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28 February, 2004
 

Table Of Contents

 
Spokesman: If Reports That UN Was Bugged Prove True, Practice Must Stop 1

Reacting to media reports of 26 February alleging that Secretary-General Kofi Annan's conversations were tapped by British intelligence, a United Nations spokesman said if this practice exists it should stop.

"We would be disappointed if this were true," Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York. "Such activities would undermine the integrity and confidential nature of diplomatic exchanges."

"Those who speak to the Secretary-General are entitled to assume that their exchanges are confidential," he emphasized.

Mr. Eckhard added that the UN would step up its routine technical measures aimed at guarding against such invasions of privacy.

Asked whether the practice of bugging the Secretary-General was regarded as illegal, the spokesman replied affirmatively, citing the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, the 1947 "Headquarters Agreement" between the UN and the United States, and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

In particular, he referred to Article 2 of the 1946 treaty, which states that, "The premises of the United Nations shall be inviolable. The property and assets of the United Nations, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether by executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action."

Mr. Eckhard noted that the UN could take steps _ such as using secure phone and faxes lines _ to secure the confidentiality of communications. "I don't know that anyone has protection against satellite intercepts, but although this 1946 Convention was written more than 50 years ago, clearly it would apply to all forms of interference, including things that weren't even imagined then, namely satellite intercepts."

"These premises are inviolable under international law, and we expect all Member States to respect their commitment," Mr. Eckhard emphasized. "We're throwing down a red flag and saying, `If this is true, please stop it.'"

 

Iraq Elections Could Be Held By End Of 2004, If Conditions Are Met _ UN Report 2

Credible elections are not possible in Iraq before the 30 June planned handover of sovereignty but they can be organized by the end of this year or in early 2005 given the establishment of certain conditions, including a legal framework for the process, a United Nations fact-finding mission to the country says in a report released on 23 February.

Lakhdar Brahimi, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Advisor, led the team which was dispatched in response to requests from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the Iraqi Governing Council and others concerned to study the feasibility of early elections and possible alternatives.

In an agreement reached last November, the CPA and the Governing Council envisaged regional caucuses to choose members of a transitional national assembly, but the UN team found that the caucus-style system "does not appear to enjoy sufficient support among Iraqis to be a viable option."

While in Iraq, the team met with a range of Iraqi stakeholders and was told that political agreement on a legal framework for the balloting could be secured by May. If this is the case, and if other conditions are met, the team concluded that "elections could be held by the end of 2004 or shortly after."

All Iraqi stakeholders would have to agree as soon as possible on the electoral framework so that preparations for operational work can begin, according to the report, which anticipates that the preparatory process would take at least eight months after a legal and institutional framework has been established.

The report recommends setting up an Iraqi Electoral Commission to start working immediately towards a well-organized process that would result in polling as soon as possible.

The report adds that once basic agreements are reached, a precise polling date should be set and announced.

The mission backs agreement among "many" Iraqis that a single assembly should be chosen through elections held by the end of this year or shortly after with the dual functions of drafting a constitution and acting as the principal law-making body. It also underscores the prevailing consensus in Iraq on keeping the 30 June handover date.

Regarding the transfer of sovereignty, the team says the UN would be willing to help in building consensus among Iraqis on the specific powers, structure and composition of a provisional governance body and the process for its establishment, and could provide advisory services and technical assistance for the electoral process.

Ultimately, the Iraqi people must decide on these issues and implement them, the report stresses. "They are more than capable of doing so."

The team, which visited Iraq from 6 to 13 February, calls for intensified discussions on security within the Iraqi Governing Council and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to complete arrangements for expanding UN activities in the country. "The United Nations is ready to play a supporting role _ in helping to facilitate political consensus, as well as in offering technical advice on elections _ if the people of Iraq so request it, the Security Council mandates the Organization to play that role, and appropriate arrangements are made to provide security for our own personnel."

These conclusions are echoed by the Secretary-General in his letter transmitting the report to the President of the Security Council. "[A] precondition for the United Nations to succeed in Iraq is the clear and unambiguous support of a united Security Council and the establishment of a secure environment," he emphasizes.

 

Coalition Officials Hail Growing UN Involvement In Iraq's Political Future 3

The Ambassadors of the United States and the United Kingdom on 24 February told the Security Council that the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) welcomes the growing role of the United Nations in helping Iraq to determine its political future.

