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UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
15 December, 2008 =========================================================================
INTENSIFY PEACE TALKS, UN AND TOP DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS TELL ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS
The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for Middle East peace – the European Union (EU), Russia and the United States – called today for an intensification of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, urging both sides to take the necessary steps to reach this goal.
The so-called Quartet, in a top-level meeting hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN Headquarters in New York, called on the Palestinians to continue their efforts to reform the security services and dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism.
At the same time, the group called on Israel to freeze all settlement activities, which have a negative impact on the negotiating environment and on Palestinian economic recovery, and to address the growing threat of settler extremism.
“The Quartet expressed its considered view that the bilateral negotiations process launched at Annapolis (last year) is irreversible and that these negotiations should be intensified in order to put an end to the conflict and to establish as soon as possible the state of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security with Israel,” said a statement issued at the end of the meeting.
“The Quartet affirmed that a final treaty and a lasting peace will be reached through simultaneous and mutually re-enforcing efforts on three tracks: negotiations; building the institutions of a Palestinian state, including facilitating economic development through an improvement of conditions on the ground; and implementation of the parties’ obligations under the Roadmap, as stated in the Annapolis Joint Understanding.”
The partners have long championed the Roadmap, which embodies the two-State solution, first set for achievement by the end of 2005. At the Annapolis meeting in the United States last year, participants set the hoped-for target for the end of this year, and UN officials have voiced regret that this, too, has proved impractical, while welcoming the intensified talks that have ensued.
Turning to the Gaza Strip where Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, seized control from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2006, the Quartet called for a continuation of the calm between Gaza and southern Israel, due to expire at the end of the week, that has reduced violence between Israel and Palestinians there.
It reiterated that a lasting solution to the situation in Gaza can only be achieved through peaceful means and that all Palestinians must commit themselves to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, adding that restoring Palestinian unity based on “the legitimate and internationally recognized” authority of the PA – would be an important factor in this process.
The Quartet condemned “indiscriminate attacks” on Israel from Gaza and called for an immediate cessation of violence, but it also stated its “acute concern” at the recent increase in Israeli closures of crossing points in response to violence, noting they had cut basic commodities and humanitarian supplies, worsening the economic and humanitarian situation there.
The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reported today that the Gaza power plant, which supplies a portion of the territory’s needs, has been turned off by the company in charge there. The decision was taken following the closure of all goods crossings yesterday.
A series of rolling blackouts has been occurring throughout the Gaza Strip since yesterday evening – ranging from 12 hours a day in some areas to 4 hours a day in others.
UNSCO also reports that 81 truckloads of materials did pass from Israel into Gaza today, including 20 truckloads for humanitarian aid agencies that included flour, milk and medicine.
“The Quartet emphasized that the provision of humanitarian supplies, including food, fuel, pharmaceuticals, water and sewage maintenance items, and to the people in Gaza must be assured continuously,” the statement said. “The Quartet also reiterated its previous call for Israel to allow into Gaza sufficient materials to facilitate the resumption of stalled UN and other donor projects.”
It also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit, whose seizure in Israel by Palestinian militants from Gaza over two years ago unleashed a new wave of violence.
The Quartet commended the PA for its progress in security performance and welcomed the robust Israeli-Palestinian cooperation for the expansion of security and law and order in the West Bank, most notably in Jenin and Hebron.
“The Quartet viewed the successful deployment of the Palestinian security services to Hebron as the most recent demonstration of the substantial progress that has been made since Annapolis,” it added.
Attending the meeting with Mr. Ban were EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ban thanked the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush for its efforts to advance the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. “These efforts have been tireless and are continuing. Very important progress is underway,” he said.
“In this respect we look forward to working closely from the outset with the administration of President-elect (Barack) Obama to achieve the goal of the two-State solution and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.”
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ZIMBABWE CHOLERA DEATH TOLL NEARS 1,000, UN REPORTS
The death toll from Zimbabwe’s worst-ever cholera outbreak is approaching 1,000, the United Nations reported today, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the country’s leadership is not doing enough to address the dire situation in the Southern African nation.
“We continue to witness a failure of the leadership in Zimbabwe to address the political, economic, human rights and humanitarian crisis that is confronting the country and to do what is best for the people of Zimbabwe,” Mr. Ban told a closed-door session of the Security Council.
