90 Member States. The Government of Pakistan was launching a separate appeal for reconstruction and contributing significantly to relief efforts. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also had its own appeal, for which there was no exact figure, but a “best estimate” could be revised upwards or downwards as the situation evolved. At the moment, there were 26 camps for internally displaced persons, which were already overcrowded.

Asked about landmines which might hamper returns, he said there was no information about returns as yet, but concerns about returnees included landmines and unexploded ordnance, as well as destroyed infrastructure and a lack of water and electricity in areas that had witnessed armed conflict. $30 million was needed for early recovery. Another matter of concern was that no crops could be harvested in conflict areas, which gave rise to food aid requirements, even as the monsoon season approached rapidly. As for mechanisms to help families sheltering internally displaced persons, the issue was to identify them first and then decide how to assist them.

6 July 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on rich and poor nations to boost efforts to fight poverty and hunger after a new United Nations report shows that recent advances are being threatened by the global economic and food crises.

The report, launched today in Geneva by Mr. Ban, warns that, despite many successes, overall progress has been too slow for most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the globally agreed targets to halve poverty, hunger and a host of other social and economic ills – to be achieved by the target date of 2015.

“This year’s Millennium Development Goals Report delivers a message that should not surprise us but which we must take to heart: the current economic environment makes achieving the goals even more difficult,” Mr. Ban told the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Secretary-General noted that higher food prices in 2008 have reversed the nearly two-decade trend in reducing hunger. In addition, momentum to reduce overall poverty in the developing world is slowing; tens of millions of people have been pushed into joblessness and greater vulnerability; and some countries stand to miss their poverty reduction goals.

Further, the target for eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 has already been missed, he noted. Meanwhile, 1.4 billion people must gain access to improved sanitation by 2015 in order to achieve the sanitation target.

“We have been moving too slowly to meet our goals,” said Mr. Ban. “Yet the report also shows that when we have the right policies, backed by adequate funding and strong political commitment, actions can yield impressive results.”

The new publication, based on data from over 20 organizations both within and outside the UN system, is considered the most comprehensive global MDG assessment to date. It finds, among other things, that the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day decreased from 1.8 billion to 1.4 billion in the period from 1990 to 2005.

However, major gains in the fight against extreme poverty are likely to stall, indicators show, although data are not yet available to reveal the full impact of the recent economic downturn. In 2009, an estimated 55 million to 90 million more people will be living in extreme poverty than anticipated before the crisis.

At the same time, the Secretary-General noted that the report does show some progress. Fewer people today are dying of AIDS and many countries are implementing proven strategies to combat malaria and measles, two major killers of children.

“We are edging closer to universal primary education. We are well on our way to meeting the safe drinking water target,” he said. “We can and must build on these foundations.

“In Africa and across the developing world, we have abundant evidence that aid can help transform lives. But delays in delivering aid, combined with the financial crisis and climate change, are slowing progress,” he stated.

. Ban recalled that the Group of Eight (G8) and Group of 20 (G20) nations have made specific commitments to increase financial and technical support to developing countries by 2010 to achieve the MDGs.

“Those commitments include raising annual aid flows to Africa, yet aid remains at least $20 billion below the Gleneagles targets,” he noted. “I urge the G8 to set out, country by country, how donors will scale up aid to Africa over the next year.”

The Secretary-General also urged donor countries to meet existing pledges on aid for trade, a crucial component in improving trade competitiveness of developing country producers and exporters.

Speaking at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Second Global Review on Aid for Trade, also in Geneva, he noted that the aid for trade initiative has made good progress in the three years since its launch. The April G20 Summit pledge of $250 billion for trade financing could lead to a significant increase in the $25 billion that aid for trade received in 2007.

However, the global financial and economic crisis has had a severe impact on demand, and it is now widely predicted that global trade will decline by 10 per cent this year, he added. “Unless the direction of the crisis is reversed soon, it will further unravel the progress that developing countries have made over the past two decades in reducing poverty.”

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony is much more than an annual ritual. It is an opportunity for the citizens of this city and people around the world to honour the memory of the first victims of atomic warfare, and to reflect upon what is needed to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. From sadness and grief can emerge new hope for progress in our common journey to a new age of peace and security. I see many grounds for such hope.

Global awareness of the need for progress in nuclear disarmament is stronger now than it has been in many years. This support is broad-based, spanning the entire world and a variety of groups. Educators, religious leaders, current and former Government officials, non-governmental groups, journalists, mayors, legislators and countless individuals are not just advocating disarmament by words alone; they are actively working to achieve this goal.I very much welcome the annual participation of school children at this Ceremony. Their generation will soon take on their own responsibilities for remembering the past while continuing collective efforts towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.