Briefing on the latest developments in the country, Ambassador John D. Negroponte welcomed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report on a recent fact-finding mission analyzing the feasibility of elections, noting its conclusion that polling could not be organized by 30 June _ "the date by which all agree that the transfer of sovereignty should take place."

Echoing the Secretary-General's report, he said resolving the question of the timing of elections provides an opportunity for Iraqis and the CPA to engage in a dialogue on the mechanism for transferring sovereignty. The CPA, the Iraqi people, the Governing Council and the UN will work together to reach agreement on a transition mechanism for the handover, he said.

"We look forward to further consideration of the team's report and the continued engagement of the United Nations in the political process ahead," he emphasized.

Reviewing other developments, Mr. Negroponte noted that, "After decades of oppression, we see the Iraqi people asserting their own vision for Iraq by assuming greater responsibility for security, by managing their natural resources for the benefit of all, and by taking the first steps towards representative democracy."

At the same time, he cautioned that difficult challenges remain, including insecurity fomented by "former regime loyalists, foreign fighters and hardened international terrorists." But the Iraqi people and their supporters "will triumph in the effort to open a new chapter in their proud history."

Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom joined in welcoming the help being offered by the UN and its agencies for Iraq's reconstruction. "We also very much value the contribution that the UN is now making to the political process, most recently through the report of the UN fact-finding mission led by [Special Advisor] Lakhdar Brahimi," he said.

"We welcome the United Nations' offer to help with consensus building as well as with the preparation for subsequent elections," he added. "We want to see a strong and growing United Nations role."

"We hope that the coming weeks and months will bring continued and enhanced UN engagement," he stressed.

About a dozen participants took part in the debate which followed, with many underscoring the need to adhere to the 30 June date and voicing support for an expanded UN role in the political arena. A number of speakers cited the credibility that the UN carries as vital to this endeavour. At the same time, it was noted that the UN would need a clear mandate and a secure environment to operate effectively in Iraq. 

 

S-G: It Is Vital For UN To Retain Clear And Separate Identity In Iraq 4

With Iraq expecting the United Nations to play a major role in organizing elections, drafting a constitution, reconstructing the country, and building a State based on human rights and the rule of law, the world body must retain a clear and separate identity in this effort, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on 24 February.

"The people of Iraq and others must see us for what we are: an impartial, independent world body, with no other agenda than to help their country in this time of need," Mr. Annan told the Japanese Diet in Tokyo where he was on an official visit.

In a speech that ranged over the need for multilateralism in an age of interdependence and the urgent objective to "find collective responses to the threats of our time," such as international terrorism, he said the UN remains the locus of legitimacy. 

At the same time the international community must re-balance the international agenda, so that the current focus on so-called hard threats does not overwhelm efforts to confront the ever-present dangers of poverty, hunger and disease.

"After all, a world of glaring inequality and widespread misery is never going to be fully safe or peaceful, even for its most privileged inhabitants," Mr. Annan declared.

He said the divergence of views over the war in Iraq, "coming so soon after the traumatic events of 11 September 2001 _ truly a watershed event in our perception of international terrorism _ raised fundamental questions about our system of collective security."

Such issues require identifying threats to peace early enough so that they can be addressed preferably without a resort to military force, defining when force is permissible and who should authorize it, and determining the limits of self-defence in a world of globalized terrorism and privatized proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

In Iraq, Mr. Annan said the immediate task is finding a consensus on the political transition and he stressed that the "clear, united and unambiguous support" of the Security Council, which was bitterly divided on the decision to go to war, "is an essential precondition" for UN success.

The Secretary-General also paid tribute to Japan's strong global citizenship and the economic aid it has provided, especially to Asia and Africa. "Out of the ashes of war, you have built a vibrant, prosperous democracy that is an inspiration to people throughout the world. Japan has also become a paragon of international engagement," he said.

 

Sec-Gen Appoints Louise Arbour Of Canada High Commissioner for Human Rights 5

Louise Arbour, a Canadian Supreme Court Justice and ex-prosecutor of United Nations war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, will be named the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - succeeding Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Baghdad last August.

The General Assembly is expected to act shortly on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's intention to appoint Ms. Arbour to a four-year term heading the Geneva-based UN human rights office, according to a UN spokesman.

