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21 February, 2004
 

Table Of Contents

 

Secretary-General Hails Progress In India And Pakistan Talks 1

Encouraged by the "steady progress" being made in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 19 February urged the two South Asian neighbours to press forward in tackling sensitive issues.

Mr. Annan "is heartened by the agreement reached at the latest round of talks in Islamabad at the level of Foreign Secretaries on a schedule of meetings for the coming several months and the commitment reiterated to discuss and arrive at a peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides and the people concerned," his spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said in a statement.

The Secretary-General hailed this "very positive development as evidence of the determination of the two countries to settle all outstanding issues and to open a new era of cooperation and peaceful co-existence."

The statement encouraged both sides "to remain steady in this course and to approach the more difficult stages of the talks in a spirit of compromise and visionary statesmanship."

 

Sec-Gen: Consensus Emerges That Iraq Elections Cannot Be Held Before 30 June 2

Citing an "emerging consensus," United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 19 February said elections cannot be organized in Iraq before the 30 June deadline for a transfer of sovereignty _ a date he said should be "respected."

In the interim between the handover and the polling, a caretaker government should be established, Mr. Annan told reporters following a meeting with his Special Advisor, Lakhdar Brahimi, who just returned from a fact-finding mission to Iraq, and the "Group of Friends" of the country.

"We hope that as we move forward we will be able to work with the Iraqis and the coalition to find a mechanism for establishing a caretaker or an interim government until such time that elections are organized," the Secretary-General said, citing an "emerging consensus or understanding that elections cannot be held before end of June [and] that the June 30th date for handover of sovereignty must be respected."

"We need to find a mechanism to create a caretaker government and then help prepare the elections later _ sometime later in the future," he added.

A UN spokesman later said the Secretary-General had drawn attention in particular to the consensus that has emerged that direct national elections are the best way to establish a fully representative and legitimate parliament and government. At the same time, there is wide agreement that elections cannot be successfully achieved unless carefully prepared under optimal technical, security and political conditions.

"He said that more work will be necessary to address fully some important questions that remain unanswered, and voiced his hope that the UN will be able to contribute to addressing these questions once he has approved the team's final conclusions," spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York.

"The Secretary-General emphasized that it is crucial that we do not give the impression that Iraq's fate could be decided over the heads of its people, stressing the need to engage the Iraqi people further as they chart their own destiny."

Mr. Brahimi noted that the Secretary-General would be "sending his first recommendation _ this is not a one-off activity _ on the basis of the facts that we have assembled."

"The United Nations will be resuming its work to help the political process, first of all up to the 30th of June and then after the 30th of June when sovereignty will be restored to Iraq," he stressed. 

The Secretary-General called the meeting "very good," noting that he and Mr. Brahimi had shared "where we stand, what we hope to do next, and… the state of play."

The Group's 46 members "all expressed their appreciation for the work done by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi and the team," he added.

Mr. Brahimi welcomed the support of the Group, which he said would be "closely associated with our work and supporting the re-engagement of the United Nations in Iraq."

The Secretary-General later discussed Iraq with members of the UN Security Council during that body's monthly luncheon. "Basically we focused on the next steps, and how one goes about working with the Iraqi people to design a mechanism that would be used for the establishment of an interim administration or caretaker government, and the UN's role in this phase of the transition and post-1 July," he said afterwards.

Asked about his own preferred options, Mr. Annan said he had none. "We need to have the Iraqis discuss it," he stressed. "They must take ownership, discuss it amongst themselves, and we will try and work with them to find a consensus."

 

Brahimi: Iraqi Polls Need To Be Held As Early As, But Not Earlier Than Possible 3

The head of the United Nations team assessing the prospects for early elections in Iraq said on 13 February the timing should not be held prisoner to any deadline.

"We need to organize elections as early as possible as but not earlier than possible," Lakhdar Brahimi, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Adviser, told the press following a meeting in Baghdad with the Iraqi Governing Council.

Asked about reports that there was not enough time for balloting before the 30 June deadline set by the United States-led occupying forces for the transfer of sovereignty, Mr. Brahimi replied, "What I said and what I repeat is that there is a consensus among the Iraqis _ and this is important _ that it is by elections that the permanent Iraqi government which will rebuild the country will be formed."