The UN said today the number of suspected cholera cases has risen to 18, 413 with 978 deaths. The outbreak is now affecting nine out of ten provinces in the country and spilling across borders into South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique.
About half of all cases in Zimbabwe are in one suburb of the capital, Harare, and another 26 per cent in a town on the border with South Africa.
UN agencies have been scaling up their efforts in recent weeks to tackle the crisis, which is the most serious ever registered in Zimbabwe, as well as the effects of collapsing social services.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has drawn up a comprehensive cholera response operation plan, and is in the process of procuring and distributing emergency stocks of supplies to run health centres. The Government has accepted the plan and has also declared a state of emergency.
Zimbabwe is mired in a crisis brought about by a confluence of factors, including three years of failed harvests, bad governance and hyperinflation, among others.
The country has endured months of political tensions after disputed presidential elections in March involving the incumbent Robert Mugabe and the opposition figure Morgan Tsvangirai. A power-sharing deal on the formation of a new government was reached in September with the help of regional leaders, but outstanding issues remain, jeopardizing the deal’s implementation.
In his briefing to the Council today, Mr. Ban noted that the lack of progress on the political front is accompanied by a “dramatic” deterioration in living conditions and of the humanitarian situation.
“The current cholera epidemic is only the most visible manifestation of a profound multi-sectoral crisis, encompassing food, agriculture, education, health, water, sanitation and HIV/AIDS.”
He reported that close to 80 per cent of the country has no access to safe drinking water, and the vast majority of the population does not have adequate sanitary facilities – the very conditions that have allowed the acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or water to develop and flourish.
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DR CONGO: UN DEPLOYS NEARLY ALL ITS 17,500 PEACEKEEPERS TO STRIFE-TORN EAST
More than 90 per cent of the nearly 17,500 United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are now deployed in the strife-torn east of the vast country, including over 6,000 in North Kivu province which has seen an upsurge of fighting between various rebels groups and the national army.
“The task that the blue helmets are fulfilling at this very moment is absolutely vital,” General Babacar Gaye, military head of the UM Mission in DRC, known by its French acronym MONUC, said in an update on the disposition of forces.
But he noted that while the number of troops in itself might seem impressive “and creates expectations among the population,” it also creates a feeling of dissatisfaction when compared to the huge size of the country.
“This dissatisfaction is felt by all those who make up this force when you consider all the protective missions they would like to carry out,” he added.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on the prevention of genocide Francis Deng is assessing whether the continued violence and massive human rights abuses in North Kivu could amount to violations of the Genocide Convention.
Mr. Deng has just returned to UN Headquarters in New York from a 12-day mission to the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, during which he met with leaders of some of the largest armed groups in eastern DRC. He also held talks with UN and government officials, civil society, the clergy and victims of large-scale human rights violations. Members of his delegation also visited Burundi.
MONUC, which at the moment has more troops on the ground than any other UN mission, was originally set up in 1999 with a mandated force of some 5,500 to help enforce a ceasefire after years of civil war that cost 4 million lives in fighting and attendant hunger and disease – widely considered the most lethal conflict in the world since the Second World War – before it ended earlier this decade.
Since then its forces have been steadily increased and in 2006, the UN helped organize presidential, national and provincial elections, the largest and most complex polls it has ever helped to run. Much of the rest of the country has since been relatively calm, but fighting has continued in the east.
Most recently the Security Council authorized a further temporary increase of nearly 3,000 troops in the face of an upsurge of the conflict in North Kivu, where the national army, the mainly Tutsi rebel National Congress in Defence of the People (CNDP), the mainly Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and other rebel groups such as the Mayi Mayi have clashed in various permutations and shifting alliances.
An estimated 250,000 civilians have been driven from their homes since late August, mainly in North Kivu, creating a humanitarian crisis.
MONUC is also fielding over 3,500 troops in South Kivu and some 3,770 in Ituri to the north, a province that has also been torn by fighting with rebel groups.
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UN CHIEF TO LEAD MEETING WITH SPANISH PREMIER NEXT MONTH TO DEAL WITH HUNGER CRISIS
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today that he and the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, have agreed to co-chair a high-level meeting next month aimed at tackling the urgent hunger crisis afflicting one billion people worldwide.
The Food Security for All meeting in Madrid, slated for 26-27 January 2009, aims to gather governments, private entities and civil society groups to examine progress in achieving food security, define a road map for the future and tackle hunger more effectively.