I also wish to acknowledge the leadership of the distinguished mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, whose efforts through Mayors for Peace have gained recognition and respect throughout the world. Given the recent announcement by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) that the world’s population is now predominantly urban, for the first time ever, mayors everywhere have a natural interest in ensuring that nuclear weapons are never used again. They understand that there is no more reliable way to achieve this than through the elimination of such weapons.

To the people of Hiroshima, from the youngest to the eldest, I wish to pay my deepest respects on this solemn occasion. I join you in commemorating the past and affirm my determination to work with you and all people to achieve a peaceful and secure world without nuclear weapons.

17 July 2008 -- WHO has resumed the permanent placement of international staff in Iraq after five years. This move will strengthen WHO's support to the Iraqi government in responding to humanitarian crises, reforming healthcare system and prioritizing health services. Foreign staff were withdrawn after the August 2003 terrorist attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad

Even before prices started rising dramatically, nearly 10,000 children were dying from causes related to malnutrition every day. At least 800 million people were going to sleep hungry every night. This is a moral outrage.

At the same time, the effects of climate change -- such as increased exposure to drought, rising temperatures, more erratic rainfall and extreme weather events -- are threatening water and agricultural systems, potentially condemning millions more to face malnutrition and water shortages. And now, with energy costs soaring and the price of food increasing by more than 50 per cent in the past year alone, the problem is certain to worsen, potentially pushing an additional 100 million people into hunger and poverty.
The double jeopardy of high food and fuel prices threatens to undermine much of the progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

As I stated at the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in Hokkaido, the three critical challenges to our shared humanity, and in fact to our way of life –- realizing the Millennium Development Goals, addressing climate change, and responding to the global food and energy crisis -– are interrelated and global in nature. And so they require a global response, through global partnerships. We cannot afford to fail or betray the hopes of those tens of millions of vulnerable. This crisis is not a short-term issue -– it will require the sustained attention of Governments, donors, international and regional organizations, civil society and the private sector for years to come.

The world community is already moving in this direction. At the G-8 Summit, leaders of the world’s richest countries made important commitments to tackle the triple challenge of climate change, the Millennium Development Goals, and the food and energy crises.
In early July, the Economic and Social Council, in its Ministerial Declaration, recognized the seriousness and complexity of the global food crisis, and reiterated that its consequences require a comprehensive and coordinated response by national Governments and the international community. This action is under way.

United Nations agencies and their partners are shifting resources and mobilizing new funds to ensure that food assistance and nutritional care reach those most in need. And we’re supplying small farmers in developing countries with seeds, fertilizers and other inputs to grow more crops. That’s a start. But with so many millions of people threatened by this crisis, all of us, including Member States, need to do much more -– immediately. This needs to be stepped up further and sustained over the next three to five years.

Allow me to applaud today’s proposal by the European Commission for a special facility worth more than $1.5 billion for rapid response to the food crisis. Crucially, the money would be in addition to existing development funds, and would be provided to developing countries most in need. The funds will be disbursed in coordination with the United Nations Task Force and other international organizations.

Food Crisis, Climate Change and MDGs top Ban's G-8 agenda
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

6 July 2008 – Global food crisis and climate change will be among the top issues on the agenda of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he attends the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in Japan this week, following his just-concluded official visit to the Republic of Korea, his home country.

“We must act, in Hokkaido and beyond -- not merely because it is the right thing to do but also because it is in the enlightened interest of all of us,” Mr. Ban wrote in an op-ed published in all G-8 countries ahead of the group's meeting scheduled to begin tomorrow on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

That theme was also a key message of the letter the Secretary-General had sent to the G-8 leaders in which he underscored that the world was facing three challenges that required their urgent attention: the food crisis, climate change, and progress on the anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Ban warned that unless decisive action is taken on the food crisis, an additional 100 million people around the world could fall below the poverty line. He recommended that the proportion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) earmarked for agricultural production and rural development be increased from the present level of 3 per cent to a new level of 10 per cent, without diverting funds from current education or health budgets.

On climate change, he wrote that it is essential to reach agreement on what a new climate change regime will entail, taking into account elements agreed upon by participants at last year's historic conference in Bali.

Yesterday, the Secretary-General issued a call to students taking part in a Model UN conference at Cheongju University, some 200 kilometres from the Republic of Korea's capital Seoul, to look beyond national boundaries and aim high to help solve world's numerous problems.

“Look at all the names of countries each of you are representing today, you will see that there is a whole world out there,” said Mr. Ban, who himself attended school in the city of Cheongju. “Yes, you are Koreans but you should go beyond that and see that you are also citizens of the world. Korean may not be a global power; but Korea can be a global nation; Koreans can be global citizens.”

The Secretary-General also paid a visit to Haengchi village, his birthplace, where he and Mrs. Ban Soon-taek were welcomed by relatives, villagers, traditional music and drum ensembles and many others who traveled to see him.

He arrived in the Republic of Korea from China, the second stop on a three-nation tour that also took him to Japan.