Spokesman Fred Eckhard said that if approved, she would be expected to retire from Canada's Supreme Court, where she has been working since 1999, to take up her new assignment.

Ms. Arbour was the Chief Prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda from October 1996 to September 1999 - a period of intense activity for both courts.

The 57-year old Justice was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1971 and the Bar of Ontario in 1977. She served for 13 years as Associate Professor of Law and later Associate Dean at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

Fluent in both English and French, she became a member of the bench in December 1987, first as a trial judge on the Supreme Court of Ontario and, in 1990, at the Ontario Court of Appeal.

In April 1995, she was chosen to lead an official investigation into the operation of the correctional service of Canada, based on allegations by female inmates at a women's prison in Kingston (Ontario).

Until her appointment to the bench, she served as vice-president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Throughout her career, Justice Arbour has published extensively, in both English and French, in the fields of criminal procedure, human rights, civil liberties and gender issues.

The General Assembly established the post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in December 1993, with a wide-ranging mandate to oversee the world body's complex and multifaceted activities in that field. The first person to hold the post was José Ayala Lasso, a former Foreign Minister from Ecuador, who was succeeded by Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland. Mr. Vieira de Mello assumed the job on 12 September 2002 before being asked to take what was supposed to be a temporary leave to serve as UN envoy to Iraq, where he was killed in a terrorist bombing that also took the lives of 21 others.

* * *

The United Nations General Assembly on 25 February approved by acclamation the appointment of Louise Arbour as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

S-G Condemns Suicide Bombing In Jerusalem 6

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 23 February condemned the suicide bombing in Jerusalem on 22 February as a "heinous crime" and called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to punish those responsible.

"The deliberate targeting of civilians is a heinous crime and cannot be justified by any cause," Mr. Annan said in a statement issued by his spokesman in Tokyo, where he is on an official visit. "We urge the PA to take the steps necessary to bring to justice those who plan, facilitate and carry out such crimes.

"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and victims of this crime," the statement concluded.

 

S-G Promises UN's Help Following Earthquake In Northern Morocco 7

Responding to reports of an earthquake that has killed scores of people in northern Morocco on 24 February, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan pledged the world body's assistance to the victims of the tragedy.

"The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the heavy loss of life and extensive damage caused by a powerful earthquake that struck near the city of Al Hoceima," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said a quake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck the Mediterranean Sea, just off the coast from the Moroccan port city of Al Hoceima.

A situation report from OCHA said that while there were no reports of damage in Al Hoceima itself, several villages near its outskirts were badly hit. The death toll is forecast to rise into the hundreds. Most of the inhabitants of the villages of Ait Kamra, Tamassint and Imzourn live in mud-brick structures.

Conveying Mr. Annan's deepest sympathy to the Moroccan Government and the families of the quake victims, Mr. Eckhard said "the UN stands ready to render assistance." 

 

ICJ Begins Deliberations In Israeli Wall Case 8

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is starting deliberations on an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of an Israeli wall in the occupied Palestinian Territory after public hearings in the case concluded on 25 February.

The ICJ heard oral submissions from representatives of Palestine, South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Belize, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Senegal, Sudan, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference during three days of hearings.

The ICJ's action follows a request from the UN General Assembly in December last year. During an emergency session on Palestine, the Assembly adopted a resolution asking for an urgently rendered opinion on "the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in an around East Jerusalem."

 

Security Council Deplores Haitian Opposition's Rejection Of Peacemaking Plans 9

The United Nations Security Council on 25 February deplored the Haitian opposition's rejection of proposals from two regional organizations that could form the basis for a peaceful compromise with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to stem the Caribbean country's violent political crisis.

In a press statement read by Council President Ambassador Wang Guangya of China, both the Aristide Government and the opposition were called on to accept and implement the provisions of the Plan of Action of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS).

"Implementation of the plan offers the best opportunity to restore confidence and dialogue and for Haitians to resolve differences peacefully, democratically and constitutionally," the President said.

Council members also called on the Government and the armed rebels to respect human rights and stop using violence to advance political goals.

"Those responsible for human rights violations should be held accountable," Mr. Wang said.

