Published Weekly by the United Nations Information Centre New Delhi

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19 June, 2004
 

Table Of Contents

Secretary-General: Present World Trade Imbalances Are Discriminatory 1

If new rules aiming to free world trade throw up barriers of their own, the problem is not lack of coherence but the kind of discrimination which people are expecting the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to oppose, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told government ministers in São Paulo, Brazil, on 14 June.

"Policies ought not to give with one hand and take away with the other. Rules designed to liberate ought not to create new barriers. Countries which press others to liberalize trade should be willing to do the same themselves," he said as he opened the 11th UNCTAD ministerial conference.

"If they don't, we politely call it lack of coherence; but we could just as accurately call it discrimination. And that is what people are looking to this conference to take a strong stand against."

The world could improve living standards for all because it now has the experience, the technologies, the unprecedented consensus around the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) seeking to halve extreme poverty by 2015 and the beginning of a global economic recovery, he said.

Pointing to the lack of coherence, Mr. Annan gave an example that Asian entrepreneurs trying to take advantage of a new market opportunity in a rich country might find that their roads were inadequate for the trucks that would have to carry their exports to local ports.

An African farmer might find that duty-free access to global markets has been nullified by requirements for sophisticated packaging, or by the financial and marketing impact of subsidies paid to competitors in wealthier countries.

The indigenous producer of medicinal herbs in Latin America might not know whether his people would be fairly rewarded, he said.

Indigenous populations have been battling for rights to their herbal knowledge through the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

What the world lacked was a development-friendly trading regime, but that might be coming in the wake of important initiatives from the European Union (EU) and the United States, while the successful use of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism, notably by Brazil, has shown that a rule-based system could help developing country producers, Mr. Annan said.

 

S-G Calls For `True Partnership' Between Developed And Developing Nations 2

With the gap between rich and poor countries continuing to grow, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged ministers from developing nations gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, to work for a true partnership with their developed counterparts.

"The sad truth is that the world today is a much more unequal place than it was 40 years ago," Mr. Annan on 12 June told a gathering of the "Group of 77" on the eve of the eleventh UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The G-77, which has grown into a bloc of 132 developing countries, was established at the first such conference, held in 1964.

The Secretary-General spotlighted problems caused by the debt crises, dependence on primary commodities, a lack of access to developed countries' markets, and general questions regarding the basic fairness of the global trade regime. "If these years have taught us anything, it is that opportunities for development need to be more equally distributed, " he said.

While new developmental opportunities have emerged in recent years, such as the spread of information technologies, so too have new obstacles, "none more devastating and potentially destabilizing than the spread of HIV/AIDS," he said.

In calling for a "true partnership" between the developed and developing world, he cited the need for collaboration. "If once there was a tendency to play the `blame game,' I hope today we are moving toward an era of mutual understanding and cooperation."

The UNCTAD conference, he said, should provide an opportunity for developing countries to raise "the democratic deficit that limits developing country participation in decision-making in key international bodies."

At the same time, he urged those States to "look inward" and improve their own governance and economic management. "By clearly upholding your responsibilities, you will not only help your own people, you will also put even greater pressure on the developed countries to take the steps towards true partnership that they have preached but not yet practiced in full," he said.

 

New Funding Sources For Development Needed, Says S-G 3

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, reviewing new recommendations for collecting development funding, on 15 June said financial resources are urgently needed to deal with human hardship and to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which aim to halve extreme poverty by 2015.

"Analysis should not become an excuse for paralysis," he said in remarks at a high-level panel on innovative sources of financing for development, part of the ongoing 11th ministerial meeting of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) this week in São Paulo, Brazil.

"We need action. There is an urgent need for a critical mass of new resources to deal with a wide spectrum of human hardship," he said.

One of the most innovative ideas being discussed was an International Financial Facility, proposed by the United Kingdom, that would "frontload" aid to meet the MDGs, he said.

Once agreement in principle was reached, the Facility could be put in place quickly, but would need mechanisms to guarantee that aid levels stayed high enough to meet development needs beyond 2015, Mr. Annan said.

The next General Assembly session would discuss a joint study of this and other proposals by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the UN University, he said, adding, however, "The democracy deficit in international economic and financial decision-making remains a serious problem."