The Secretary-General made the announcement at the sixth meeting of the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, which focused its discussion on reducing hunger, promoting food security, and intensifying small-scale agriculture in countries that need and request assistance.
Mr. Ban also welcomed a follow-up to the proposals made by several heads of government at the High-Level Conference on World Food Security in Rome last June to establish a global partnership for agriculture and food security, and acknowledged the Group of Eight (G-8) most industrialized countries for supporting the partnership.
As well as pledging an extra $6 billion in new funding, the summit adopted a declaration at its conclusion that called for increased assistance for developing countries, especially for those hardest hit by the rise in food prices.
The Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, David Nabarro, was asked to double up as Task Force Coordinator starting next year.
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SENIOR UN OFFICIALS URGE GREATER PROTECTION FOR AFGHAN CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Senior United Nations officials in Afghanistan have called for greater efforts to improve the situation of children in the strife-torn nation, after a new report by the Organization revealed cases of recruitment by insurgents, sexual violence and continuing attacks on schools.
“The main findings of this report refer to cases of recruitment of children by illegal armed groups, for example, to use as suicide bombers,” Bo Asplund, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, told a news conference in Kabul today.
The report – by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to the Security Council on Afghanistan – comes just days after the Taliban allegedly used a 13-year-old boy to carry out a bombing against British troops operating in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, killing three soldiers.
“The key thing that it demonstrates is the total disrespect of the fundamental rights of the child by the Taliban. This is unjustifiable under any circumstances and by any standards – you cannot force children to commit these kinds of acts,” said Mr. Asplund.
It also discusses the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals where children are affected, and the denial of humanitarian access or difficulty in gaining humanitarian access to children in some cases.
He noted that between July 2007 and July 2008, there were 230 attacks on educational institutions that have been documented by the Ministry of Education and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including the burning of school buildings and threats against students.
Mr. Asplund, who is also deputy head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), co-chairs a task force set up to monitor and address the situation of children and armed conflict, along with the Country Representative for UNICEF, Catherine Mbengue.
“All parties to the conflict must stop the use and recruitment of children,” Ms. Mbengue stated, noting that the report calls on the Afghan Government to develop effective age verification procedures and to introduce legislation to criminalize the recruitment of children.
The report also encourages the Afghan Government to design appropriate legal measures and programmes to increase the protection of children, particularly to prosecute those guilty of violating the basic rights of children.
In addition, the report requests that the Government design laws and programmes to prevent and address sexual violence against children, and to ensure that the voices of the victims are heard.
Ms. Mbengue stressed the need for everyone in the community to work together to protect children and their rights.
“All parties to the conflict must commit themselves to respect children’s rights. They must take immediate steps to turn into actions the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict,” she stated. “The children of Afghanistan deserve no less.”
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UN ENVOY GOES MISSING IN NIGER
A United Nations envoy dealing with Niger, Canadian Robert Fowler, has gone missing while driving near the West African country’s capital Niamey, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. “We are doing all our best efforts about his whereabouts,” he told reporters when asked about it at a news conference. “We are now mobilizing all necessary information networks on this.” Earlier a spokesman said the UN had no indication Mr. Fowler, whose car was found on Sunday evening without its three passengers, had been taken hostage. Spokesman Farhan Haq added that the Niger authorities were looking into the matter. “We appreciate their efforts and are working with them,” he said.
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BUSINESSES HAVE KEY ROLE IN RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN FINANCIAL MARKETS – BAN
The private sector, as well as the alliance of businesses created by the United Nations in 2000, has an important role in helping to bring the global economy back on track, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, noting that what began as a financial crisis just a few months ago has turned into a full-scale economic downturn affecting economies and societies worldwide.
“There is no doubt that the current crisis poses a serious threat to our collective well-being,” Mr. Ban told a meeting of the Global Compact Board in New York. “It will require a concerted effort by Governments, international organizations and the private sector to prevent a lasting global recession.
“In these challenging circumstances, it is more important than ever that business – and especially the Global Compact – take a leading role in getting out the message that the long-term success of business and the stability of markets and societies are two sides of the same coin,” he stated.
The Compact pledges participating businesses – now numbering some 5,000 in over 100 countries – to observe principles regarding human rights, labour rights, environmental sustainability and the fight against corruption.