Calling attention to the "serious humanitarian situation in Haiti," Council members called on all sides to facilitate the distribution of food and medicine and to respect UN personnel involved in the delivery of relief aid.

The presidential statement came after Under-Secretary-General Kieran Prendergast briefed the Council in a closed-door session.

According to the text of his remarks, released to the press, Mr. Prendergast noted that President Aristide had accepted in principle the CARICOM-OAS plan, which also had the endorsement of France. "President Aristide did so on condition that he would serve out his current term in office, which concludes in 2006," he observed.

The UN continues to support CARICOM and the OAS and was "encouraged by the interest and diplomatic initiatives of important Member States," Mr. Prendergast said.

Recalling past UN bids to assist Haiti, however, he said, "We all need to recognize that the help we have tried to give has not had the desired effect."

"The events of February have shown us that Haiti requires a long-term, sustained and broad engagement by the international community," he added.

At the same time, Mr. Prendergast acknowledged that "there are limitations to what the assistance of the international community can accomplish."

 

S-G Appoints John Reginald Dumas As His Special Adviser For Haiti 10

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced on 26 February that he has appointed Trinidad and Tobago's John Reginald Dumas as his Special Adviser to help tackle Haiti's escalating political, economic and social turmoil.

In a statement, Mr. Annan said Mr. Dumas "will closely follow developments in Haiti and liase with all relevant actors," especially the regional organizations that are trying to end the country's political impasse.

Mr. Dumas, 68, has a long record of diplomatic service for his country and has specialized in issues affecting the Caribbean region. He has also worked on public task forces in Trinidad and Tobago and in 1998 co-founded his country's chapter of Transparency International.

He has acted as Ambassador to the United States, Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) and High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Mr. Dumas also served as Trinidad and Tobago's diplomatic representative in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

 

Guéhenno: Timor-Leste Has Made Remarkable Progress, But Still Needs Help 11

While Timor-Leste has progressed impressively since gaining independence, the fragility of its national security means that the United Nations should maintain a presence there for a year beyond the end of its mission's mandate in May, a senior UN peacekeeping official said on 20 February.

Presenting a report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET), peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guéhenno told the Security Council that Timor-Leste, the poorest country in Southeast Asia, "continues to face significant challenges for which it will require international assistance."

Mr. Guéhenno's list of challenges included developing public administration capabilities, conducting serious crimes investigations and improving internal security and law enforcement, as well as external security and border control.

With regard to Indonesia, he said, "Agreement on the border and practical arrangements for its management have not yet been reached and the potential for tensions or destabilizing actions remains within communities in the Western Districts."

UN military observers have been supporting close relationships between Timorese and Indonesian border personnel, Mr. Guéhenno said, recommending that "a small group of military liaison officers could be retained along the border to discharge similar functions for a further year after 20 May 2004."

 

Top UN Legal Officer Says Some States Are Contemptuous Of International Law 12

The impressive body of international law that United Nations Member States have developed can be handed down to coming generations, but some governments are trying to belittle international efforts, the UN Legal Counsel said on 24 February on the eve of his departure from the job.

"The contribution to the body of international law of the past 10 years has been remarkable," Under-Secretary-General Hans Corell _ who has said he will leave the UN in early March and return to his native Sweden _ told a gathering of diplomats, UN staff and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the UN complex in Vienna, Austria.

Landmark events include the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994, the establishment of the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, the introduction of new aspects of international commercial law and the increased focus on treaty law, he said. One of the most significant developments was the establishment of the International Criminal Court.

Sometimes international law is violated because of a lack of resources, "but all too often violations are intentional and committed with contempt," he observed.

"Today there is a threat to our common endeavour of a different kind: the attempts by some to belittle our efforts at the international level," Mr. Corell said. "There are those who even maintain that international law does not exist _ unless it suits their interest to invoke it in a particular situation."

If these opinions are not vigorously rebutted, they risk damaging all that the UN stands for, said Mr. Corell, who has served 10 years as the world body's top legal official.

To suggest that international law does not exist or is a threat to democracy "is an insult to all the many, past and present, who have contributed to the development of a rule-based international society," he said.

Taking a broad view, the Under-Secretary-General found cause for optimism. "With the founding of the United Nations, the course for the rule of law among nations was set," he pointed out. "And if we stay this course, the prospects are favourable."