New resources would help countries to rely on themselves and would be an investment in the future well-being and security of the world, he said.

 

Islamic States Urged To Help Foster Peace In Global Hotspots 4

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged senior officials representing Muslim countries to back Iraq's interim government, work for a comprehensive settlement to the Middle East conflict and press Sudan to halt attacks in the country's Darfur region.

In a message delivered on 14 June by his Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, to the Ministerial Conference of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), in Istanbul, Mr. Annan said all have an interest in helping Iraq to overcome its many challenges.

While appealing for a favourable response to the Interim Government's request for support, he pledged the UN's continued reconstruction, development and humanitarian assistance, "from both within and outside Iraq, as circumstances permit."

Concerning the Middle East, he condemned Israel's continued extrajudicial killings, use of disproportionate force in densely populated areas, construction of a West Bank barrier and wide-scale house demolitions, and called on the country "to refrain from further violations of international law."

He also noted that some Palestinian groups continue to carry out suicide bombings and other attacks that fuel hatred and fear. "We should all strongly condemn terrorism, wherever and whenever it occurs; no cause can justify it," he said, calling on the Palestinian Authority to take effective measures to curb violence and combat terror.

Israel's stated intention to withdraw from the Gaza Strip could possibly help end the violence, he said, urging continued focus on achieving a comprehensive settlement.

Regarding Sudan, he noted that more than a million Muslims have been forced from their homes in the Darfur region. "I urge you all to persuade your Sudanese brothers to neutralize and disarm the brutal Janjaweed militia; allow humanitarian supplies and equipment to reach the population without further delays; and ensure that displaced people can return home in safety," he said. 

Warning that further delay could cost hundreds of thousands of lives, he said, "Please do whatever you can to help end this appalling suffering and to bring a greater sense of urgency to the political negotiations."

The message also addressed the prevailing climate of religious intolerance. "We must not allow ourselves, out of fear or anger, to treat people whose faith or culture differs from ours as enemies,"
Mr. Annan said.

 

Sec-Gen Calls For Focus On Majorities For Peace Among Palestinians And Israelis 5

With opinion polls and other reports showing majorities among both Israelis and Palestinians ready for peace-making compromises, the leaders of both sides must not only listen to these people but focus on them, according to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"It would be especially helpful in the present climate for civil society on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to focus particular energy on countering the view that there are no serious partners for peace on either side," he said in a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor to the International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East in Beijing.

The international media seminar, held on 16 and 17 June, is the 12th since 1991 in a series organized by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) in response to General Assembly resolutions. The series discusses how civil society and the media can promote Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and the overall peace process, as well as the current state of the Road Map peace plan.

Private initiatives, though not a substitute for official diplomatic negotiations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, deserve praise as civil society's courageous effort to break the stalemate in the Road Map peace process, Mr. Annan said.

The Road Map, sponsored by the Quartet of the European Union, the Russian Federation, the UN and the United States, recommends reciprocal steps by the Israelis and Palestinians leading to the establishment of two states living side-by-side in peace by 2005.

Mr. Annan said he hoped civil society would continue to do what it did best in trying to end business as usual. "They will find in the United Nations a willing partner, equally dedicated to the just lasting and comprehensive solution for which we have all yearned for so long."

 

Success Of Iraqi Elections Hinge On Fairness, Confidentiality, Says UN Official 6

With elections in Iraq still on track for early next year, their ultimate success will hinge on a fair balloting process and assurances for Iraqis that their votes will be free from reprisal, a senior United Nations election official said on 16 June.

Carina Perelli, chief of the UN Electoral Assistance Division, told a press briefing in New York that the elections _ scheduled to be held by 31 January 2005 _ will work "as long as Iraqis start to trust that this is a serious process, that it's going to be a secret process, that the possibilities of retaliation against them are going to be minimized [and] that the electoral authority is going to play a fair game."

"There is a silent majority that is more than eager to express their opinion if only they had a channel, and they are certain there is not going to be retribution or retaliation because of that," she added.

Ms. Perelli said agreement had been reached on how to conduct the elections, including that _ due to the gerrymandering of the country, the lack of a census and the lack of time to conduct a redistricting exercise _ it would be impossible to have units of representation below the Government level.

