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25 September, 2004
 

Table Of Contents

 

Addressing UN Assembly, Secretary-General Urges Nations To Restore Respect For Rule Of Law 1

Mr. Kofi Annan
UN Secretary-General

Decrying what he described as shameless disregard for the rule of law around the globe, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 21 September urged world leaders gathered at the General Assembly to do everything within their power to restore respect for the fundamental principles of law _ in domestic affairs, as well as on the international arena.

"Today the rule of law is at risk around the world," he said in an address to the General Assembly as it met for the first day of its annual top-level general debate. "Again and again, we see laws shamelessly disregarded _ those that ordain respect for innocent life, for civilians, for the vulnerable _ especially children."

Mr. Annan called on the international community to start from the principle that no one is above the law, and no one should be denied its protection. "Every nation that proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it abroad; and every nation that insists on it abroad must enforce it at home," he said.

And at the international level, all countries need a framework of fair rules and the confidence that others will obey them, he argued, noting that one of the UN's proudest achievements has been the creation of a body of norms and laws covering trade to terrorism, from the law of the sea to weapons of mass destruction.

"Yet this framework is riddled with gaps and weaknesses," he said. "Too often it is applied selectively, and enforced arbitrarily. It lacks the teeth that turn a body of laws into an effective legal system," he said.

In concept alone, he added, the rule of law is not enough _ "laws must be put into practice and permeate the fabric of our lives."

Citing recent examples of the disregard for the rule of law, Mr. Annan pointed in part to the situation in Darfur, a vast area where "things are happening which must shock the conscience of every human being." He urged "every possible support" for the efforts of the African Union (AU) to bring the 18-monthlong conflict to an end and ease the humanitarian disaster or risk history's harsh judgment.

"Let no one imagine that this affair concerns Africans alone," he said. "The victims are human beings, whose human rights must be sacred to all of us. We all have a duty to do whatever we can to rescue them, and do it now."

The Secretary-General noted that the UN was founded in the ashes of a war that brought untold sorrow to mankind. "Today we must look again into our collective conscience, and ask whether we are doing enough. Each generation has its part to play in the age-long struggle to strengthen the rule of law for all _ which alone can guarantee freedom for all," he said.

"Let our generation not be found wanting," he concluded.

 

Sec-Gen Addresses Security Council 2

As the Security Council embarked on 22 September on a discussion of building durable peace in countries shattered by war, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this goal can be reached only when key conditions _ including adequate resources and trained personnel _ are met.

Mr. Annan cited the examples of El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Namibia and East Timor as evidence that conflict-torn States can restore stability. At the same time, he cautioned against impractical approaches. "We need to be realistic about what is achievable and we must have a clear political strategy for success _ based on a sophisticated understanding of the context," he said.

With the proper support, the UN's work "can succeed, and the promise of peace-building can be realized," he said at the outset of the meeting, which was convened on the initiative of Spain, Council President for the month of September, and chaired by its Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos. Foreign Ministers from 10 of the Council's 14 other members also took part in the session. 

The Secretary-General called on the Council to sustain its attention to hotspots even after the media spotlight has left. "The bit-by-bit building of peace, from the ground up, may not grab headlines _ but it must command your vigilant attention and your long-term commitment," he said, pointing to failed attempts at peace-building in Haiti and Liberia, where the UN has since returned in an effort to restore stability.

While peacekeeping funding needs are great, he pointed out that the money would be well spent. "UN peace operations are an excellent investment," he said. Over the course of its entire nearly six-decade history, the UN has spent just over $30 billion on peacekeeping _ a mere one-thirtieth of the global military expenditures last year alone.

Mr. Annan also underscored the need for adequate security of UN civilian staff. "Risk is an unavoidable part of our work, but there must be a reasonable balance between the risk to be undertaken and the substantive contribution that civilians are called upon to make," he said, appealing for support for new security measures he is slated to propose in the coming weeks.