“Most immediately, we must do all we can to bring the global economy back on a track of sustainable growth that will advance development,” said the Secretary-General, adding that the Compact and the UN values it promotes can help restore trust and build confidence in markets.
He also noted that these tough times can also offer opportunities for ‘green’ growth. Recently, he proposed a “Green New Deal” to create new employment and foster sustainable markets while safeguarding the environment and natural resources.
“Business can and must join in investing in a sustainable future,” he stressed.
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SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS BRIEFINGS FROM ITS SANCTIONS COMMITTEES
The United Nations Security Council was briefed today by the heads of its subsidiary bodies entrusted with monitoring sanctions on Sudan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Somalia, Al-Qaida and the Taliban, Côte d’Ivoire, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
Giulio Terzi de Sant’Agata of Italy, who chaired the Committee on Sudan sanctions and the Committee concerning the DPRK, said chairing the former had been a challenge due to a lack of consensus among members. The latter committee had communicated with various individual Member States and air transport organizations in reply to queries on the sanctions imposed in 2006 after the DPRK claimed to have conducted a nuclear test.
Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, chair of the Committee on Somalia sanctions, reported that the Monitoring Group had unsparingly described widespread violations of the arms embargo, which had continued unabated for the past 16 years, as well as the state of lawlessness. The Council could not watch Somalia become an even worse disaster; even if it passed tougher security and embargo measures, the situation demanded a comprehensive solution.
Jan Grauls of Belgium, chair of the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions Committee, the Committee on Côte d’Ivoire sanctions and the Committee on Iran sanctions, said several important innovations had been introduced with regard to the first on listing and de-listing, notification of sanctioned individuals and entities, posting of narrative summaries of reasons for listing and review mechanisms.
The sanctions regime against the named groups was one of the most important tools in the fight against terrorism and Member States should use it to the fullest extent possible by proposing the names of key actors for listing and complying fully with the sanctions measures, he added.
On Côte d’Ivoire, he said the various reports of the Group of Experts had established serious failures in implementation of sanctions, including ignorance, indifference and, in certain cases, contempt for the measures. Especially striking had been the lack of follow-up in numerous, serious allegations of human rights violations, particularly cases of sexual violence against women and children.
On Iran, sanctions against that country had undoubtedly “hit the nuclear programme and most actors and intermediaries involved in the programme,” Mr. Grauls said, but the Committee should take a closer look at national reports and examine more thoroughly deficiencies in implementation.
Indonesia’s Marty Natalegawa, chair of the committees on DRC and Rwanda, noted that the Council had effectively lifted the arms embargo on the DRC, though supplier States are still required to notify the Committee on shipments to the Government. The Committee had updated the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions but implementation of the assets freeze and travel ban was hindered when listed individuals had no tangible assets and did not travel across borders.
The level of awareness and implementation of sanctions remained very limited, requiring the full collaboration and engagement of States in the region. It was to be hoped that the Council would integrate the sanctions regime into a wider political strategy to end the conflict.
The Rwanda Committee had been largely inactive over the past 10 years, and Indonesia has recommended its dissolution.
Panama’s Ricardo Alberto Arias, Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, said “fruitful” exchanges within the Group had been crucial in exploring new ways to make the Council more efficient in its deliberations.
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TOP UN OFFICIAL PLEASED THAT NEPAL AND PHILIPPINES AGREED TO RELEASE CHILD SOLDIERS
A senior United Nations official today welcomed recent breakthroughs made in Nepal and the Philippines to release child soldiers.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, briefed reporters in New York on her recent visits to the two nations.
Regarding Nepal, she said that she was pleased that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had agreed “unequivocally” to start discharging the nearly 3,000 children in cantonments, working together with the UN country team in the Asian nation.
“The first act is to enter into an action plan, and after that into some reintegration policies,” the Representative said, adding that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) stands ready to assist in the process.
She also visited the Terai region and said children there are being denied many rights. “The line between crime and politics seems to be very thin there,” said Ms. Coomaraswamy, who met with children who were victims of forced displacement and criminal or political violence.
In the Philippines, an agreement was reached with a rebel group known as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to stop recruiting child soldiers and return to civilian life those already in their ranks.
The Special Representative said today that MILF has recently posted a notice on their website regarding their commitment.