The entire country would be treated as a national district, thus avoiding two problems: first, imbalance in the number of votes needed to gain a seat in the National Assembly; and second, the need to define and register voters and candidates in Kirkuk and Mosul, whose status were to be discussed in the provisions of the Constitution, she noted.

Adopting a national district format also allowed for accumulation and aggregation of interests and votes in different lists of candidates, Ms. Perelli added, while proportional representation would facilitate the creation of lists that were not mere political parties. The participation of independent candidates and ad hoc political organizations was also to be facilitated.

The Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission would certify each list of candidates _ which could comprise a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 275 candidates for the 275-seat National Assembly _ signed by at least 500 eligible voters. The only firm prerequisites were that political parties disclose their financial contributions and that any political party found to be associated with a militia or have an armed wing would be disqualified by the Commission.

As for voter eligibility, Ms. Perelli said it had been decided that any individual able to prove himself or herself an Iraqi would be allowed to vote, regardless of the reason they might have lost their nationality rights under the previous regime. However, that decision did not establish a precedent for future bodies responsible for dealing with the question of nationality.

 

IAEA: Iran Must Be Transparent In Declaring Nuclear Activities 7

Iran must be "proactive and fully transparent" in declaring its nuclear activities, and should do so within the next few months to allay suspicions about its programme, the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency said on 14 June.

Speaking before the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna, Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said despite progress in cooperation with Iran, unresolved issues continued to swirl around its undeclared nuclear programme in the nearly two years since it came to the Agency's attention.

"It is essential for the integrity and credibility of the inspection process that we are able to bring these issues to a close within the next few months, and provide the international community with the assurances it urgently seeks regarding Iran's nuclear activities," the Agency chief said.

Referring to his report on the IAEA's verification work in Iran, Mr. ElBaradei said the Agency still needed to clarify the origin of high-enriched and low-enriched uranium contamination found at various sites related to uranium enrichment in Iran. The Agency was also receiving "changing and at times contradictory" information about the extent of Iran's efforts to import, manufacture and use centrifuges of the P-2 design, he added.

This pattern of engagement was "less than satisfactory," he said, and, after a year of difficulties encountered by IAEA inspectors, "Iran needs to be proactive and fully transparent."

Turning to the situation in other countries, the Director-General told the Board that since Libya announced last December its decision to eliminate all materials, equipment and programmes leading to the production of internationally proscribed weapons _ including nuclear arms _ the Agency has been working with the authorities in Tripoli to gain a complete picture of its nuclear programme.

"Libya has proactively cooperated with the Agency by providing information and prompt access to all locations requested. We are making good progress in understanding Libya's past nuclear activities but some aspects still need to be assessed, and it is important that Libya provide the necessary information to enable that assessment to be made," he said.

Regarding Iraq, Mr. ElBaradei noted that it has been more than a year since the Agency's inspectors were last in the country and he hoped the Security Council would soon provide guidance on the future of their mandate. "Given the current level of instability in the country, and Iraq's past nuclear weapons related activities and capabilities, it is important and urgent that a credible verification and monitoring system be reinstalled," he stressed.

As for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Mr. ElBaradei said the IAEA has been unable to draw any conclusions about the country's nuclear activities since on-site verification activities were cancelled at Pyongyang's request at the end of 2002.

 

Security Council Sends Advance Team To Sudan In Anticipation Of Peace Accord 8

The United Nations Security Council on 11 June endorsed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's proposal for an advance team to travel to Sudan ahead of a planned political mission as expectations rise that a peace deal will soon be signed to end a long-running civil war in the country's south.

In a unanimous vote, the Council's 15 members approved a resolution saying they were ready to consider creating a UN peace support operation to help implement a comprehensive peace agreement in Africa's largest country.

Representatives of the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) last month initialled protocols aimed at ending the conflict has engulfed southern Sudan since 1983.

More than 2 million people have been killed since the war began, at least 440,000 others are living as refugees in neighbouring countries, and between 3 and 4 million people have become internally displaced.

The negotiators of both sides, who have been meeting in Kenya, now say they expect to reach a full peace agreement within the next few months.

As soon as possible after a deal is signed, the Council said it wanted Mr. Annan to inform it of the proposed size, structure and mandate of a political mission.