 

Sec-Gen Calls For Fairer Say For Developing Countries In Globalization 3

World leaders from the North and South met at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20 September in an effort to pave the way to a more equitable globalization, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling for a fairer say for developing nations who feel excluded and threatened by the process.

The meeting, on the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly's annual general debate, was hosted by Presidents Tarja Halonen of Finland and Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania, who co-chaired the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization.

In a landmark report, the Commission highlights fair globalization as essential for global prosperity, peace and security. It advocates strengthening the UN multilateral system to ensure coherence among international, economic, social and environmental policies.

Addressing participants, the Secretary-General recalled that at the UN's 2000 Millennium Summit, leaders from across the planet adopted a declaration pledging to make globalization a positive force for all the world's people. "I have no doubt that, in next year's review of the Millennium Declaration, it will be clear that we have a long way to go to meet that goal," he said.

The meeting comes just a year after the collapse of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks in Cancun, Mexico, where African nations walked out in protest at the refusal of developed countries to open up their agricultural markets by eliminating subsidies and other barriers.

Noting the uneven distribution of globalization's benefit, Mr. Annan said: "Many of its burdens have fallen hardest on those who can least protect themselves. Too many people, particularly in developing countries, feel excluded and threatened by globalization. They feel that they are the servants of markets, when it should be the other way around." 

He called for summoning the political will to fulfil pledges made in a range of areas - including trade, financing for development and debt relief. But he also told leaders of developing nations that to harness the benefits of globalization, they must strengthen the rule of law, build democratic political systems, respect human rights, invest in education, health care and infrastructure, and promote social equity.

The meeting stressed that global efforts to fulfil the Millennium Declaration and Development Goals by 2015 will fail unless new ways are found to create job opportunities and decent work. "After all, the best anti-poverty programme is employment. And the best road to economic empowerment and social well-being lies in decent work," Mr. Annan declared.

The Declaration and Development Goals seek to restructure the world's social fabric, from slashing extreme poverty and hunger to curbing infant mortality and major diseases to improving access to education and health care for all - all by 2015.

 

S-G: World Is Lagging In Fight To Eliminate Poverty And Hunger 4

With the number of chronically hungry people on the rise around the globe and living standards in some countries diminishing instead of improving, the world is falling a long way short in its drive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on 20 September at a meeting of world leaders on poverty and hunger.

In remarks to the meeting, held at UN Headquarters in New York and organized by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mr. Annan warned of a "global underclass of the hungry poor" who keep missing out on the economic improvements enjoyed by the rest of society.

He said official development assistance to poor countries is finally increasing and "foreign aid is being better channelled," but serious obstacles remain before the developing world can reap the benefits.

"It is by no means assured that current trade negotiations will conclude in a way that brings real gains for developing countries. There remains a democratic deficit in international economic and financial decision-making," he said.

The Secretary-General called on world leaders to take immediate action to arrest the problem, pointing out that next year is the five-year mark for measuring what progress the world has made towards achieving the MDGs.

The eight time-bound goals, agreed to by world leaders at a summit in 2000, include such targets as halving, by 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day and halving the proportion which are hungry.

"Progress in eradicating extreme poverty has been uneven. In many countries, progress is too slow to meet the goals. And in some, standards of living have even deteriorated," Mr. Annan said.

His remarks came as analysis from a group of global economic experts, commissioned by the UN, argues that seven innovative sources of funding could finance the $50 billion which is estimated to be necessary to achieve the MDGs.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs prepared a study drawing from the analysis by the economic experts after an earlier General Assembly resolution called for an examination of new funding sources.

The seven sources of funding include the levying of global environmental taxes, such as a carbon-use tax; the creation of a global lottery and/or global premium bonds; and the establishment of a tax on currency flows to discourage excessive currency speculation.

The other sources are: encouraging greater private donations for development by businesses and individuals; making it easier for migrants to send home money; creating new "Special Drawing Rights," which allow nations to fund development; and making available an international finance facility that would allow long-term funding from donor countries to the world's poorest nations.