The South-East Asian nation’s Government also agreed to send a directive to all local commanders to not recruit anyone under the age of 18, she said. “We will continue to monitor the situation to see how far that goes.”
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BAN CALLS FOR STEPPING UP POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed the importance of political will and leadership in tackling the “quintessential global threat” posed by climate change.
In a message to the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on Saturday, Mr. Ban called for the international community to join forces to seek out “common solutions to common problems” like global warming.
At the UN climate change talks that recently wrapped up in Poznan, Poland, he had appealed for “bold, urgent steps” to address the issue. That event marks the half-way point in efforts to reach agreement on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, the legally binding regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions whose first commitment period ends in 2012.
The Secretary-General stressed that the region serves as a prime example of the key role played by nature and climate on all aspects of life.
“As our climate becomes more dangerous and unstable, so, too, will life on these islands,” he said in the message, which was delivered to a seminar on climate change and the environment by Joel Boutroe, the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Haiti.
The Caribbean is “particularly vulnerable” to the increasingly extreme weather events spurred by climate change, Mr. Ban said, stressing that efforts to help developing countries adapt to such fluctuations must be stepped up.
He also underscored the need to curb disaster risks, with over 90 per cent of all disaster deaths taking place in developing nations.
“The poorest – those least responsible for global warming – are likely to suffer first and worst from the consequences of climate change.”
The Secretary-General said that ‘greening’ the global economy can help to pull the world out of the current economic crisis, with funding for lower-carbon projects potentially stimulating growth.
“Economic growth need not be tied to the growth of greenhouse gas emissions,” he noted. “But to get from here to there, we need to harness political leadership from every sector of society and from every nation” to achieve a breakthrough at the UN climate change conference next year in Copenhagen, Denmark, where negotiations are slated to end.
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UN ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS STORIES HE TRIED TO STOP ISRAEL SPEAKING ‘MALICIOUS LIE’
United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto today called media stories that he tried to prevent Israel’s representative from speaking on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “a malicious and absolute lie.”
At the same time he said Israel’s detention and denial of entry of the independent UN human rights expert for the occupied Palestinian territory “reflects a dangerous decision by individual countries to rebuff UN mandates and UN-appointed mandate holders.”
Further, Mr. D’Escoto said very serious threats have appeared on the Internet against his life and the matter is being looked into by the pertinent authorities.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, he said the two actions concerning Israel are “not helpful or conducive for the climate of international harmony that he is trying to promote.”
The story that he had tried to prevent Israel’s representative from speaking “could best be characterized as ‘slander’ and in any court of law this is a criminal act,” the statement said.
“Information from the media attributes senior diplomatic officials in the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations as the source for this irresponsible accusation,” it added, noting that Mr. D’Escoto will meet Israel’s Ambassador to the UN later today to discuss the issues.
The statement said UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk was denied entry to Israel when he arrived at Tel Aviv airport with staff members from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on an official visit to carry out his mandate.
“He was attempting to carry out the obligations of his UN mandate, investigating the human rights violations affecting the protected civilian population of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the territories occupied by Israel since 1967,” it added. “Most urgently he intended to investigate the rising humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip resulting from the siege of Gaza’s 1.5 million population imposed by the occupying power.”
Other than two brief urgent telephone messages to the United States, Mr. Falk was held almost incommunicado for at least 30 hours and was now believed to have been put on a flight back to the US.
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MASSIVE HYDRO SCHEME FOR AFRICA’S FOOD, ENERGY SECURITY FOCUS OF UN FORUM
A senior United Nations official today told a meeting of African ministers that harnessing the continent’s largely untapped water resources is critical in feeding and providing for its people, as delegates consider a multi-billion dollar, long-term irrigation and hydroelectricity programme.
The $65 billion, 20-year Blue Revolution water management programme is designed to exploit Africa’s natural resources by providing investment for water control at the village level, extensive irrigation systems and developing major river basins for agriculture and hydroenergy generation.
Water management is “a key element” in food security, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General Jacques Diouf said at the opening of the conference, Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa: the Challenges of Climate Change.
Sub-Saharan Africa – already suffering from the world’s highest rate of malnourishment – needs to triple its food production by 2050 to feed a population predicted to balloon to 2 billion people, while also expected to be the hardest-hit by climate change.