 

Announcing Planned Trip To Sudan, S-G Urges Government To Protect Civilians 9

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 17 June announced plans to travel to strife-torn Sudan, where reports indicate more than 150,000 people have crossed into Chad fleeing atrocities in the Darfur region, itself home to a million internally displaced persons, many at high risk of dying from malnutrition or
disease.

"I myself expect to visit Sudan soon," the Secretary-General told reporters as he arrived at UN Headquarters in New York. "It is the responsibility of the Government to protect the population and we need to encourage it and must insist it does it."

On the humanitarian situation, he said the UN is "rushing to get as much supplies on the ground before the rains come."

In addition, the UN is pressing the Sudanese Government "to allow humanitarian workers _ UN and NGO [non-governmental organization] _ to be given free access to Darfur and allow supplies and equipment to come in," he said. 

"We have also asked the Sudanese Government to take steps to contain the Janjaweed militia, who are doing quite a lot of the killing and destruction of the lives of the people in the region."

While there have been improvements, he said, "much more needs to be done."

Pressed as to whether the situation constitutes a genocide, Mr. Annan said that, based on the reports he has received, he could not at this stage term it as such. "There are massive violations of international humanitarian law," he added.

 

Attempted Coup In DR Of Congo Condemned 10

As the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was being normalized after an attempted coup on 11 June in its capital, United Nations officials condemned the uprising and pledged to help the country's transitional political process.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged all parties to show their cohesion and their determination to bring the transition to a successful conclusion.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Mr. Annan reaffirmed that the UN would assist the DRC's Government of National Unity and Transition to fulfil the Global and All-inclusive agreement and called on all partners in the Government to work together cooperatively and constructively.

The UN force in the country (MONUC) joined in condemning the putsch by Major Eric Lenge, one of President Joseph Kabila's guards. The MONUC chief rejected any negotiation with the Major or his followers and said they should lay down their arms immediately. 

MONUC, which has reinforced its security cordon around the President and his Vice-Presidents, as well as its patrols in Kinshasa, remains in close contact with the Transitional Government in the hope that the rebels could be arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible. The mission was also watching a situation in which a group of Mayi Mayi militia fighters appeared to be in a vice formed by the DRC national forces on DRC territory and Burundian national forces on their side of the border.

 

S-G Issues Fresh Warning About Tension, Instability In DR Of Congo 11

Voicing concern at the continuing instability and tension in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in the eastern city of Bukavu, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 17 June urged all parties to respect and uphold the country's fragile peace process.

In a statement released by a UN spokesman in New York, Mr. Annan warned that the peace process is in peril after the recent wave of violence across the DRC.

Thousands of Congolese refugees have fled across the border into Burundi and Rwanda following a surge in ethnic-related violence in the country's east, especially in and around the city of Bukavu.

At least 66 people were killed, 31 raped and 77 injured in Bukavu during an insurgency that began on 26 May and climaxed at the start of this month with the brief seizure of the city by rebels.

Last week there was an attempted coup in the capital, Kinshasa, against the DRC's Transitional Government.

Mr. Annan "urges all components in the Transitional Government to address the crisis in Bukavu and all other issues in a consensual manner," according to the statement.

Urging all sides to respect international humanitarian law, the Secretary-General also expressed his concern about the ongoing influx of refugees into Burundi.

 

UNFICYP To Remain In Cyprus For Six Months During Review Of Future Mandate 12

The Security Council on 11 June extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 15 December, agreeing also to act quickly on recommendations to be made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a review of the operation in three months.

The extension came in a unanimously adopted resolution which also urged the Turkish Cypriot side and the Turkish forces to immediately rescind all remaining restrictions on UNFICYP. They were called on to restore the military status quo which existed in Strovilia _ a small hamlet occupied by Greek Cypriots _ prior to June 2000, when the forces began controlling UNFYCIP's access to the area.

 

Danish Civil Servant Appointed New UN Envoy For Kosovo 13

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has informed the Security Council that he intends to appoint Søren Jessen-Petersen of Denmark as his new Special Representative for Kosovo and the head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission (UNMIK), a UN spokesman said on 16 June.

In both posts, Mr. Jessen-Petersen would replace Harri Holkeri, who resigned last month for health reasons."The Secretary-General would like to take this opportunity to express his deep appreciation for the dedicated service and leadership provided by Harri Holkeri in often very difficult circumstances," spokesman Stephan Dujarric said.

