Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:40:44 -0600 http://www.harolddoan.com/ Harold Doan & Associates Ltd. en-us http://www.harolddoan.com/images/logo.gif http://www.harolddoan.com/ harolddoan@bellnet.ca http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1332.html UN-BACKED SUMMIT URGES CEASEFIRE IN DR CONGO, ACCESS FOR AID WORKERS Press Release - UN News Center Nov 7 2008 African leaders meeting at a United Nations-backed summit in Nairobi have urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the recent crisis can get the assistance they need. Fighting in the eastern province of North Kivu between Government forces (FARDC) and the National Congress in Defence of the People (known as the CNDP), a militia led by former general Laurent Nkunda, has displaced as many as 252,000 Congolese in recent months. Today’s summit, hosted by the African Union (AU), brought together DRC President Joseph Kabila and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, which borders North Kivu, as well as the leaders of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and South Africa. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the heads of State called for “an immediate ceasefire by all the armed men and militia in North Kivu.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – who attended the summit along with his newly-appointed Special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo and his Special Representative in the DRC, Alan Doss – made a similar call, urging all the militias to stop the fighting and resolve their issues through dialogue. “They must think about the future of their own country and people in the region,” he told reporters after the meeting. He also highlighted the need to deal with the “armed group challenge” in order to end the crisis in the DRC, in his address to the summit earlier today. “For far too long, peace and security in your region has been threatened by armed groups, domestic and foreign, present on the soil of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have been operating from there with impunity, aggravating strains between your countries and between your peoples,” he old the gathering. In their joint statement, the heads of State also called for setting up a humanitarian corridor throughout North Kivu so that the “humanitarian crisis and tragedy” can be addressed. They also called on the UN and all humanitarian agencies assisting those affected to “continue to sustain and increase their support.” The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today that the total number of displaced in North Kivu since September is estimated to be 252,000 people, on top of the existing 800,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from previous hostilities. Today’s meeting also called on Mr. Ban to strengthen the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in the DRC, known as MONUC, and provide adequate resources to address the volatile situation. The 17,000-strong MONUC has been stretched to the limit in recent weeks trying to carry out its mandate to protect civilians amid the violence. Mr. Ban has requested the Security Council to authorize another 3,000 troops to boost the mission’s strength on the ground. Even as the summit was taking place, there were reports of heavy clashes between FARDC and CNDP in Kibati, which is about nine kilometres north of the North Kivu capital of Goma, leading to further displacements. Meanwhile, a preliminary fact-finding mission from MONUC visited Kiwanja, which is north of the town of Rutshuru, after receiving reports that several civilians were killed there during and after fighting between CNDP and PARECO/Mayi Mayi militia earlier this week. “It is clear that serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law were committed in Kiwanja between 4 and 6 November,” the mission said in a news release, adding that a more thorough investigation is required. Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:40:44 -0600 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1331.html NEXT ROUND OF TALKS TO CEMENT UN-BACKED SOMALI PEACE DEAL ANNOUNCED Press Release - UN News Center Oct 16 2008 Welcoming continuing regional efforts to support the recent accord aiming to bring peace to war-torn Somalia, the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa nation today announced upcoming talks between two key committees set up as part of the agreement. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said that the third round of talks of the Joint Security Committee, tasked with implementing security arrangements, and the High Level Committee, dealing with political cooperation, justice and reconciliation, will be held on 25-26 October in Djibouti. Mr. Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, led the talks that resulted in the Djibouti Agreement signed in August, under which the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the rebel Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) formally agreed to end all armed confrontation between them. The Joint Security Committee has been meeting over the past week in South Africa to plan for the next set of meetings, assisted by the UN and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The UN and the World Bank will convene an international donors’ gathering early next year to raise funds for a one-year Somali recovery programme, he said. “I hope the conference will have a positive outcome which will help the Somali people to benefit from working towards peace,” the official said. Somali refugees taking shelter in Dadaab in north-eastern Kenya recently expressed to him their desire to return to their home country. “However, the continuing violence means that instead, thousands are fleeing their homeland every month,” he noted. Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:21:46 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1330.html BIOENERGY COULD REVERSE POVERTY IN WEST AFRICA, SAYS NEW UN STUDY Press Release - UN News Center Oct 16 2008 Sustainable bioenergy is a weapon that can be used by West African nations to combat poverty, according to a new United Nations-backed report released today. The new study – a joint effort by the UN Foundation (UNF), the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and the Energy and Security Group – examines bioenergy’s potential in the eight nations of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA), which comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. “The development, use, and commercialization of bioenergy offer UEMOA member countries vital economic, social, and environmental opportunities for transforming rural areas,” the report noted. If both produced and consumed locally, it could be a crucial tool used to address poverty, it added. “However, a strong policy framework at the local, national, and regional levels is required to ensure that these benefits are realized, shared equitably, and that negative impacts are minimized,” the new publication said. Policies must concentrate on the impact of bioenergy development on food security, the environment and the agricultural production system. The eight UEMOA nations “possess a rich resource base that can be sustained by a combination of good policies and practices to expand the production of and access to food, fuel, and fibre,” according to the report. “Undertaking these strategies to improve agriculture and forest productivity, protect watersheds, and produce bioenergy should also strengthen their ability to adapt to climate change.” Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:19:53 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1329.html SRI LANKA: UN FOOD CONVOY TO WAR-WRACKED NORTH FORCED TO TURN BACK Press Release - UN News Center Oct 16 2008 A major United Nations food convoy headed for northern Sri Lanka was today forced to turn back because of fresh fighting in the area between Government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN will seek renewed security assurances from both sides before attempting to make the route tomorrow morning, the world body’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Neil Buhne, said in a statement from Colombo, the capital. The convoy – the second to be dispatched in as many weeks – had been headed for the northern area known as the Vanni in a bid to reach an estimated 230,000 civilians who have been displaced behind the lines of confrontation in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Comprised of 50 trucks, the World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was carrying 750 tons of food when it left the town of Vavuniya at lunchtime, and it was expected to reach its destination by this evening. Intensified clashes between the military and LTTE members in recent weeks have displaced tens of thousands of people and sparked warnings from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other UN officials about the humanitarian impact on civilians. Earlier this month at least 27 people were killed and scores more were wounded in a suicide bomb attack on the offices of one of Sri Lanka’s opposition parties in the north-central town of Anuradhapura. A correspondent of Sirasa TV, Rashmi Mohamed, was among the people killed in the attack, which was condemned today by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The agency’s Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura described the attack as cowardly. “In view of UNESCO’s mandate regarding the fundamental human right of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, I must draw particular attention to the unacceptable killing of journalist Rashmi Mohamed,” he said. “In doing so, I wish to honour journalists and other media workers, who, when exercising their profession that contributes to ensuring greater transparency, accountability and participation in democratic processes, put their lives at risk. It is essential that every possible step be taken to improve the safety of journalists.” Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:14:41 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1328.html INCOME GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IS HUGE AND GROWING, WARNS UN REPORT Press Release - UN News Center Oct 16 2008 The gap between high and low wage earners has increased dramatically in most of the world since the early 1990s despite strong economic growth that created millions of new jobs, according to a report published today by the United Nations labour agency. The new study also said that the major share of the cost of the current financial and economic crisis will rest on the shoulders of hundreds of millions of people who have not shared in the benefits of the previous global economic expansion. “This report shows conclusively that the gap between richer and poorer households widened since the 1990s,” said Raymond Torres, Director of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) International Institute for Labour Studies. “The present global financial crisis is bound to make matters worse unless long-term structural reforms are adopted,” added Mr. Torres, whose institute is responsible for the report. The report noted that while some income inequality is useful in rewarding effort, talent and innovation, huge differences can be counter-productive and damaging for most economies, adding that “rising income inequality represents a danger to the social fabric.” As economies expanded, global employment rose by 30 per cent between the early 1990s and 2007 alongside a redistribution of income away from labour, with the share of wages in total national income (GDP) declining significantly. The largest drop in wages as a share of GDP was 13 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean while advanced economies saw a fall of 9 per cent. At the same time workers and their families became increasingly indebted to fund housing investment and consumption in countries with unregulated financial innovation, according to the report. The gap in income inequality is also widening between top executives and the average employee, with the chief executive officers of the 15 largest companies in the United States, for example, earning 520 times more than the average worker in 2007, up from 360 times more in 2003. The study also said that excessive income inequalities could be associated with higher crime rates, lower life-expectancy, and in the case of poor countries malnutrition and an increased likelihood of children being taken out of school to work. “Already now, there are widespread perceptions in many countries that globalization does not work to the advantage of the majority of the population,” said the study, entitled World of Work Report 2008: Income inequalities in the age of financial globalization. Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:12:35 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1327.html HAITI IN DESPERATE NEED OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STRESSES UN ENVOY Press Release - UN News Center Oct 10 2008 The recovery and humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti – an impoverished country devastated recently by four successive storms in as many weeks – will not succeed unless the international community addresses the nation’s social and economic crisis, a senior United Nations official stressed today. The Caribbean country needs major reconstruction and development work to recreate basic infrastructure, Hédi Annabi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti, told a news conference in New York. “What happened in Haiti is way beyond the capacity of the Government and the UN,” said Mr. Annabi, who is also the chief of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), referring to the destruction wrought by a series of hurricanes from mid-August to mid-September. “It is an exceptional situation, which requires an exceptionally large-scale effort if this country is to get back on its feet,” he said. Mr. Annabi stressed that although UN agencies and MINUSTAH, in collaboration with other humanitarian relief organizations, have made some progress in the recovery process, a colossal effort remained to rehabilitate the country and stabilize its security situation. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) alone has delivered aid to over 700,000 people, but much more than a response to the immediate emergency is needed, he stressed. “All of these efforts cannot and will not succeed if we do not have parallel to the work of MINUSTAH progress in addressing the socio-economic situation in the country.” He explained that a peacekeeping operation can help create a secure environment and strengthen rule of law institutions, providing an environment conducive to socio-economic development. He insisted, however, that the delivery of socio-economic development depended on bi-lateral assistance, multi-lateral donors and international financial agencies. Mr. Annabi, who is in New York to attend deliberations by the Security Council on the extension on the mandate of MINUSTAH, reported that the four hurricanes had destroyed what little infrastructure Haiti had. They also destroyed houses and crops, and affected the lives of some 800,000 people. “A poor, hungry and desperate population is simply not compatible with stability and security,” he told the press, while expressing hope that the Security Council will give MINUSTAH another year to continue their work as recommended by the Secretary-General. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:51:27 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1326.html OVER 6 MILLION ETHIOPIANS IN NEED OF EMERGENCY FOOD AID, UN REPORTS Press Release - UN News Center Oct 10 2008 The United Nations’ humanitarian arm has warned that food insecurity is worsening in Ethiopia, with over six million people now in need of emergency aid to stay alive. That figure marks a 40 per cent increase since June, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Increased deaths of livestock – including cattle and camels – have been reported in several areas in the Horn of Africa nation, and the situation is expected to deteriorate as the hagaa, or short dry season, progresses. In the Somali Region of the country, the drought, combined with soaring food prices and declining livestock incomes, has led to increased migration from rural to urban areas in search of food. OCHA says that three logistics hubs have been set up to feed nearly two million people. It also noted that acute watery diarrhoea continues to sicken Ethiopians, with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warning that it is spreading. The Government, WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are collaborating to help contain the disease. Last week WHO appealed for an additional $8 million to fund its humanitarian preparedness and response operations in Ethiopia Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:46:38 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1325.html UGANDAN REBELS COMMITTING GRAVE RIGHTS ABUSES IN DR CONGO, UN REPORTS Press Release - UN News Center Oct 10 2008 6:10PM Since mid-September, the notorious Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has killed over 200 people, including 159 children, according to a new United Nations report. A preliminary report issued by the UN Human Rights Office and the peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, said that in the past few weeks, LRA elements have carried out attacks on 16 areas in Dungu when 52 people were killed. An additional 159 children and 10 adults have been abducted and executed by the rebels. During joint fact-finding mission to Dungu from 29 September to 8 October, the investigation team met with three children who escaped their abductors and with survivors, host families, and school and church officials. “In all localities that suffered attacks, the LRA elements conducted a campaign of killing, systematic abduction of children, and burning of almost all houses,” the publication noted. Simultaneous attacks on 17 September resulted in the populations of the villages of Duru, Kpiaka, Kiliwa and Madola – all less than 90 kilometres from Dungu, the area’s main town – being either killed or abducted. Tens of thousands fled to Bangadi, more than 100 kilometres northwest of Dungu, the report said, while the population of the town of Gangadi has swelled from 10,000 to 25,000. The report said these attacks could be “reprisals and dissuasive attacks aimed at preventing splits and desertions possibly underway within the LRA.” It also suggested that they could be in response to the continued deployment in the region of Congolese armed forces (FARDC), supported by MONUC, “signalling the possibility of joint action against the LRA.” Earlier this week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that at least 5,000 refugees from the DRC have arrived in South Sudan recently after fleeing “ferocious” LRA. UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond said that an estimated 150 Congolese are crossing every day into the villages of Sakure and Gangura, in the Yambio area of South Sudan. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:43:59 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1324.html BAN CALLS ON REBELS, ARMY TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE FIRE IN EASTERN DR CONGO Press Release - UN News Center Oct 10 2008 Voicing “increasing concern” at developments in the border areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on rebels and the Congolese Government to immediately observe an effective ceasefire and cooperate with United Nations peacekeepers to achieve a separation of forces. Yesterday, the UN Mission in the DRC, known by its French acronym MONUC, said it could not confirm persistent reports of incursions by Rwandan troops into North Kivu province where they are said to be fighting alongside the rebel National Congress for People’s Defence (CNDP) of General Laurent Nkunda. The continued fighting between the DRC army (FARDC) and the CNDP “add to the suffering of the civilian population and risks provoking wider conflict in the region,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. He called on all States in the region to prevent their territories and nationals from being used to aid armed groups in the eastern DRC, and urged the Governments of the DRC and Rwanda to bridge their differences by diplomatic and other peaceful means, including the DRC-Rwanda Joint Verification Mechanism. He told the two Governments “to redouble their efforts to implement the Nairobi Communiqué,” the November 2007 agreement under which they agreed to work together against threats to peace and stability in the region. “The Secretary-General stands ready to assist in this regard,” the statement added. Mr. Ban reiterated that MONUC would “act within its mandate to protect civilians threatened by armed groups, and to prevent any encroachment on the main population centres and major arterial roads.” In recent weeks UN peacekeepers backed by combat helicopters opened fire to prevent the CNDP from advancing in the direction of Goma, North Kivu’s capital. MONUC reported today that relative calm prevailed in North Kivu after UN peacekeepers mediated the return of some rebel-held areas to Government forces. Both sides assured the UN of their desire to proceed with setting up buffer zones as proposed in a disengagement plan. MONUC officials reiterated the need for additional UN troops and air assets to respond to increased insurgent activity. Hostilities have continued in eastern DRC despite stabilization in much of the rest of the vast country, which was torn by years of civil war. Last week, the DRC called for UN peacekeepers to be given a clear mandate and the resources necessary to impose peace by force if necessary. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:41:33 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1323.html UN, DUTCH UNIVERSITY PARTNER TO REACH DEVELOPMENT GOALS Press Release - UN News Center Oct 10 2008 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has joined forces with a Dutch university to promote education and research in developing countries to build momentum towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight ambitious anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline. FAO and the Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) have agreed to focus on boosting production in the face of soaring global food prices. They will, among their activities, identify technologies to enhance farm production through sustainable use of natural resources, while taking into account climate change; helping countries both formulate policies and put them into practice; and organize seminars and workshops. The new agreement will also foster the exchange of scientific staff and experts, while also offering young professionals and students internships and on-the-job training. FAO’s Associate Professional Officers (APO) programme began in 1954 with five young agricultural engineers from Wageningen University, with hundreds of experts following suit since then. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:37:51 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1322.html NEW UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICE OPENS UP SHOP IN SIERRA LEONE Press Release - UN News Center Oct 1 2008 A new United Nations peacebuilding office opened in Sierra Leone today to assist in the continued recovery following the civil war that wracked the West African country during much of the 1990s. The UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), mandated by the Security Council in August to replace the UN political office known as UNIOSIL, is the latest in a series of UN missions over the past 10 years that have helped the country get back on its feet. UNIPSIL will provide political support to national and local efforts for identifying and resolving tensions and threats of potential conflict, whatever the source and will coordinate the work of all UN funds, agencies and programmes. It will also monitor and promote human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law, including efforts to counter trans-national organized crime and drug trafficking. With a staff of about 70, the new office will work on consolidating good governance reforms, with a special focus on anti-corruption instruments such as the Anti-Corruption Commission. It will support decentralization and review the country's 1991 constitution as well as the enactment of relevant legislation. UNIPSIL will closely coordinate its work with the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which is already active in the country. Sierra Leone is one of the first two countries, along with Burundi, to receive support from the Commission, which was established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:54:42 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1321.html UN SEEKS TO HELP LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES OVERCOME THEIR HANDICAP IN TRADE Press Release - UN News Center Oct 1 2008 The United Nations today began three days of high-level consultations aimed at boosting foreign direct investment in the world's 31 landlocked developing countries to strengthen their participation in international trade and the global economy. "As we attempt to find long-term solutions to their plight, external investment is critical in enabling landlocked developing countries to substantially mitigate their unfavourable geographical locations," Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a high-level investment forum at UN Headquarters in New York. Speaking on the eve of a two-day High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly devoted to the mid-term review of the Almaty Programme of Action, a 2003 plan setting out specific measures to help landlocked countries, she noted that despite "much progress" in the past five years many still remain marginalized from the world economy with limited access to global markets and to the sea for external trade. "The Almaty Programme highlights the role that foreign direct investment could play in this process," Ms. Migiro said. "Foreign direct investment has a great potential as contributor to growth and development. It can bring capital, technology, management know-how and access to new markets. In comparison with other forms of capital flows, it is also more stable, with a longer-term commitment to the host economy." Although LLDCs represent about 15 per cent of States, their share of world exports has remained well below 1 per cent. Cheick Sidi Diarra, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), also noted the progress made since 2003. But he warned: "The high cost of international trade continues to hinder their trade and economic development." The Almaty Programme is the first global action plan negotiated at ministerial level to provide a framework for cooperation between landlocked and transit access developing countries, promising reductions in red tape and transportation costs and time. At the time of its adoption transport services through access countries consumed on average 15 per cent of export earnings of LLDCs - and as much as half for some African nations. In comparison, other developing countries spent an average of only 7 per cent on transport services, and the developed countries only 3 to 4 per cent. The Programme established for the first time agreement in principle on compensating landlocked countries for their geographical handicaps with improved market access and trade facilitation. With seven years left for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious targets set by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000 to slash poverty, hunger, preventable illness and a host of other socio-economic ills, all by 2015, Ms. Migiro called for accelerated progress in the LLDCs. "These countries require our collective special attention," she said. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:52:45 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1320.html GEORGIA: UN RIGHTS EXPERT TO ASSESS PLIGHT OF THOSE DISPLACED BY RECENT CONFLICT Press Release - UN News Center Oct 1 2008 An independent United Nations human rights expert today began a four-day visit to assess the current situation of those displaced by last month's conflict in Georgia, which uprooted some 192,000 people from their homes. Walter Kälin, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), plans to start with meetings in the capital, Tbilisi, where he will meet with Government officials, civil society, international organizations and IDPs. He will then travel to Gori and surrounding areas to assess the situation and meet with displaced persons and relevant actors involved in addressing the human rights of the displaced. "Mr. Kälin hopes to be able to also visit Tskhinvali and surrounding conflict-affected areas in the near future," according to a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Kälin, who serves in an independent and unpaid capacity, will present his findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In recent months he has visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, the Central African Republic and Azerbaijan. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:50:34 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1319.html UN FUND TO BENEFIT OVER 1 MILLION VICTIMS OF UNREST IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Press Release - UN News Center Oct 1 2008 More than a million people struck by violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), including 110,000 who have been uprooted from their homes, will receive life-saving assistance under funding announced today by the new United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund. "The pooled fund will help to make humanitarian action in the country more efficient and better coordinated," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said of the $2.5 million allocated to 16 priority projects focusing on health care, access to water, the survival of infants and the young, and aid to help those displaced to return home. "Thanks to the fund, aid organizations on the ground can channel the money where it is most needed and respond to a breaking emergency faster than ever," added Mr. Holmes, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. CAR has been hit by violence in several regions from rebels and a spill-over of instability in the north from neighbouring Chad and Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, and the new funding will target 110,000 displaced people, 83,000 more who recently returned to their devastated villages and 1 million others affected by the unrest. Overall, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have launched a $114 million aid programme for CAR in 2008, of which donors have so far funded 80 per cent. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:48:51 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1318.html Statement by the IMF Staff Mission to Burkina Faso Press Release - UN News Center October 2, 2008 An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Mr. Norbert Funke, visited Burkina Faso during September 17-October 1, 2008 to conduct the third review under the three-year economic program supported by the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), the IMF's concessional facility for low-income countries. It reviewed economic developments and prospects, the impact of high food and oil prices, and the authorities' policies to consolidate macroeconomic stability and promote high economic growth and reduce poverty. The mission held very fruitful discussions with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Lucien Noël Bembamba, Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) National Director Bolo Sanou, other ministers and senior government officials, representatives of the private sector, labor unions, nongovernmental organizations, and development partners. The mission issued the following statement in Ouagadougou on October 1: "There are signs that economic activity is recovering, and real GDP growth is projected to increase in 2008 to about 4.5 percent. Favorable weather conditions augur well for a rebound in agricultural production, an important driver of the pick-up in activity. The good harvest is also expected to reduce inflation towards the end of the year. "In a difficult external environment, characterized by high food and oil prices, economic performance has been broadly in line with objectives under the PRGF-supported program. The IMF Executive Board is expected to consider the third review under the PRGF arrangement in December 2008. Continued efforts to strengthen tax and customs administration have helped to offset the loss in revenue associated with the temporary measures (suspensions of customs duties and value added tax (VAT) for a few basic products) to alleviate the impact of high world food and oil prices. "The mission and the authorities agreed that the 2009 budget has to strike a balance between preserving debt sustainability and social and infrastructure needs. Plans to limit the fiscal deficit to below 5 percent of GDP in 2009 would be an important step towards reducing the deficit in the medium term to below 3 percent of GDP and stabilize debt ratios. Reducing the fiscal deficit will require sustained revenue administration efforts and moving ahead with tax policy reform. Priority areas include revising the business tax, streamlining tax exemptions, and strengthening VAT. "Subsidies and transfers need to be better targeted to effectively reach the most needy segments of the population. The mission's analysis suggests that this is typically not the case for the temporary suspensions of customs duties and VAT and limited pass-through of international oil prices. International experience points to the advantages of better targeted measures, such as school feeding programs, reductions in fees for basic health services, and cash transfer systems. Based on our analyses, full pass-through of international fuel prices would help eliminate losses of the national oil company that may ultimately have to be borne by the government. "Structural reforms, as envisaged by the government, should help to put the economy on a strong, sustainable growth path. Financial sector reforms need to facilitate access to finance and strengthen the stability of the sector. The mission welcomes the focus on measures to strengthen public financial management, increase productivity in the cotton sector, further enhance a business friendly environment, and improve governance. "The mission team would like to thank the authorities for their hospitality, close collaboration, and very fruitful policy dialogue." Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:46:01 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1317.html UN FOOD CONVOY REACHES CIVILIANS DISPLACED BY FIGHTING IN NORTHERN SRI LANKA Press Release - UN News Center Oct 2 2008 United Nations food convoy today crossed into the Vanni region of northern Sri Lanka, the scene of recent clashes between Government forces and rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), to offer a lifeline to an estimated 200,000 civilians who have been displaced by the fighting. The convoy, carrying 650 tons of food and accompanied by seven UN international staff, crossed the Omanthai border this morning on its way to civilians caught behind the lines of confrontation, according to a press release issued in Colombo by the Office of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka. "The convoy will transport and distribute food to four locations to the east of Kilinochchi, where the majority of displaced civilians are thought to have concentrated," the statement noted, adding that the UN plans to dispatch another convoy next week. After explosives and other illicit items were discovered earlier this week on Government-provided trucks due to join the convoy, the number of trucks was reduced from 60 to 51. Today's statement from the Coordinator reiterated that humanitarian convoys are protected from attacks under international humanitarian law, and condemned the attempt this week to disrupt the aid convoy by placing the explosives on the trucks. Intensified clashes between the military and LTTE members in recent weeks have displaced tens of thousands of people and sparked warnings from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other UN officials about the humanitarian impact on civilians. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:43:45 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1316.html BAN VOICES CONCERN OVER INSTABILITY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS IN GUINEA-BISSAU Press Release - UN News Center Oct 2 2008 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the volatile security and political atmosphere in Guinea-Bissau, where crucial elections are slated to take place next month, in his latest report to the Security Council on the West African country. Mr. Ban said that the period covered by the new report, from mid-July to September, was characterized by "deepening political malaise and the spectres of military tension and pressure." He called on all parties to cooperate peacefully to ensure that the 16 November polls "take place in a stable and peaceful atmosphere," which would "contribute to the steady consolidation of peace, which in turn would help create conditions for vital economic reforms and development." The report underlined the key role played by the media in promoting democratic governance, and the Secretary-General urged equal coverage to all parties and the preservation of ethics, professionalism and credibility. Relations have deteriorated between the leaders of two of the three main political parties - the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde and Guinea (PAIGC) and the Social Renewal Party (PRS) which were signatories to a national political stability pact signed in March. A failed coup attempt by the Navy Chief of Staff that were supposed to have taken place in early August revealed the "fragile situation of the State and [constitutes] a setback to the progress made since 2005 to promote a culture of democratic, civilian-military relations, in which the military is subordinate and accountable to civilian authorities," Mr. Ban noted. The new publication also sounded the alarm on the "increasingly dark shadow over the country" cast by drug trafficking and organized crime in potentially rolling back gains made in the area of governance and impeding positive steps towards peacebuilding. "Affecting peace and security, health, the economy and the rule of law, the increase in drug trafficking could wreak havoc throughout the country and along its borders, as evidence is mounting that criminal gangs are increasingly operating in concert across porous West African borders," it said. Despite the difficulty in culling data, the volume of drug trafficking through Guinea-Bissau is greater than previously believed, the Secretary-General said. "I am especially concerned about reports that Guinea-Bissau is no longer merely a transit hub, but appears to be fast becoming a major market place in the drug trade." He repeated his appeal to the Security Council to adopt strong measures and consider dispatching a team of experts to investigate the scourge in the West African nation. Mr. Ban welcomed the advances made in Guinea-Bissau by the UN Peacebuilding Commission, established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face. "I am particularly pleased to note that the implementation of the four quick-impact projects under the short-term engagement of the Peacebuilding Fund is actively under way," he wrote. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:41:48 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1315.html Statement by an IMF Mission to the Republic of Guinea Press Release - International Monetary Fund October 2, 2008 An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Mr. Jean Le Dem, visited the Republic of Guinea during September 17 to October 1, 2008 to conduct discussions on the second review under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement, approved by the IMF Executive Board in December 2007. The mission issued the following statement in Conakry on October 1: "Return to normal economic activity after the general strikes in early 2007 and strong demand in the construction sector are expected to lead to GDP growth of 4½ to 5 percent in 2008. However, inflation has picked up recently mainly on account of petroleum and food import prices. Despite these shocks, Guinea's external position has started to improve, reflecting the pursuit of strict fiscal and monetary policy since April 2007 and the strong international assistance that the country has received. "There has been good performance to date in meeting the PRGF program targets. The mission emphasized that the envisaged supplementary budget law should not put at risk the end-2008 fiscal targets and urged continued execution of the budget without recourse to central bank financing. For the 2009 budget, current spending should be contained in order to make room for poverty-related expenditure. "On the structural front, important progress has been made on strengthening economic governance, including publication of the audited accounts of the central bank and launching an action plan to improve public finance management. The mission encouraged the authorities to strengthen further the execution of public spending and natural resource management, implement automatic monthly adjustment in petroleum prices, and submit to Parliament a central bank law that strengthens its independence. "The completion of the present program review, satisfactory implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and progress in publication of audits of large procurement contracts would help Guinea reach the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. "Discussions are expected to continue during the IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington later this month." Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:40:08 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1314.html URGENT AID NEEDED AS ZIMBABWE'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS - UN RELIEF CHIEF Press Release - UN News Center Oct 2 2008 The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating and will continue to worsen into next year, according to the top United Nations humanitarian official, who has called for urgent aid to avert increased human suffering in the Southern African nation. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said that an estimated 3.8 million people would be classed as food insecure between now and the end of the year. During the peak of the hunger season, between January and March 2009, nearly half of the population of 12 million is estimated to be going to require food assistance. Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said there is a large resource gap and aid is needed now. Although several months of humanitarian service delivery were lost, there is still time to avert increased human suffering. In June, Zimbabwe suspended all field operations by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private voluntary organisations (PVOs) in the wake of a political crisis, now resolved through a power-sharing agreement. Since the ban was lifted over a month ago, NGOs and UN agencies have been re-establishing operations to provide life-saving assistance. Mr. Holmes said that current challenges include critical shortages of all basic services, including food, clean water, and health services. Critically under-funded sectors of the current UN appeal for Zimbabwe include emergency agriculture and education, while funding in health, water and sanitation also remains low. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:38:29 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1313.html ROCKET-FIRING UN HELICOPTERS ATTACK REBELS IN EASTERN DR CONGO Press Release - UN News Center Oct 2 2008 United Nations attack helicopters firing rockets went into action in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today after rebels attempting to advance against the Government opened fire on UN reconnaissance planes. The UN action was the latest in a series of strikes against the rebel Ituri Patriotic Resistance Front (FRPI) in Ituri province, and comes less than two weeks after peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) sent in combat helicopters against another rebel group in North Kivu province, to the south. "MONUC is intervening with all the means at its disposal, including attack helicopters, to protect the civilian population which is in imminent danger," the mission said in a news release. "Moreover MONUC is cooperating with the DRC armed forces to re-establish state authority over the whole of Ituri." Residual FRPI elements launched attacks on Monday against the army, capturing two camps and advancing towards the village of Aveba before they were repulsed by MONUC. On September 19, UN helicopters opened fire on the rebel National Congress for People's Defence (CNDP) in North Kivu, forcing them to withdraw after they tried to take control of a town 60 kilometres from the region's main city, Goma. Humanitarian and human rights organizations are reporting a sharp increase in the recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups in North Kivu, a crime against humanity and a violation of an agreement they signed at the beginning of the year, MONUC spokesman Michel Bonnardeaux told a news conference today in Kinshasa, the DRC capital. Hostilities have continued in eastern DRC despite stabilization in much of the rest of the vast country, which was torn by years of civil war. On Monday, the DRC called for UN peacekeepers to be given a clear mandate and the resources necessary to impose peace by force if necessary. "Confronted by the drama occurring in the east of the Congo, MONUC must be authorized to act, and can act in a convincing manner," Permanent Representative Ileka Atoki told the General Assembly's annual General Debate. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:37:08 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1312.html Statement by an IMF Staff Mission at the Conclusion of a Visit to Niger Press Release - International Monetary Fund October 2, 2008 An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Emilio Sacerdoti, mission chief for Niger, visited Niger during September 16-October 2, 2008 to conduct the discussion for the Article IV consultation and the first review of the authorities' program supported by the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement. The mission met with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, the National Director of the Central Bank of Western African States, Mr. Oumarou Gagere, senior staff of a number of ministries, representatives of the private sector and civil society, and the donor community. The mission issued the following statement in Niamey on October 2, 2008: "During the first half of 2008 economic activity was sustained by robust private and public sector investment, while favorable rains in recent months are likely to lead to a bumper crop. As a result, real GDP is projected to grow by 5.9 percent this year, up from 3.3 percent in 2007. Increases in imported petroleum and food prices have led to an acceleration of consumer price inflation in the year to August 2008, but inflation should decline significantly in the coming months because of the expected good harvest. The mission welcomes the targeted food assistance programs carried out by the authorities, with donor assistance, to alleviate the impact of higher food prices on vulnerable groups. Budgetary expenditure and revenue were in line with the program in the first half of the year and performance under the program has been satisfactory, on the whole. "The mission discussed with the authorities the prospects for 2009. The authorities have expressed their intention to allocate in the 2009 budget the large exceptional revenue received in 2008 to finance priority programs in infrastructure and social sectors in line with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). While the mission expressed its broad agreement with the proposed budget, it cautioned the authorities to review carefully the key investment projects before bringing them to the implementation phase. "The mission welcomed the continued implementation of structural reforms in financial management and the financial sector, and underscored the importance for further determined actions in these areas. Particular attention will be given under the program to strengthen public finance management and streamline the tax regime, so as to facilitate private sector activity, and to measures aimed at improving the business climate. "With the continued implementation of the policies under the program and subject to approval by IMF management, it is expected that the IMF's Executive Board will discuss the first review of Niger's program under the PRGF in November/December 2008." Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:35:37 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1311.html UN WELCOMES ORDER BY NEPAL'S SUPREME COURT TO SUPPLY FOOD TO HUNGRY Press Release - UN News Center Oct 3 2008 Two United Nations agencies today welcomed a call issued by Nepal's Supreme Court for food to be supplied to one dozen districts in the Asian nation's mid- and far-western regions. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) hailed the 25 September order by the Court recognizing the "right to food sovereignty" in the Interim Constitution of Nepal, where 2.5 million people in rural areas are in urgent need of assistance due to surging food prices. "OHCHR and WFP acknowledge the Government is taking seriously the pressing issues of food shortages and rising food prices in these regions," according to a press release. They also noted that the Government has increased the portion of the budget allocated to the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), a national body mandated to supply food to districts that need it most. Over the past two years, WFP - working with the Government and aid partners - has fed some two million people in the mid- and far-western districts impacted by both natural and man-made disasters. The NFC distributes food to areas with larger populations, while the WFP focuses on more remote, rural areas. "The enjoyment of the right to adequate food and freedom from hunger is of paramount importance for the enjoyment of all other rights, including the right to life, and it is crucial that national judicial organs regularly recognize this principle," OHCHR and WFP said. Nepal is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which recognizes the right of all "to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing and to the continuous improvement of living conditions." WFP is also helping feed up to 170,000 people in the country's west who have been displaced by severe flooding, which claimed more than 30 lives last month. Flash floods have affected over 24,000 families in the worst hit districts of Kanchanpur and Kailali, and the agency is providing "mixed-commodity basket" of rice, lentils, vegetable oil and salt, as part of a $2.5 million emergency operation. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:31:25 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1310.html WORLD BANK'S FUNDING OF RENEWABLE AND EFFICIENT ENERGY PROJECTS UP 87 PER CENT Press Release - UN News Center Oct 3 2008 The World Bank's funding for renewable and efficient energy projects in developing countries rose 87 per cent during the past year to nearly $2.7 billion, reflecting the growing interest and demand for environmentally-friendly sources of power. "Concerns about energy security, climate change, and increasing energy prices make many renewable energy and energy efficiency measures and applications very attractive in a number of different settings," said Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Energy, Transport, and Water. "This is reflected in the increased demand for investment and also for technical assistance to strengthen regulatory frameworks providing incentives to climate change-friendly applications," he added, according to a news release issued yesterday by the Bank, which is based in Washington, DC. At the 2004 International Renewable Energies Conference in Bonn, Germany, the World Bank Group pledged to boost its financial support for new renewable energy and energy efficiency projects by 20 per cent per year. Since then it has more than exceeded that goal each year, committing close to $3.7 billion to such projects, compared with the agreed commitment goal of $1.3 billion. The Bank's commitments during the past fiscal year - which ended in June - include nearly $1.2 billion for energy efficiency, as well as almost $1.5 billion for renewable energy including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower projects. Renewable energy and energy efficient investments made up 35 per cent of the Bank's energy commitments for the year - up from 13 per cent per year on average in the early 1990s - with 95 projects in 51 countries, as well as two cross-border projects. The Bank noted that high energy prices and acute power shortages have led to an increased demand for energy efficiency projects, including automated meter reading systems and efficient lighting measures. Such projects are being implemented in a number of countries such as China, Pakistan, Argentina, Ukraine, Burundi and Zambia. Increased investments in renewable and efficient energy projects will not only benefit the environment but also contribute to job creation, according to a landmark study released last week by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The report found, among other things, that renewable energy generates more jobs than employment in fossil fuels. Projected investments of $630 billion by 2030 would translate into at least 20 million additional jobs in the renewable energy sector. In recent years some 2.3 million people have found new jobs in the renewable energy sector alone, and the potential for job growth in the sector is huge, added the report, which stated that employment in alternative energies may rise to 2.1 million in wind and 6.3 million in solar power by 2030. In addition, investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings could generate an additional 2 million to 3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United States alone, with the potential much higher in developing countries. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:26:19 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1309.html NEEDY FARMERS IN MADAGASCAR EARN BOOST FROM UN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Press Release - UN News Center Oct 3 2008 Poor rural families across southern and central Madagascar will be able to increase their incomes after the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced a $19 million scheme to improve farming production. IFAD will provide a loan of $18.7 million and a grant of $515,000 to support local farmers' organizations, according to a news release issued by the agency on Wednesday after an agreement was signed in Rome by IFAD and the Government of Madagascar. Under the project, some 75,000 families stand to benefit from the new financing, which will be directed in part at improving agribusiness centres so they can better help farmers and at increasing regional agricultural funds from which farmers' groups can draw. IFAD said the project will target particularly needy groups of the rural community, including small-scale farmers with little land, households whose members have nutritional problems, women and young people. So far the UN agency has funded 13 projects across Madagascar, which has an overwhelmingly rural population, at a total cost of $159 million. The current project is being funded by the European Union, the African Development Bank and the World Bank. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:23:22 -0500 http://www.harolddoan.com/Article1308.html SYRIA: UN APPEALS FOR $20 MILLION TO HELP UP TO 1 MILLION DROUGHT VICTIMS Press Release - UN News Center Oct 3 2008 The United Nations today launched an appeal for $20 million to help up to 1 millions Syrians, predominantly herders and subsistence farmers, hit by the country’s worst drought in four decades. The situation is not expected to improve until next spring, and that is if the rains do not fail for a second year in a row, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. An assessment by the UN country team has confirmed that the situation is considerably worse than initially feared and the requested $20.23 million will be used on projects in cooperation with the Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The average yield of basic crops has dropped significantly in both irrigated and rain-fed areas and up to 59,000 small herders have lost almost all their herds, with 47,000 others losing 50 to 60 per cent. In addition, food prices have risen at a rate outstripping household income and the purchasing power of the general population in the affected areas. The UN inter-agency mission found that many people are eating less, selling assets or migrating. Anaemia, malnutrition and diarrhoea are on the rise, especially among children under five and pregnant women. Drinking water has also decreased in rural areas of the northeast, particularly in villages depending on protected wells as their only source. The majority of the funding – $14 million – is required for agriculture and livelihoods while $5 million will go for food. The UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) has already allocated $1.97 million for three projects in the appeal. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:21:31 -0500