He went on to recall that he had stressed the need to fulfil the conditions, which will enable Iraq to hold elections in an appropriate environment. "The technical members of our team are talking to many parties about these issues," he added.

Mr. Brahimi also said he was confident Mr. Annan's decision on the issue would be welcomed "because they will be impartial recommendations with no other objective than to facilitate matters for the Iraqis who are living through hard times."

He said his team's consultations would be completed during the next few days and he would submit a report to the Secretary-General, who will in turn make recommendations to the Iraqis with a date for the elections.

During the week he has been in Iraq, Mr. Brahimi has consulted with a wide spectrum of Iraqis and the United States-led Coalition Provision Authority (CPA) on the feasibility of holding elections before the return of sovereignty as well as on alternative courses of action.

 

Cyprus Political Settlement `In Reach,' Sec-Gen Says, Following Breakthrough In Talks 4

More than 40 years after the United Nations first became involved in the Cyprus problem, Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 13 February said a settlement is "in reach" after the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders committed to his plan to reunify the island nation ahead of its entry into the European Union (EU).

Talks on the basis of Mr. Annan's settlement plan will reconvene on 19 February in Cyprus, according to a statement agreed to by the two parties and Greece and Turkey after marathon talks at UN Headquarters in New York. The results of the negotiations will then be submitted to separate and simultaneous referenda in April before Cyprus is slated to formally join the EU on 1 May.

"I commend the constructive spirit and political will displayed by both parties, as well as by Greece and Turkey, to reach this agreement," the Secretary-General said at a press conference announcing the breakthrough, which came after a final negotiating session on 13 February. "All concerned now face historic responsibilities to bring about a just and lasting peace in Cyprus."

Since 10 February, the Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf 

Denktash, have been meeting with Mr. Annan at UN Headquarters in New York. Also present for the talks were the guarantor nations _ Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

In Cyprus, the parties will seek to finalize negotiations under the Secretary-General's mission of good offices _ headed by his Special Adviser, Alvaro de Soto _ by 22 March. If they fail to agree, Mr. Annan will then convene a meeting of the two sides along with Greece and Turkey in an effort to agree on a final text by 29 March.

As a last resort, the Secretary-General has been invited by the parties to use his discretion to finalize the text to be submitted to referenda on the basis of his plan.

The parties also agreed to form a technical committee on the economic and financial aspects of implementation, to be chaired by the UN.

"A lot of hard work is still needed, and there are still tough questions ahead. But if all concerned show the same courage and goodwill during the next three months that they have shown in the last three days, I believe there is now a real chance that, before the first of May, Cyprus will be reunited," Mr. Annan said.

 

UN Condemns `Brutal And Cold-Blooded' Murder Of Demining Workers In Afghanistan 5

The senior United Nations envoy to Afghanistan on 15 February voiced shock and outrage at the "brutal and cold-blooded" murder on 14 February of four deminers working with the world body to help eradicate landmines from the country.

Through a spokesman, Jean Arnault called the employees of the Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation "invisible heroes who without any thought of self put their own lives at enough risk everyday." The four were shot dead while travelling in vehicles from Herat to Farah City.

Asserting that "the cowardly act committed against them cannot and will not be tolerated," Mr. Arnault called for a full investigation of the incident. He stressed that the perpetrators "who seek to destroy the hard earned peace, obstruct positive advances and callously wage war on decent and innocent people" must be brought to justice.

 

Sec-Gen: Timor-Leste Making Considerable Progress But Further Assistance `Crucial' 6

With the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMISET) set to end in May, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has issued a special report to the Security Council hailing recent progress in the country while urging a continued international presence there in the year to come.

Based on an in-depth analysis of Timor-Leste's requirements, the Secretary-General recommends that the Council extend the mandate of UNMISET for a further 12-month "consolidation phase" beyond the 20 May expiration date. 

"I am convinced that a comparatively modest additional effort can make a crucial difference in broadening the scope and increasing the sustainability of the remarkable achievements that have already been made, and allowing Timor-Leste to reach a threshold of self-sufficiency," Mr. Annan says.

During that time, the Secretary-General writes, UNMISET would function under a modified mandate, providing assistance to the country's justice system and core administrative structures, contributing to the development of its national police, and helping to maintain security.