The Council is expected to respond to Mr. Annan's move in the next few days, Mr. Dujarric added.

 

Norwegian Envoy To Head UN Probe Into March Violence In Kosovo 14

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Ambassador Kai Eide of Norway to investigate the wave of ethnic violence that roiled Kosovo in mid-March, leaving 19 people dead, hundreds injured and many homes and Serbian religious and cultural sites damaged or destroyed.

Ambassador Eide has been tasked with probing the political implications of the violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs and recommending ways in which the province's residents can live together again peacefully.

The appointment of an investigator follows a pledge made in April by Mr. Annan in his regular report to the Security Council on the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). 

In that report, Mr. Annan said "the onslaught led by Kosovo Albanian extremists against the Serb, Roma and Ashkali communities of Kosovo was an organized, widespread, and targeted campaign."

Ambassador Eide and a team of aides are expected to begin work on the inquiry in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, this week.

  

UN Police Arrest 270 People Over Deadly Riots In Kosovo In March 15

United Nations police in Kosovo have now arrested about 270 people in relation to the two days of deadly riots and ethnically-motivated violence that roiled the province in mid-March, a UN spokesman said on 17 June.

International prosecutors have begun handling 52 of the most serious cases, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

In two days of violence following the drowning deaths of three Albanian children, 19 people were killed, hundreds injured and many homes and Serbian cultural or religious sites were damaged or destroyed. At least 3,000 Serbs were also driven from their homes.

Last week Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Ambassador Kai Eide of Norway to investigate the violence and its political implications, and to recommend how the ethnic Albanian and Serbian communities in Kosovo can live together again peacefully.

Mr. Dujarric said the 52 cases involve 26 defendants, of whom 18 are already in detention.

 

James Baker, S-G's Personal Envoy For Western Sahara, Resigns 16

Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, James A. Baker III of the United States, has resigned, a spokesperson for the United Nations said on 11 June.

Since his appointment in March 1997, Mr. Baker, along with the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), has been helping the parties settle the territory's status. The Mission has been operating since April 1991, when it was installed after years of fighting between Western Saharans and Morocco following Spain's withdrawal from the territory in 1976.

Last year the UN issued a suggested peace plan, backed by the Security Council as an "optimum political solution," between Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro) that would have given Mr. Baker, as Personal Envoy, responsibility for a referendum determining whether the people of Western Sahara choose independence or integration with Morocco.

But in April Morocco rejected the peace plan and proposed to give Western Sahara limited autonomy.

 

S-G: Pressing For Immunity From War Crime Prosecutions `Unwise' 17

Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 17 June said that continuing to grant peacekeepers participating in United Nations operations immunity from potential prosecution by the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal had the potential to hurt the credibility of both the Security Council and the UN itself.

"[The] blanket exemption is wrong. It is of dubious judicial value, and I don't think it should be encouraged by the Council," Mr. Annan said in reply to questions by reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on the renewal of a resolution set to expire on 30 June.

First adopted by the Council in July 2002 and renewed last year, the resolution effectively shields members of UN peacekeeping missions from nations that have not ratified the Rome Statute _ the treaty that established the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) _ from investigation or prosecution.

The United States, which originally signed the Rome treaty but did not ratify it, introduced a text last month seeking to renew the exemption for a third consecutive year.

"For the past two years, I have spoken quite strongly against the exemption, and I think it would be unfortunate for one to press for such an exemption, given the prisoner abuse in Iraq," Mr. Annan said. "I think in this circumstance it would be unwise to press for an exemption, and it would be even more unwise on the part of the Security Council to grant it."

Such a move "would discredit the Council and the United Nations that stands for rule of law and the primacy of rule of law," he said.

 

Message of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan 18

INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE, 26 June 2004

"The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an occasion for the world to reaffirm that torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. It is a day to renew our commitment to denounce such acts and seek justice for torture victims. Above all, it is a day for Governments to ask themselves whether they are doing enough to prevent acts of torture, assist their victims, punish the perpetrators and ensure that they are not repeated.

Sadly, experience shows us that torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment remain all too common in too many countries. Yet the prohibition of such acts is not ambiguous: it is absolute. It is binding on all States in all territories under their jurisdiction or effective control. It applies in all circumstances, in times of war as in times of peace. Nor is torture permissible when it is called something else. Euphemisms cannot be used to by-pass legal obligations. 