 

Somalia 13

Warning that it will keep close watch on those blocking efforts to resolve the conflict in Somalia, the United Nations Security Council on 25 February called on the country's warring parties to reach a peaceful settlement.

"The Security Council condemns those who obstruct the peace process and stresses that those who persist on the path of confrontation and conflict will be held accountable," the Council President for February, Ambassador Wang Guangya of China, said in a presidential statement agreed on by the 15 members.

The Council urged the Somali parties to build on progress made so far and to "swiftly conclude the Somali National Reconciliation Conference with a durable and inclusive solution to the conflict in Somalia by establishing a viable transitional government," he said.

The President also voiced the Council's concern over the continued flow of weapons and ammunition to Somalia, calling on States and entities to cooperate with a Monitoring Group set up to oversee the international arms embargo against the country.

The National Reconciliation Conference is taking place in Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The statement urged international support for IGAD, as well as for the African Union (AU), which is prepared to send a military observer mission to Somalia.

 

ILO: Globalization Must Be Harnessed To Benefit Rich And Poor Alike 14

The world's interdependent economy benefits few and disenfranchises many, according to a new report presented on 24 February by the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO), which calls for building an "inclusive" globalization.

A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All acknowledges that globalization's potential for good is "immense" but warns that current imbalances in the world economy are ethically unacceptable and politically unsustainable.

The report was issued by the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, which was co-chaired by President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania.

In New York, a spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised the ILO for the initiative and hailed the report's release, voicing hope that the international the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of time-bound targets for tackling global ills.

The Commission calls for giving global priority to finding decent work for all _ a goal that should be pursued through complementary national and international policies. "This would respond to a major political demand in all countries," the experts observe, pointing out that accelerating jobs creation in all nations would help to reduce tensions within and among them.

The report will be discussed by the ILO's Governing Body in March, and the DirectorGeneral will make proposals for follow up to the International Labour Conference in June. It will also be submitted to national leaders, the UN Secretary-General and the heads of key international organizations, other intergovernmental bodies, and non-State actors in the global community.

 

Rotterdam Convention On Safely Marketing Chemicals Comes Into Force 15

The Rotterdam Convention, a labelling agreement enabling countries to decide which potentially dangerous chemicals they want to import or to exclude, became legally binding on its parties on 24 February, two United Nations bodies said.

"This treaty will enable developing countries to avoid many of the mistakes made in the richer countries, where the misuse of chemicals and pesticides has too often harmed or killed people and damaged the environment," said Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Jacques Diouf, the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said the pact "will help countries to avoid using pesticides that are recognized to be harmful to human health and the environment and highly toxic pesticides that cannot be handled safely by small farmers in developing countries."

Jointly promoted by UNEP and FAO, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade initially lists 27 hazardous chemicals. 

As many as 15 more pesticides and industrial chemicals, including some forms of asbestos, will be considered for inclusion at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Geneva from 20 to 24 September, UNEP and FAO said.

Some 70,000 different chemicals are being marketed and another 1,500 new ones are introduced every year. Many pesticides that have been banned or restricted in industrialized countries are still being used in developing countries, they said.

 

UNHCR: Asylum-Seeker Numbers Fall To Lowest Level In Six Years 16

The number of asylum-seekers arriving in the world's industrialized countries last year plunged by 20 per cent to its lowest level since 1997, according to provisional figures released on 24 February by the United Nations refugee agency.

Ruud Lubbers, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), welcomed the news, saying the fall in numbers should ease the temperature of the debate in many developed countries, especially in Europe, about how to treat refugees.

He pointed to improving conditions in several States that have been major senders of refugees in recent years _ including Afghanistan as well as Serbia and Montenegro _ meant the human traffic from those countries fell in 2003.

"But we cannot relax yet," Mr. Lubbers cautioned. "The improvements remain fragile 

in many countries, and there needs to be continued investment of aid and resources in the regions of origin to ensure that the trend is not reversed."

In total, 463,000 people sought asylum last year in 36 countries in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan _ the third lowest figure compiled by UNHCR since 1988.

The United Kingdom was the biggest recipient nation, with 61,050 asylum-seekers, followed by the United States (60,700), France (51,400) and Germany (50,450).

But even those States reported lower figures than the previous year _ the UK had a decrease of 41 per cent and Germany dipped 19 per cent to record its lowest number of asylum-seekers since 1984.