29 May 2008 – Iraq is making “notable progress” in the security, political and economic fields, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the annual review conference of the International Compact with Iraq today.“If I were asked to use one word to describe the situation in Iraq today, I would choose the word ‘hope,’” Mr. Ban said, speaking in Stockholm to the meeting on the Compact, the five-year plan to promote peace and development in the strife-torn country.

“There is new hope that the people and Government of Iraq are overcoming daunting challenges and working together to rebuild their country, after years of war, dictatorship and neglect,” he added, addressing an audience that included the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Al-Maliki.

Because of concerted efforts by the Government and others, Mr. Ban said there had been steady progress in strengthening Iraqi security forces and in curbing the activities of militias and other armed groups.
“Iraq is stepping back from the abyss that we feared most,” he added, noting that violence had retreated from the alarming levels of 2006 and early 2007.

Iraq is stepping back from the abyss that we feared most
Striking a note of caution, the Secretary-General said that the situation in the country remains fragile and he also stressed that it was essential to build professional security forces that are trusted by all Iraqi communities and capable of operating in a non-sectarian manner.

April 2008 – The United States and the European Union have taken a “criminal path” by contributing to an explosive rise in global food prices through using food crops to produce biofuels, according to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

Speaking at a press conference today in Geneva, Jean Ziegler said that fuel policies pursued by the US and the EU were one of the main causes of the current worldwide food crisis. Mr. Ziegler said that last year the US used a third of its corn crop to create biofuels, while the European Union is planning to have 10 per cent of its petrol supplied by biofuels. The Special Rapporteur has called for a five-year moratorium on the production of biofuels.
Mr. Ziegler also said that speculation on international markets was behind 30 per cent of the increase in food prices. He said that companies such as Cargill, which controls a quarter of all cereal production, have enormous power over the market. He added that hedge funds are also making huge profits from raw materials markets, and called for new financial regulations to prevent such speculation.
The Special Rapporteur warned of worsening food riots and a “horrifying” increase in deaths by starvation before reforms could take effect. Mr. Ziegler was speaking before a meeting today in Bern, Switzerland, between Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of key UN agencies.
Meanwhile, speaking in Rome today, a nutritionist with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said that “global price rises mean that food is literally being taken out of the mouths of hungry children whose parents can no longer afford to feed them.”
Andrew Thorne-Lyman said that even temporarily depriving children of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive can leave permanent scars in terms of stunting their physical growth and intellectual potential. He said that families in the developing world are “finding their buying power has been slashed by food price rises, meaning that they can buy less food or food which isn’t as nutritious.”

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that it will have to cut rations to the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan by half because attacks on its trucks are preventing vital relief supplies from getting through.

Experts to Review Reports of Tunisia,Botswana , Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Panama.The Committee is scheduled to examine the fifth periodic report of Tunisia on 17 and 18 March; the initial periodic report of Botswana on 19 and 20 March; the third periodic report of Panama on 24 and 25 March; and the second periodic report of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 26 March. The Committee will present its concluding observations at the end of its three-week session, on 4 April.

Also during the session, country report task forces will consider and adopt a list of issues concerning the reports submitted by Japan, France, Nicaragua and Ireland.
The countries presenting reports are among the 161 States parties to the Covenant, which was adopted in 1966 by the General Assembly. The Committee, as a monitoring body, periodically examines reports submitted by States parties on the promotion and protection of civil and political rights. Representatives of those Governments introduce the reports and respond to oral and written questions from Committee members.

Under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant, 111 States parties recognize the competence of the Committee to consider confidential communications from individuals claiming to be victims of violations of any rights proclaimed under the treaty. During the course of the present session, most likely during the last week, the Committee will review a portion of these communications in closed session.
Sixty-five States parties have ratified or acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, which aims to abolish the death penalty

‘IT IS TIME FOR THE WORLD TO MAKE WOMEN A PRIORITY’ WOMEN’S UN COMMISSION TOLD

Closing Education Gender Gap, Equal Labour Market Access, Inequality and HIV/AIDS, Global Gender Architecture among Issues Addressed
As the Commission on the Status of Women concluded its general debate today, representatives of United Nations and affiliated agencies urged countries to boost women’s access to education, health care, employment and credit, as a way to narrow the gap between men and women’s economic opportunities, to increase their pace of socio-economic development and, ultimately, consolidate gains in poverty eradication.

“It is time for the world to make women a priority,” said Safiye Cagar, Director of Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division, United Nations Population Fund, who stressed that “everything possible” must be done to reduce the feminization of poverty and unleash the full potential of half the human race to advance peace, development and human rights. She was among the nearly 55 delegations taking the floor today who discussed action plans to promote women’s advancement, or called on Governments to increase emphasis on the gender dimensions of development.