States must honour their obligations, including that to vigorously combat the impunity of perpetrators of torture. Those who conceive of or authorize any form of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and those who commit such acts, should not go unpunished. Independent bodies must prosecute those responsible, and the punishment must reflect the seriousness of the offence.

The obligations of international customary law have been voluntarily accepted by the many States that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Today, I call on all States to ratify these two core human rights treaties, as well as the Optional Protocol to the Torture Convention. And I call on them to issue an open invitation to the Special Rapporteur on torture, as well as to other relevant human rights mechanisms, to visit their country. 

On this day, I also pay tribute to all those who work throughout the world to relieve the suffering of torture survivors and their families. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture assists many non-governmental organizations to provide victims with medical and psychological care, legal and social aid, and financial support. I express my gratitude to those Governments and other contributors who make that assistance possible, and I call on all members of the international community to support the Fund.

The United Nations was founded to reaffirm faith in the dignity and worth of the human person; to create better standards of life in larger freedom. We cannot get anywhere near fulfilling that pledge unless we wipe the scourge of torture from the face of the earth.

On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, let us rededicate ourselves to that mission."

 

UNHCR: Numbers Of Refugees And Internally Displaced Lowest In Ten Years 19

The number of refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and others helped by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) last year fell 18 per cent to 17.1 million _ the lowest annual total in a decade.

Releasing the 2003 provisional figures on 17 June in Geneva, High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers said large waves of voluntary repatriation, stronger international efforts to help the millions of people who have had to leave their homes and continuing work by UNHCR and aid agencies to resolve protracted refugee crises were responsible for the plunge.

He pointed to data showing there were as many as 21.8 million people of concern to UNHCR when he assumed office in early 2001.

"The statistics are very encouraging, especially for the nearly five million people who over the past few years have been able to either go home or to find a new place to rebuild their lives," Mr. Lubbers said.

Last year's total of 17.1 million comprises 9.7 million refugees, 4.2 million IDPs, 1.1 million returned persons, 233,000 returned IDPs, 995,000 asylum-seekers and 912,000 others, including stateless people.

Refugee numbers have been dropping steadily for more than two years, thanks largely to voluntary repatriation. Millions of Afghans have returned home from Pakistan and Iran since 2001, while many people are returning to Iraq and Liberia already. 

Citing Afghanistan as an example, Mr. Lubbers said sustained efforts by the international community to support refugees as they return home and try to rebuild their lives brings benefits not only to those countries but to potential refugee host countries as well.

"The impact is felt as far away as Europe, where the numbers of Afghan asylum-seekers have plunged," he said.

The number of asylum-seekers is also dipping: last year's total of 995,000 is 12 per cent below the equivalent figure from 2002.

But there were exceptions to the improved picture, with sharp increases in the numbers of refugees and IDPs from Sudan, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

 

ILO Adopts Plan To Promote Rights Of Migrant Workers 20

The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) on 16 June agreed to a new plan designed to give 86 million migrant workers around the world the protection of international labour standards.

After two weeks of debate at the ILO annual conference in Geneva, a committee on migrant workers adopted an action plan that it, said, should better manage the flow of international migration for jobs.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia described the plan as "a major achievement that serves as a milestone for the future…this plan of action protects the rights of one of the most vulnerable sectors."

The plan will be non-binding and is aimed to encourage Member States and international organizations to cooperate more to improve living conditions for millions of migrant workers.

The plan will promote the signing of agreements between host countries and countries of origin with the aim of regularizing and controlling the flow of migration. These agreements would include provisions about taking social security entitlements to other countries, encouraging investments from workers' remittances and promoting social inclusion within host countries.

The ILO wants to license and supervise agencies that recruit migrant workers to ensure they conform to international standards. The plan also calls for tougher action to prevent the widespread practice of people smuggling.

Last July the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families came into force. However, only 25 countries have so far ratified that treaty.

 

ILO Begins Process To Enhance Safety, Improve Working Conditions In Fishing Industry 21

The United Nations labour agency on 15 June took the first significant step towards strengthening work standards for most of the estimated 35 million people employed by the fishing industry around the world.