FAO has organized the three-day conference, hosted by Libya and in collaboration with the African Union, the African Ministers' Council on Water Development, the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa, bringing together ministers from 53 African nations with the theme “moving from talk to action.”
Delegates are expected to adopt a joint declaration supporting water development at the national, regional and continental levels to fully exploit Africa's potential agriculture and energy sectors, ensuring the food security of the continent and meet its increasing food and energy needs.
The summit is also expected to discuss the creation of a “rapid action fund” to revive local agricultural production in case of crisis, particularly in low-income countries heavily reliant on food imports.
Turning to the ongoing global financial, economic and food crises, Mr. Diouf stressed that “the revival of agricultural production in poor countries is the only viable and lasting way to combat hunger. We must therefore invest more in agriculture.”
He has called for a world summit of heads of State and government to “ensure greater coherence in the governance of global food security and lay the foundations of a new system of agricultural trade that offers farmers in the developed and developing countries alike the opportunity to earn a decent living.”
FAO also issued a report today warning that the global economic slowdown threatens to reduce flows of investment and assistance to developing countries, including the support to agriculture that has helped many strengthen their potato sectors.
The drop in investment, trade and potato farmer’s access to credit comes at a time when the vegetable has become an important staple food and lucrative cash crop in many developing countries, with China becoming the world’s biggest producer, and Bangladesh, India and Iran among the leading potato consumers.
Developed countries may be tempted to raise trade barriers, while the banking crisis will leave many farmers with no credit to invest in production in 2009, according to a press release issued by the agency.
“Urgently needed is a vigorous new agenda for potato research and development aimed at protecting countries’ food security and providing new market opportunities for potato producers,” said Coordinator of the FAO International Year of the Potato 2008 secretariat, NeBambi Lutaladio.
As harvests in Africa, Asia and Latin America are on average half those achieved in Western Europe and North America, FAO underscored the importance of providing potato growers with better quality planting material, varieties that are resistant to pests, diseases, drought and climate change, and farming systems that make better sustainable use of natural resources.
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IMAMS AND RABBIS DISCUSS HOW TO PROMOTE PEACE AT UNESCO GATHERING
A United Nations meeting bringing together imams and rabbis from Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory and other places in a bid to bolster Middle East peace kicked off today in Paris.
The three-day UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gathering is expected to draw 85 participants, including 45 Palestinian imams, Israeli rabbis and Christians, as well as experts and religious leaders from nearly two dozen countries.
The opening session will be addressed by, among others, Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General, and Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal and of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
The Third World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace will wrap up with the adoption of a final declaration and is planning to set up a monitoring group to support initiatives promoting peaceful coexistence and dialogue.
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DEVELOPMENT GAINS MUST NOT BE LOST AMID CURRENT CRISES – MIGIRO
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today urged countries to work together to ensure that critical development gains are not lost at a time when the world’s people are facing multiple crises involving food, fuel and finance, all of which threaten global anti-poverty efforts.
“We should use every opportunity in 2009 to ensure that these trying times do not distract us from our commonly shared goals, particularly the goal of pursuing peace and prosperity for all,” Ms. Migiro told delegates during a General Assembly meeting on development.
She noted that today’s crises threaten efforts to reduce poverty and achieve other development targets, including those world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The financial crisis, in particular, is threatening to roll back gains in a number of other areas, especially if official development assistance (ODA) suffers as a result of the economic slowdown. “We know that people and countries plagued by poverty will be hit hardest by the crisis. This is why aid flows have to be sheltered from its impact,” she said.
The expected recessions in most developed economies are likely to slow the robust growth experienced by developing countries during the past five years. There is already evidence that the financial crisis is proving contagious, as exports from and remittance flows into many developing countries are diminishing.
While some important steps have been undertaken to strengthen international development cooperation, she noted that there is a growing fear of setbacks if the recessions in developed countries deepen.
Furthermore, the slow-down in developing countries is coming before many of them have had a chance to recover from the shocks of food and fuel price hikes of 2007 and 2008. The prospects for the least developed countries are deteriorating rapidly.
“The financial crisis has made it clear that our destinies are deeply interconnected,” stated Ms. Migiro. “We have to work together to ensure that our gains are not lost.”
The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that in times of crisis, global solidarity is vital, and recalled the political will and pledges of support displayed at September’s high-level event on the MDGs.