The study states that, acting alone, the government of an affluent nation could easily increase finance flows for development.

 

General Assembly Opens Annual High-Level Debate 5

Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, said that virtually every major issue faced by States today had both a domestic as well as a transnational dimension. "It is becoming increasingly apparent that unless we fashion a global response based on consensus to these challenges, we will not succeed in creating a world that manifests the ideals of the United Nations," he said.

The UN and its agencies, he said, were the only instruments available for responding effectively to challenges facing the world. What was missing, however, was sustained commitment to democratize the functioning of the Organization. "It is common knowledge that the UN is often unable to exert an effective influence on global economic and political issues of critical importance," he said, due to its "democracy deficit," which prevented effective multilateralism. Reforms and restructuring of the Organization could provide a crucial link in an expanding chain of efforts to refashion international structures, imbuing them with a greater degree of participatory decision-making, representative of contemporary realities.

Speaking from the frontline of the war on terrorism President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan warned that the immediate anti-terrorist response has to be accompanied by socio-economic reform in Muslim nations and adequate financial and technical assistance and larger trade opportunities from the industrialized world. "A bold and innovative global strategy is required to redress the growing inequalities," he said.

He welcomed a resurgence of support for multilateralism, saying this must be based on the principles of the UN Charter. "All our collective aspirations can be best pursued within this world organization," he declared. "The United Nations must be strengthened and revitalized to respond to the challenges of the 21st century."

United States President George W. Bush called on the world body to support democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Bush proposed establishing a Democracy Fund within the UN. "This is a great calling for this great organization," he said, pledging an initial US contribution and urging other nations to donate to the fund, which would help countries lay the foundations of democracy by instituting the rule of law and independent courts, a free press, political parties and trade unions.

"Each of us alone can only do so much. Together, we can accomplish so much more," he declared, adding that history will honour the UN's high ideals. "Let history show that in a decisive decade, members of the United Nations did not grow weary in our duties, or waver in meeting them."

Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva appealed for economic and social justice in a world where the disparity in per capita income between the richest and poorest nations is now 16 times greater than it was nearly two decades ago, while a lack of basic sanitation has killed more children in the past decade than all military conflicts since the end of World War II.

Referring to ongoing wars and terrorist attacks, he said mankind was losing the fight for peace, adding: "The situation imposes on peoples and leaders of the world a new sense of collective and individual responsibility." He argued in favour of an international order based on a constructive dialogue among different cultures and perspectives. "No organ is better suited than the UN for ensuring the world's convergence towards common goals."

President Joseph Deiss of Switzerland, which only joined the UN two years ago when dissension was rife over the possible invasion of Iraq, said experience showed that actions taken without a mandate clearly defined in a Security Council resolution are doomed to failure. "There is now a clear need for reform and for strengthening the means of joint action," he added.

"To remain credible in its role as keeper of the peace, the UN and its Member States must, above all, be unshakeable guarantors of international law and, in particular, international humanitarian law," he declared, calling for a system of prevention that included fighting poverty and multilateral institutions that respond more rapidly to nascent crises.

For his part President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania regretted the failure of many industrialized countries to meet the long-established UN target of allocating at least 0.7 per cent of national income to development cooperation, while praising Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden for consistently doing so.

"We urge the other rich countries to produce timetables to meet this long overdue target, to have coherent development policies, and to earnestly and deliberately build and nurture a national consciousness and consensus on the global war on poverty," he added, also calling for a fairer process of globalization that would close the wealth gap.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka highlighted the need for UN reform, a theme also stressed by several other leaders, including an enlargement of the Security Council to reflect the new economic and regional realities of the present day.

"Sri Lanka believes in the UN and its potential to be the principal forum where the voice of the poor, the defenceless and the weak is also heard as much as the voice of the rich and powerful," she said. The UN could counter the violence proffered by extremists and terrorist groups as the only instrument of change, she added, declaring: "We expect the UN to epitomize the force of law not the rule of force. However, we cannot expect the UN to deliver what the Member States fail to support. The UN can do what its Member States want it to do; no more, no less."