She recalled that, at the 2005 World Summit, world leaders had agreed to key policy actions to advance women’s empowerment, including increased investments in universal education to close the gender gap in schools by 2015, and promoting women’s rights to own and inherit property and have access to resources such as land, credit and technology. To accelerate action, those leaders had also agreed to increase the representation of women in Government decision-making. Real investment in women could create ripples that brought about waves of positive change, and such change was urgently needed and long overdue, she said, calling on Governments to stand by their commitments.

In the same vein, Evy Messel, Director of the Bureau for Gender Equality of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said decent work was not only about the quantity of jobs. It was also about quality. The struggle for equal labour market access for women was marked by slow progress, and worldwide only 67 women were economically active for every 100 men. Women were more concentrated in less productive jobs, such as the care economy, the agricultural sector and services characterized by substandard terms and conditions of work. That situation was even worse for young women, particularly young educated women.

Gender issues were integrated into ILO’s Decent Work Agenda through the four pillars -- rights, full employment, social protection and social dialogue, she said. Technical, institutional, human and financial resources must be invested to ensure that the gender dimension was given prominence. Specific outcomes with indicators must be developed. Moreover, Governments as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations must increasingly invest in enhancing women’s capacity to organize and to have their collective voices heard at all levels in the world of work.
Highlighting another priority area for action, Pauline Muchina, Senior Women & AIDS Advocacy Officer, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said the links between gender inequality and increased vulnerability to HIV infection among women and adolescent girls were “many and varied”. Where they had less access to education and HIV information, where they did not enjoy equality in marriage and sexual relations, and where they received little support in their roles as primary caretakers, women and young girls were increasingly vulnerable to infection. Further, research showed the women living with the disease experienced HIV-related stigma more frequently than men and were more likely to experience the harshest and most damaging forms of discrimination.

That said, she stressed that there were more resources available for AIDS than ever, adding: “We must now ensure that these funds are used effectively to tackle the underlying societal drivers of the epidemic, including gender equality.” Among other things, UNAIDS urged funding directed at women’s organizations, which were often best placed to reach vulnerable communities. Funding must also be committed to support the capacity-building, so such groups could meaningfully participate in national development planning and in planning national responses to AIDS.

Among the civil society organizations participating today, a representative of women’s groups dealing with global gender architecture and women’s development, said that, while significant advances for women had been made thanks to the United Nations efforts, the Organization still lacked an effective mechanism to deliver on commitments already made during numerous women’s forums.

“There are a few small agencies focusing […] and the larger agencies have limited mandates,” she said, calling on Member States to act now to create a stronger United Nations entity for women headed by an Under-Secretary-General to ensure a high level of decision-making. The new entity required an extensive field presence and programmatic mandate, with substantial and predictable resources, including a minimum of $500 million to $1 billion. Further, it should involve civil society and promote gender mainstreaming by integrating gender equality and women’ rights.

In what he called a “highly informal” summary of the debate, Commission Chairperson Olivier Belle ( Belgium) said that the discussion had been “fruitful and lively” and had been enhanced by contributions from senior ministers, and representatives of United Nations agencies and funds. Representatives of non-governmental organizations had also participated actively. It had been heartening to hear countries share national experiences aimed at improving the status of women in various societies. It had also been interesting to hear legislative measures that had been taken to that end.

He also underscored the appeal made by many delegations for more and better analytical data and statistics. Indeed, figures made it possible to identify problems and create targeted, well thought out policies. He also recalled that many delegations had supported the Secretary-General’s launch of a global campaign to combat violence against women. The statements made on financing gender equality would be helpful in the run-up to the Doha Review of the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development. To those delegates returning to their capitals, he said now they had ample evidence to convince their Finance Ministers to step up their efforts to finance gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Also making statements were the Minister for Women’s Affairs of Haiti and the Deputy Minister of Afghanistan, as well as a senior Government official of the Gambia.
The representatives of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Guinea, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Cuba, Nicaragua, Jordan, Austria, Qatar, Estonia, Algeria, Liechtenstein, Solomon Islands, Morocco, El Salvador, Lesotho, Croatia, India, China, France, Iran, Italy, Cameroon, Peru, Papua New Guinea and Nepal also made statements. The representatives of Algeria and Morocco also spoke in exercise of the right of reply.
The Observers of the Holy See and Palestine also made statements during the debate.
Also speaking during the debate were representatives of regional organizations, including the African Union and European Commission, as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Also speaking were representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The representatives of several non-governmental organizations also made statements, including the African Women’s Caucus, Western Asia Women’s Caucus, International Network of Liberal Women, Girls Caucus and the World Youth Alliance, American Association of Retired Persons, Latin American and the Caribbean Women’s Caucus, the International Council of Women and Women’s Information Organizations.

The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 5 March, to hear the introduction of draft proposals and to begin consideration of its agenda item on communications concerning the status of women.

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