At the 25 September meeting, governments, foundations, businesses and civil society groups rallied around Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to action by announcing an estimated $16 billion in new commitments to meet the MDGs.
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NEEDS ARE STILL GREAT FOR MYANMAR’S CYCLONE VICTIMS, SAYS UN-BACKED GROUP
A review of the progress made to date to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of Cyclone Nargis has found that while relief efforts are ongoing, they need to be stepped up, especially to ensure food security, a United Nations-backed group said today.
The comprehensive field assessment was led by the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) – comprising the UN, the Government of Myanmar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – and included the participation of national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The first of three “Periodic Reviews,” the assessment not only examines the humanitarian relief and early recovery efforts being made in the wake of the disaster which struck the country in early May, but also produces data for future planning.
“Progress in relief and recovery efforts is being made every day. At the same time, the initial findings of the Periodic Review signal that more has to be done to meet all needs,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Bishow Parajuli.
“There are chronic needs in food security and nutrition,” he noted, adding that greater support is also needed in the western delta and some of the larger towns.
Cyclone Nargis, which left around 140,000 dead or missing and displaced 800,000 people from their homes, has been described by UN humanitarian chief John Holmes as the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Myanmar U Kyaw Thu, who serves as TCG Chairman, today reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to build trust, confidence and cooperation with ASEAN, the UN and the international community.
“We are all working towards a common goal; to continue to provide efficient and sufficient assistance to the people affected by Nargis,” he stated.
At its meeting today, the TCG also reviewed the final draft of the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), which outlines the framework for the international community’s recovery assistance over the next three years.
A news release from the Group added that the UN has so far received $304 million, or 64 per cent, of the $477 million it appealed for a few months ago to assist those affected by the cyclone in Myanmar.
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EUROPEAN UNION NAVAL ESCORT BOOSTS SECURITY FOR UN FOOD AID EN ROUTE TO SOMALIA
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today expressed its gratitude to the European Union (EU) for protecting ships carrying vital food aid from rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The EU has launched Operation Atlanta, which sends naval escorts for vessels, including ships transporting WFP aid to the Horn of Africa nation, where nearly half of the population requires assistance, according to the UN.
“Pirates have been threatening to cut off the humanitarian lifeline to Somalia, but now the EU is providing the comprehensive protection we have been calling for,” said Ramiro Lopes da Silva, WFP’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
The escorts will allow WFP – which sends 90 per cent of its assistance to the country by sea – to “guarantee a flow of food assistance to the people of Somalia who are suffering from drought, conflict and the impact of high food prices,” he added.
The first of the ships to be protected by the EU is the MV Semlow, which left the Kenyan port of Mombasa yesterday, loaded with enough supplies to feed 50,000 people for a month. The vessel is being accompanied by the British frigate, HMS Northumberland.
Atlanta is the EU’s first-ever naval operation, and will also provide escorts for commercial shipping as well as aerial surveillance and measures to deter, prevent and intervene to curb piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
This year has seen the largest number of pirate attacks in the region ever, topping 100, but WFP has still sent 60 shipments of over one quarter million metric tons of food, enough to feed 1.3 million people for one year.
Several governments have provided naval escorts for ships carrying food aid since last November, and as a result, no ship carrying WFP supplies has been attacked since then.
The Security Council has called on all countries and regional organizations with the necessary capacity to deploy naval ships and military aircraft off the Somali coast to fight piracy which is impeding UN efforts to feed millions of hungry civilians in the strife-torn country.
Acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter authorizing the use of force, the 15-member body called for the “seizure and disposition of boats, vessels, arms and other related equipment” used or suspected of being used for piracy, which has recently reached a peak off the coast of the Horn of Africa country with the hijacking of a Ukrainian arms ship and a Saudi oil tanker.
Earlier this month, a senior UN humanitarian official cautioned that without more effective aid, Somalia’s population faces total destitution next year.
“The crisis in Somalia is a prolonged crisis, a crisis that’s gone on for 17 years,” Mark Bowden, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the country, told reporters in New York.
He said that the crisis is at a difficult stage, with the population reeling from three years of drought, noting that the coming year is a “make or break” one for Somalia.
Piracy will be one of the main topics of discussion at a meeting tomorrow of the International Contact Group (ICG), led by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to join several senior ministers attending parts of the discussion during the day-long event at UN Headquarters in New York.
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