Foreign Minister Bernard Bot of the Netherlands also addressed the session on behalf of the 25 Member States of the European Union (EU), calling for an intensification of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's reform efforts to make the UN stronger, more effective and more efficient in facing global challenges from terrorism to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to climate change.

"The EU itself is an example of multilateralism at work," he declared, pledging the Union's support for all the UN's multifaceted tasks. "Conflicting interests and diverging views still exist within the EU, as they do everywhere. But conflicts are resolved in the framework of common institutions and binding rules. Multilateralism works. A rule-based international order is possible. And necessary."

President Sam Nujoma of Namibia called the widening income gap between the industrialized North and the developing South a dangerous time bomb, adding that the planet was too small to perpetuate the coexistence of abject poverty and abundance of prosperity within its fold.

The world had enormous resources to fight and defeat poverty and hunger and developed countries should consider their support to the countries of the South as an act of enlightened contribution to regional and global stability, he declared. Like other leaders he called for UN reform, including the enlargement of the Security Council to reflect new economic and regional realities that did not exist four decades ago at the time of the last enlargement.

South African President Thabo Mbeki declared that for the billions of the planet's poor, and powerless, people, the description of the UN in the Millennium Declaration as "the most universal and most representative organization in the world" was a mockery. "We comforted or perhaps deluded ourselves with the thought," he added, "afraid to ask the question _ is it?"

He underscored the gulf between "the grandeur of our words and the vision they paint of a world of peace, free of war, a world characterized by shared prosperity, free of poverty" and the paltry results. For the wealthy and powerful, terrorism is the major threat, but "the poor and powerless feel threatened by a permanent hurricane of poverty, which is devastating their communities as horrendously as Hurricane Ivan destroyed the Caribbean island state of Grenada," he added.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe called for reform of the UN, noting that already last year he stressed "the perils inherent in the status quo, particularly, with regard to the dominance of global politics by one superpower and its closest allies." He said debate on reforming the Security Council has been too long drawn because of attempts calculated to protect those whose interests are best served by the status quo.

"We are seriously concerned that the United Nations, the pre-eminent instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security, watched helplessly while Iraq was plundered by the US and UK led so-called coalition of the willing," he declared. "Such belligerent gun-slinging diplomacy and illegitimate territorial occupation of the state of Iraq are blemishes on the fair play image of the UN."

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin called for reforms "designed to put our common humanity at the centre of the UN's agenda." He cited as an example the current crisis in Darfur, proposing a "responsibility to protect" clause which would enshrine the legal right to intervene in a country on the grounds of humanitarian emergency when the government of that country "is unwilling or unable to protect their people from extreme harm as a result of internal war, repression or state failure."

Other reforms would establish a permanent inspection and verification mechanism to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and mechanisms to protect threatened minorities, pre-empt new pandemics and manage the environment. "The time has come for real reform of the United Nations," he declared. "We must put aside narrow interests and work to common purpose to strengthen this universal institution, whose activities give force to our common humanity."

Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares of Lebanon called on the UN to solve the Middle East problem by securing Israel's withdrawal from occupied territories, giving the Palestinians an independent sovereign state and ensuring the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland.

The world body should also assume more responsibility in resolving the violent conflict in Iraq and in restoring peace, stability and unity to the Iraqis, he said.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that against the backdrop of the current international situation, the question arose whether the United Nations was still suited to its mandate and whether its work enjoyed the international acceptance it needed. There was no alternative to a world acting multilaterally, and to make multilateral cooperation sustainable, a courageous and comprehensive reform of the UN was needed. Among the questions that needed to be addressed were the issues of more effective prevention and peacebuilding; peacekeeping reform; the understanding of the right of self-defence; and the definition of terrorism.