He suggests that UNMISET retain 58 civilian advisers, 157 civilian police advisers, 42 military liaison officers and a security force of some 310 military personnel, including an infantry company and air support.

"These recommendations focus on areas that have direct implications for the security and stability of Timor-Leste, and where bilateral assistance is unavailable or not well suited to meet requirements," Mr. Annan notes.

 

UN Envoy: Announcement Of Israel's Withdrawal From Gaza Should Be Welcomed 7

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's announcement that Israel will withdraw the military and settlements from the Gaza Strip should be welcomed by all, as it sets the stage for the possible resumption of a "vigorous" peace process, the senior United Nations envoy for the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, told the Security Council on 18 February.

In an open briefing on the latest developments in the region, Mr. Roed-Larsen noted that the proposed step _ withdrawal from occupied territory in the Gaza Strip where Israel controlled about 40 per cent of the land _ had already been welcomed by the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and others.

However, Mr. Roed-Larsen recalled, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had said the withdrawal from Gaza must be seen as a first step, to be made in the context of the Road Map and as part of a cooperative engagement between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community. 

The announcement had set the stage for three possible scenarios, the UN envoy said. One is the resumption of a vigorous peace process. The second is unilateral Israeli disengagement from parts of the occupied Palestinian territory. The third centred on the inability of the parties to enact that withdrawal. "Such a scenario would be deeply against Palestinian and Israeli interests and could be a destabilizing element in the region," he warned. "The only viable long-term option for both peoples is the first: the resumption of the peace process."

Nevertheless, the cautiously positive view of the situation was tempered by the grim reality confronting Palestinians and Israelis, Mr. Roed-Larsen said. Since last month's briefing, 11 Israelis and 65 Palestinians had died. In all, nearly 10,000 people had lost their homes since October 2000. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remained dire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. There was still high unemployment and widespread poverty. 

He also called for Israel to cease construction of its Barrier on Palestinian land.

Mr. Roed-Larsen stressed that the parties had another chance for peace and the international community had another opportunity to make the Road Map process work. After repeated calls for the parties to take bold steps to build confidence and jumpstart the peace process, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip had the earmarks of such a move.

"We anxiously await the details and timetable for the withdrawal and urge the Palestinians to meet the plan with meaningful reciprocal confidence-building measures _ most imperatively in the area of security," Mr. Roed-Larsen said.

Warning that the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip should not be allowed to deteriorate any further, he said, "The people of each side deserve to be free of violence, terror, fear and harassment." 

 

S-G Pledges UN Help In Wake Of Chemical Train Tragedy In Iran 8

Reacting to the news of 18 February deadly train accident in Iran, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan pledged the world body's help in mitigating the disaster.

"The Secretary-General was distressed to learn of the casualties and damage caused by the chemical train derailment and explosion in Neyshabur, Iran," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York. 

Conveying Mr. Annan's condolences and deepest sympathy to the Iranian Government and the victims of the disaster, the spokesman said the UN "stands ready to assist those affected by the tragedy." 

 

Outgoing Force Commander Says UNIFIL Contains Regional Tension 9

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is serving to contain violence in the volatile region, the outgoing head of the operation said on 19 February.

Major-General Lalit Mohan Tewari of India, who just completed a two-and-a-half year assignment, said the period was one marked by escalating friction. "At the moment, I think the tension is going up, but that is my perception; I do not want to prejudge what is going to happen," he told reporters at a press briefing in New York. 

Amid this difficult operating scenario, UNIFIL maintained "real-time open channels of communication" with the parties, which served to diffuse tension.

"We cannot stop the events from taking place but we prevent escalation by talking to all the parties," he said.

Mr. Tewari added that neither side wanted a flare-up of violence. "The Government of Lebanon is not keen to escalate the situation at all," he said. "The Israeli Defence Forces are not keen to escalate the situation beyond a point."

"To that extent I think it's a very encouraging trend which I saw," he added.

Working in "the toughest neighbourhood in the world," the outgoing chief said he had lost half of his hair since joining UNIFIL, while the other half had gone grey. "We've got to be impartial in this game and with impartiality comes a very heavy price."

"That's the job of the United Nations," he said.

 

S-G: Somali Leaders Must Match Political Progress With Improved Security 10

With the selection of a Somali transitional national parliament on the horizon, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on the leaders of the Horn of Africa country to ensure that political progress is accompanied by a tangible improvement in security.