A committee of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on fishing, meeting in Geneva during the organization's annual conference, completed preliminary discussions about introducing new instruments that would revise and enhance seven existing standards for protecting fishers. 

If the proposed standards are adopted next year after further debate, they will extend the coverage to more than 90 per cent of the world's fishers _ compared to the roughly 10 per cent who are protected now.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said the proposed revisions will enable millions of fishers to earn their living _ collectively, fishing is estimated to contribute $50 billion a year to the world economy _ in decent, safe conditions.

Most fishers live in the developing world, with more than four out of every five people employed coming from Asia. 

Fishing is regarded as one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, with ILO studies showing that the fatality rates for fishing is higher in some countries than those of police or fire-fighters. In some countries, the death rate is estimated to be between 150 and 180 per 100,000 workers.

The revised standards would extend coverage by including the self-employed and those fishers paid on the share of the catch. It would also toughen health and safety provisions and take account of fishers working both on the open seas and on small vessels in coastal waters.

 

UN Humanitarian Work For 50 Million People Hit By Low Donations 22

A mid-term review of United Nations Consolidated Appeals for nearly $3 billion to improve the lives of some 50 million people suffering in crises has shown a shortfall of $2.25 billion, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on 15 June.

"The response so far is too little, too late for millions of victims in forgotten emergencies," OCHA chief Jan Egeland said. "Timely and increased funding is essential for effective response."

The revised requirements for the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), launched last November to be used in 2004, totalled $2.95 billion, of which only $696.8 million have been donated, OCHA said.

Despite some generous contributions, only 23.6 per cent of the programmes being run by 168 humanitarian organizations to cope with 25 crises are being funded so far this year, a drop from 33 per cent in 2002 and again in 2003, it said.

Among the reasons for poor funding in 2004 might be that heavy donations in 2003 depleted the funds available for 2004 and that "lacklustre economic situations in industrial countries have reduced governments' resources from which official humanitarian funds are allocated," OCHA said.

 

FAO Replies To Concerns On Food Gene Transfers 23

The world population will increase from 6 billion to 9 billion by 2050, requiring a 60 per cent increase in food production, and developing countries must increase their scientific capabilities to meet that challenge, the head of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on 16 June.

Executive Director Jacques Diouf was responding to an open letter from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) charging that FAO's State of Food and Agriculture report for this year omitted to mention that "five companies make up virtually 100 per cent of the transgenic seed market," a situation for which, they said, FAO should propose alternatives.

Since expanding arable land was increasingly not feasible, Mr. Diouf said, "we will have to use the scientific tools of molecular biology, in particular the identification of molecular markers, genetic mapping and gene transfer for more effective plant enhancement, going beyond the phenotype-based methods."

"Decisions on the rules and utilization of these techniques must, however, be taken at the international level by competent bodies, such as the Codex Alimentarius."

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop food standards, protect the health of consumers, ensure fair food trade practices and promote the coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international and governmental agencies and NGOs.

Developing countries should take part in the decision-making, develop their scientific capacity and master the necessary expertise and techniques "so that they can understand the implications and make independent choices in order to reach an international consensus on issues that concern all of humanity," Mr. Diouf said.

In accordance with its mandate, FAO would promote an international dialogue based on sound scientific principles and allowing the analysis of socio-economic, sanitary and environmental issues, he said.

 

UN Staff Day Observed 24

Looking back on a year when more than 100 United Nations personnel died in the service of peace, UN officials and diplomats on 11 June paid tribute to the memory of the fallen at a solemn ceremony in New York.

As the blue UN flag was ceremoniously raised, the Organization's top peacekeeping official observed that the banner, which once stood as a shield, now itself needed protection in many places. 

"We have all experienced a rude awakening," Jean-Marie Guéhenno told those gathered at the outdoor ceremony, a Staff Day event. "The UN itself has become a target for terrorist groups and organizations [and] for those who benefit from conflict, those spoilers who use violence, against the UN and against their own people, to block the path to peace in war-torn lands," he said.

"This cannot stand," he declared. 

"The blue flag must once again become inviolable, because what its stands for is inviolable."

Mr. Guéhenno stressed that colleagues, especially those in the field, deserve the utmost attention to their security as they go about their work to further the causes of peace, human rights and development. "We owe it to them to ensure they are protected, and we owe it to the memory of those who have perished in the past years," he said.