Silvan Shalom, Foreign Minister of Israel, called on the UN to refocus its priorities, saying the Assembly should "end its obsession with Israel" and ensure that the Organization's resources were allocated more equally and effectively. The UN also needed to provide solutions to the challenges of hunger and poverty, disease and weapons proliferation, among others. He called on the Assembly to address the involvement of Iran and Syria in terrorism, and Syria's continued occupation of Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy highlighted the need to strengthen the multilateral system and reinvigorate the role of the UN as one of the main international priorities. Effective multilateralism depended much more on political will and shared goals than on structures and procedures. The entire international community must be involved, starting with the States that commanded greater resources and capabilities. Multilateral decisions could be difficult, but that was no excuse for inaction. The starting point for the reform of the Organization was a review of its policies. 

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said that, more than ever, the UN remained the one irreplaceable, legitimate framework for collective action against the challenges confronting the world. On all fronts, the UN was acting, acting for conflict resolution and prevention, for refugee assistance and for counterterrorism. Yet, at the same time that it waged a merciless fight against terrorism, the international community must also redress that scourge's roots; it must give the world's excluded people hope, restore their dignity and establish dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, cultures and religions.

Foreign Minister Morshed Khan of Bangladesh said the MDGs provided the best hope for the world's poor. The success of those Goals would, however, largely depend on the existence of an enabling international economic environment, particularly in the areas of trade, finance, ODA and technology transfer. Extreme poverty was a gross denial of human rights, and the rise in senseless terrorism was a warning that failure in development was not an option, and that poverty could breed extremism. To effectively rid the world of the tragic consequences of poverty, its root causes needed to be addressed.

President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said his country was in a period of political transition leading up to the holding of democratic elections which would allow the Congolese people to freely choose their Government. Much had been achieved already, but the authorities still had to extend their control over the entire territory and create conditions conducive to elections.

He advocated expanding both the quality and quantity of troops serving with the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC). The Congolese people were also awaiting the UN report on the recent massacre of Congolese refugees at Gatumba camp in Burundi. For its part, the DRC was committed to establishing peace and democracy for its people, who had for too long been denied this legitimate right.

Rashid Abdullah Al-Noaimi, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, condemned the emergence of new terrorist threats in the Gulf region, and warned that acts of violence in Iraq, if not contained, "will lead to escalation of tension and instability in the entire region as well as the world." On the Middle East, he said "the continuation of Israeli aggression will inevitably lead to more violence and deterioration of the security situation" and called on the UN to work to settle the Palestinian question by compelling Israel to comply with its obligations.

 

S-G Urges Remaining Countries To Sign And Ratify Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty 6

Welcoming the 23 September statement of 42 countries in support of the global pact banning nuclear tests, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged those countries which have not yet signed or ratified the treaty to do so immediately so that it takes effect.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is still not in force, seven years after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in a bid to bring to an end half a century of nuclear testing. 

The CTBT contains an international monitoring system, unannounced on-site inspections and other verification provisions to ensure countries comply with the convention.

So far 172 nations have signed the CTBT and 116 have ratified it, but it will not have force until all 44 States which have nuclear power or research reactors have ratified it. Only 12 of those States have not ratified: China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, the United States and Viet Nam.

In a message to the launch of the joint ministerial statement of the 42 nations, delivered on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Nobuyasu Abe, Mr. Annan said the longer the treaty's entry into force "is delayed, the more likely that nuclear testing will resume.

"Were this to happen, it would be a major setback in non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament efforts. In the era in which we live, we cannot afford such a setback."

 

Security Council Approves International Force In Afghanistan For Another Year 7

The Security Council on 17 September voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the international troop force in Afghanistan for another year and called upon countries to commit more personnel and funds so that it can work more effectively.

Extending the life of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at least until 13 October next year, the resolution noted that the responsibility for maintaining law and order ultimately rested with the Afghans themselves.

It urged ISAF, which has been expanded across the country in the last year after being confined before to the capital Kabul, to work closely with Afghanistan's transitional administration and successors.

Eurocorps _ a multinational army comprised of forces from Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain _ took over the command of ISAF from Canada in August.