In a report released on 19 February, he says the members of the transitional parliament, when chosen, will elect the transitional president, laying the foundation for an effective, working system of government after years of civil conflict.

Progress in the two areas "would be conducive to the implementation of a political agreement," which would lend the agreement the credibility needed to gather the full support of Somalis and the international community.

"Insecurity and violence in many parts of the country and more recently tensions over control of the Sol and Sanaag regions underline the fact that a comprehensive peace is both urgent and necessary in Somalia," he says. "Somali leaders and their militias should also be aware that they will be held accountable for continued violations of human rights."

He commends the chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, their officials and international observers for their persistent and strenuous efforts to facilitate Somali reconciliation.

 

Workshop Examines Ways To Respond To Critics Of UN 11

Representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19 February to hear ideas on how to explain to the world body's critics the role that it plays in maintaining peace and security and promoting development.

Speaking at the opening of the daylong workshop, Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said it was important to understand that the UN is always going to be subject to criticism in part because it is both a stage where its Member States can advance their national agendas and an actor, embodied by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in executing the policies made by those countries.

"We all know the general public often fails to see that distinction. To most people `the UN' is a shapeless aggregation, in which the sins of omission or commission of individual governments on the `stage' are routinely blamed on the actor, the Organization," he told those attending the workshop on "Defending the United Nations: What Every NGO Should Know."

Mr. Tharoor stressed that those who want the Organization to succeed need to learn about its success and to find ways to tell the world about them. "As your partners, I very much want to ask you to explain what the UN is, not just in terms of the things it aspires to, but in terms of the things it can do, and does do, to make the world a better place," he said. "Let's be realistic, but let's not be defensive. We _ collectively _ have a proud record, and I believe we can stand on it."

 

Senior UN And EU Officials Hold Talks On Crisis Management 12

Following up on an agreement reached last year between the United Nations and the European Union (EU), officials from both organizations on 18 February held a day-long meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on joint efforts to manage emerging crises.

A UN spokesman reported that Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi is heading the UN side of the EU-UN Steering Committee talks, which focus on ways to implement the Joint Declaration on UN-EU Cooperation in Crisis Management.

Signed on 24 September by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, acting as the EU Presidency, the text constitutes a detailed plan on how to best coordinate efforts in emergency situations. It defines the respective roles of each in military and civilian relief operations and disaster situations.

 

International Monitoring Board For Iraqi Development Fund Sets Up Web Site 13

An international board entrusted by the United Nations Security Council with monitoring the United States-led management of funding and revenues in Iraq has set up an information web site.

The site provides press releases, minutes of meetings and other relevant information of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq (IAMB), which comprises representatives of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations and the World Bank.

Meanwhile, during its last meeting last week in Washington, the Board received a briefing by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) on the financial functions and operations for the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI).

The purpose of the Board is to promote the objectives laid out by the Council in its resolution 1483 adopted in May 2003. That resolution, in part, underlined that the DFI "shall be used in a transparent manner to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, for the economic reconstruction and repair of Iraq's infrastructure, for the continued disarmament of Iraq, and for the costs of Iraqi civilian administration," as well as for other purposes benefiting the Iraqi people.

 

UNHCR Anticipates Millions Returning To Home Countries In Africa 14

With more than 5 million African refugees and internally displaced people preparing to return home, the United Nations refugee agency announced plans on 13 February to hold a ministerial-level meeting next month on comprehensive regional approaches to repatriation and sustainable reintegration on the continent.

The Dialogue on Voluntary Repatriation and Sustainable Reintegration in Africa will bring together key ministers, donor governments and other partners at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss peace processes and refugee problems, the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) said.

"While we often cite our concerns about specific refugee problems in Africa, UNHCR believes there is now cause for cautious optimism about resolving some of the most protracted refugee and displacement situations on the continent," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said.

For the first time, he said, the Office sees "multiple possibilities for the potential repatriation of up to 2 million refugees." Thanks to greater stability or progress in peace processes, returns are already occurring in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These countries account for more than 5 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). 

 

UN Survey Predicts Higher Opium Production In Afghanistan This Year 15

Last year Afghanistan produced its highest amount of opium since 1999 _ an estimated 3,600 tons, or more than three-quarters of the global supply _ and the country is poised to exceed that amount this year, according to the results of a United Nations survey released on 18 February.

"Two farmers out of three interviewed ... stated they intended to increase significantly their opium poppy cultivation in 2004," the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says in its Afghanistan Farmers' Intention Survey 2003/2004.

UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa blamed poor social conditions in the country for the spiking drug cultivation. "Persistent poverty, high opium prices and loans from traffickers are the main reasons for the higher opium production expected in 2004," he said.

According to the report, farmers were clearly aware of the government ban on opium production, but the short-term benefits of the activity continued to outweigh the potential risks of breaking the law.

Overall, a quarter of Afghan farmers engaged in opium poppy cultivation in 2003. Opium plantations covered 27 per cent of the land they cultivated, but produced more than 60 per cent of their annual income, the survey found. Poppy seeds are easy to obtain, either from the previous harvest or the local markets.

"The results of this survey impart the unequivocal warning that illegal opium production will continue to thrive unless resolute actions are taken: economic assistance for farmers, eradication of opium fields and interdiction of traffickers," Mr. Costa stressed. "The formidable threat which the opium economy poses to peace, stability and socio-economic recovery in Afghanistan will otherwise continue to increase."

 

S-G Urges Science For All Nations To Promote Development Goals 16

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for all countries to put greater emphasis on developing their capacities in science and technology, saying that building a reservoir of knowledge in these areas could help the world tackle ills ranging from extreme poverty to illiteracy.

In an opinion piece published on 13 February in Science magazine entitled "Science for all nations," the Secretary-General says that no country that wants to shape informed policies and take effective action on such issues as the economy, environment and terrorism can afford to be without its own independent capacity in science and technology (S&T).

Mr. Annan recalls that while world leaders adopted a set of eight time-bound, measurable targets to reduce extreme poverty, fight diseases such as HIV/AIDS and help 100 million slum dwellers _ collectively known as the Millennium Development Goals _ progress on achieving them by 2015 has been mixed at best.

While there are many reasons for the lack of advancement, the Secretary-General writes, what is needed is a true partnership of developed and developing countries that includes S&T. "Cooperation among the scientific and technological communities of different countries and regions yields a large collective reservoir of knowledge and expertise," he says.

The Secretary-General notes that a recent report by the InterAcademy Council (IAC) proposes new initiatives to strengthen national scientific capabilities worldwide and to foster global cooperation. It recommends that every nation develop an S&T strategy that reflects local priorities, including support for basic science, education, and training that will allow it to achieve local competence in priority areas. Meanwhile, a second IAC report to be released this summer will contain specific recommendations for using S&T to improve agricultural productivity in Africa.

"These efforts by the IAC show that the spirit of global partnership is alive and well within the scientific communities of the world," he says. "I hope that we will build further on that momentum and that it will spread to other spheres of human endeavour."

 

Eastern Europe's Low HIV/AIDS Prevalence Could Grow, UN Report Warns 17

Although Eastern and South Eastern Europe have a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS, three countries there have among the world's fastest growth rates because of insufficient public awareness, frequent stigmatization and inadequate disease control policies, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says in a new report.

In the first comprehensive study of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 28 countries of East and South Eastern Europe, the Baltics and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), UNDP says 1.8 million, or 0.9 per cent of all adults in the region _ mainly men under 30 _ are infected with HIV/AIDS.

The report, Reversing the Epidemic: Facts and Policy Options, says the region's high-risk groups include injecting drug users, prisoners, sex workers, migrants and internally displaced people.

"Growth rates in new HIV infections reported over the last several years in Estonia, Russia and Ukraine are among the world's highest," it notes, warning that, "Upwards of one out of every 100 adults living in these three countries is now estimated to be carrying the virus _ a threshold above which efforts to turn back the epidemic have failed in many other countries." 

Members of high-risk groups are often subject to stigmatization, social exclusion, poverty, or incarceration, according to the report, which says their above-average prevalence of HIV has turned the region's over-crowded penal institutions into "real HIV incubators."

The study predicts that the epidemic will put new strains on already overburdened social protection systems and increased health expenditures to treat people living with AIDS could consume 1 to 3 per cent of annual gross domestic product (GDP). 