The resolution also stressed the importance of conducting free and fair elections, disarming and reintegrating ex-combatants, combating the illegal drug trade and ensuring central government authority extends across all of Afghanistan.

 

S-G Appoints Swiss Legal Professor To Uphold Rights Of Internally Displaced 8

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed a legal professor from Switzerland with a long record of human rights advocacy as his Representative to uphold the human rights of the world's 24.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Walter Kälin, a professor of constitutional and international public law at Bern University, will act as an independent expert, investigating and reporting on the treatment of IDPs around the world.

Announcing the appointment on 22 September in a statement, Mr. Annan said Mr. Kälin will work closely with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Division on Internal Displacement in the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A current member of the UN Human Rights Committee, Mr. Kälin also helped draft the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. From 1991 to 1992 he was Special Rapporteur on human rights in Kuwait under Iraqi occupation.

In his new post Mr. Kälin essentially replaces Francis M. Deng, who served as the Secretary-General's Special Representative on IDPs from 1992 until his mandate expired in July this year.

In a report earlier this year to the UN Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Deng said the estimated number of IDPs has remained relatively flat over the past year at about 24.6 million.

But the situation was far from static; more than 3 million people, mostly Africans, became internally displaced last year, but another 3 million were able to return to their places of origin.

 

UNCTAD: Foreign Investment Keeps Falling But Outlook Healthier 9

Total foreign investment fell worldwide in 2003 for the third consecutive year, driven mainly by a slump in the industrialized world, but Africa and the Asia-Pacific region enjoyed healthy rises in outside spending, a major United Nations report has found.

World Investment Report 2004, released on 22 September by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), argues that the outlook for the year ahead is promising, owing to better economic growth, increasing corporate profits, higher stock prices and more mergers and acquisitions.

Foreign investment is also increasingly being targeted at services, especially the business, financial, telecommunications and leisure industries, and away from manufacturing and primary industries.

The annual report shows that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows dropped 18 per cent to $560 billion last year from $679 billion in 2002 _ well below the $1.4 trillion mark reached in 2000.

The slow and irregular pace of economic recovery in the developed world _ which dominates the overall FDI totals _ was the biggest reason for the slide, with the United States (down 30 per cent to its lowest levels since 1992) and the European Union (down 21 per cent) both suffering.

FDI inflows into Central and Eastern Europe also slumped, but the report's authors at UNCTAD forecast that trend will turn around given many of the region's nations joined the EU on 1 May.

The picture in the developing world was more mixed, with Africa and the Asia-Pacific _ led by China and India _ gaining overall, but Latin America and the Caribbean enduring another fall. The changes were unequal even within continents, with many of Africa's most impoverished countries unable to attract nearly as much FDI as their neighbours.

African States rich in natural resources, such as Morocco, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Sudan, attracted the bulk of the increased FDI to the continent _ a total of $15 billion _ whereas 24 countries received less than $100 million each.

 

New WHO Guidelines On Clean Drinking Water 10

New recommendations released on 21 September by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) aim to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies _ everything from what is piped into homes to the rural wells provided to refugee camps in an emergency.

The revised Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (GDWQ) will allow public health management to focus on prevention of microbial and chemical contamination of water supplies."

The new recommended approach for regulators and operators is to manage drinking water quality in a holistic, systematic fashion from source to tap, including by ensuring water reservoirs or local wells are not at risk of contamination from human and animal waste, to checking basics like the regular changing of water filters.

The guidelines also include new guidance on their application in specific settings such as emergencies and disasters, as seen in Darfur, Sudan, and refugee camps in neighbouring Chad, where a hepatitis E outbreak is currently sweeping through camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). 

 

International Day of Peace 2004 Peace through Sports 11

UN Messenger of Peace Mr. Vijay Amritraj visited Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, New Delhi, on the occasion of International Day of Peace where he interacted with budding sports students and spoke to them on how sports can help build bridges of peace in the world.