Premature morbidity and mortality during the years of people's highest productive and reproductive capacities could reduce annual GDP growth by 1 per cent, a tremendous impact for any country, UNDP says.

The report recommends staging open, informative public debates where sensitive and controversial topics can be discussed, increasing financial resources for AIDS prevention, training health care workers more intensively and improving institution-building and multi-agency collaboration. 

 

UNFPA Issues New Guidelines On HIV Counselling And Testing 18

Aiming to strengthen the global response to AIDS, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) on 17 February announced new guidelines on voluntary HIV testing and counselling.

Both partners in the endeavour stressed the value of action on the issue, citing studies from Côte d'Ivoire and India showing that when voluntary testing is integrated into sexual and reproductive health services, the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is cut, awareness is raised and more people are likely to seek appropriate care.

"Linking HIV prevention and reproductive health provides an opportunity to reach the millions, especially women, who are vulnerable to infection," said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.

 

UN Meeting On Global Fish Trade Recommends Action To Boost Consumer Safety 19

In a bid to boost consumer safety, a recent United Nations meeting on the fishing trade has called for the establishment of cost-effective and global standards to trace a fish's progress through trade networks from capture to consumption.

Questions of food safety and better ways to protect the health of fish consumers in today's global marketplace topped the agenda of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Sub-Committee on Fish Trade meeting held last week in Bremen, Germany.

Many countries expressed concern over safety issues affecting the international fish trade and consumer perceptions of fish safety, including dioxins and PCBs in salmon and antibiotic residues in farmed fish. 

"FAO was charged by the Sub-Committee with closely monitoring developments and emerging science related to these issues and to report back to its members so that measures aimed at protecting consumers are grounded in the best available information and don't unfairly restrict trade," said Lahsen Ababouch, Chief of FAO's Fish Utilization and Marketing Service.

Figuring prominently in the debate on safety was the emerging science of traceability _ creating systems that track a fish's progress from the ocean to the plate.

"The idea is to have a trustworthy record of how and where fish were farmed or caught, what processing it underwent, and how it was transported and stored, so that consumers know exactly what they are eating," Mr. Ababouch explained.

Participants agreed that consumer safety is a top priority, but also called for the establishment of feasible, cost-effective, and internationally agreed-upon traceability standards and methodologies.

Developing countries _ which own about half of the fish trade market share _ voiced concern over the costs of implementing such systems, and stressed the need for technical and capacity-building support.

The Sub-Committee, established in 1985, is an advisory body made up of FAO member States meeting every two years to share information, take up policy issues related to fish trade, and make recommendations regarding the agency's work on fisheries.

 

UNCTAD Releases New Guidelines On Corporate Environmental Accounting 20

The environmental performance of corporations and its link to their bottom line is the subject of new guidelines released on 13 February by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Ciba Specialty Chemicals has already become the first multinational company to base its environmental reporting on the UNCTAD model, which is published in The Manual for the Preparers and Users of Eco-efficiency Indicators. 

The manual aims to standardize the presentation of a company's environmental performance and how this relates to financial results. According to UNCTAD, information on environmental performance "is increasingly demanded by stakeholders, especially in the post-Enron era."

Issues covered in the guidelines include water use, energy use, contributions to global warming, ozone-depleting substances and waste. 

UNCTAD chief Rubens Ricupero, in a preface to the manual, says that while it is tough to quantify the impact of environmental factors on financial results, "the concept of eco-efficiency, where increased profits are achieved under conditions of declining environmental impact, demonstrates such a link."

Ciba Specialty Chemicals Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Armin Meyer hailed the UNTAD guidelines as "well founded and forward looking."

 

Harry Belafonte Urges All Countries To End School Fees, UNICEF Reports 21

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on 16 February reported that its goodwill ambassador, Harry Belafonte, has issued a call on all developing countries to follow Kenya's example and permanently abolish primary school fees. 

Since the first week of tuition-free school in Kenya in January 2003, more than 1.3 million children have entered school for the first time, pushing national enrollment from 5.9 million to 7.2 million, according to UNICEF.

"These children and their parents know that getting an education is not only their right, but a passport to a better future," Mr. Belafonte said. "Kenya's decision to abolish school fees is a shining example of just what can be achieved in the developing world by sheer political will."