Mr. Lubbers said that asylum-seeker levels in the European Union had generally dropped to the rates of the late 1980s.

"I hope the debate will focus once again on the vital need to protect refugees, as well as the need to find permanent solutions for them, and better ways share the burden among states."

Russians became the biggest asylum-seeking nationality last year, with 33,400 people _ mostly Chechens _ seeking refuge in 29 countries. This was a rise of 68 per cent on the previous year.

The number of Iraqis fell in half to 24,700, and there were also sharp drops in asylum-seekers from Afghanistan (down 46 per cent to 13,800) and Serbia and Montenegro (down 23 per cent to 24,800). Several African nations reported substantial decreases as well, including Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

 

UNEP Hails Setting Of Measurable Goals In Fight For Biodiversity 17

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has hailed the decision of a conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity to set more specific, measurable targets for reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, said the action by 187 countries attending the forum means governments will be able to accurately monitor whether they are making real progress in protecting species faced with extinction.

The two-week conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which ended on 20 February, agreed to conserve at least 10 per cent of each ecosystem, stabilize populations of certain declining species and ensure that international trade does not endanger any species of wild flora or fauna.

These measurable targets have been introduced, according to UNEP, because biodiversity is notoriously difficult to quantify. For example, while 1.75 million different specifies of all kinds have been scientifically identified, some estimates say the real total is as high as 14 million. 

The Convention was established at the so-called "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The target for reducing biodiversity loss was called for at a previous conference of ministers and at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, both in 2002.

Delegates to the Kuala Lumpur conference also agreed to begin talks on how to craft a global system for access to genetic resources _ such as plants that could be used to produce new pharmaceuticals or cosmetic products _ and benefit-sharing.

 

UNESCO Urges Teaching In Indigenous Mother Languages 18

With an average of two indigenous languages dying out every month, the United Nations cultural agency has called for national education systems to teach children in mother tongues from the earliest age as a means both of stimulating learning ability and preserving the world's rich heritage of linguistic diversity.

"It is widely acknowledged nowadays that teaching in both the mother tongue and the official national language helps children to obtain better results and stimulates their cognitive development and capacity to learn," the Director-General of the UN Education, 

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Koïchiro Matsuura, said in a message for International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated on 21 February.

UNESCO's General Conference 1999 proclaimed the Day in recognition of the importance of the world's linguistic diversity and to promote mother tongue languages. But a survey being undertaken by the agency indicates that although the use of mother languages as a medium of instruction is gaining ground, few countries have incorporated the idea into their education systems.

The study shows that India is one of the world leaders in the development of multilingual education systems, with about 80 languages being used to teach children at different levels of schooling. But across Africa, where an estimated 2,011 languages are spoken, the languages of the former colonial powers - English, French, Spanish and Portuguese - still dominate education systems. A similar situation prevails in Latin America.

According to the "Atlas of the World Languages in Danger of Disappearing" there are more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world today. Ninety five percent of these languages are spoken by only four percent of the population, and an average of two die out each month.

 

FAO: Asian Bird Flu Outbreaks Still Occurring; Need For Continued Control Efforts 19

As officials from nearly two dozen Asia-Pacific countries prepared to gather in Bangkok for an emergency meeting on bird flu, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on 25 February warned that outbreaks of the highly virulent disease are still occurring and stressed the need for continued control campaigns.

The agency estimates that about 100 million birds have already died or been culled to battle the virus, which has also led to 32 confirmed human cases, 22 of them fatal. 

Surveillance and control strategies should be continued, including eliminating all birds in infected production units and strengthening biosecurity measures, FAO said. "The situation in some countries is still unclear and further epidemiological investigations are required to get the virus under control," the agency added.

Countries affected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam. FAO has sent disease experts to several of these nations to assess the situation and assist them in the battle against the disease.

The findings of these missions will be instrumental in understanding the origin of the epidemic and the factors that lead to such a wide and massive spread of the virus, it said.

The Bangkok meeting, from 26 to 28 February, will bring together officials from the 23 Asia-Pacific countries, international experts, donor and development organizations to discuss control strategies and rehabilitation measures.

 

WHO: Growing Sugar Consumption Increasing Tooth Decay Worldwide 20

Tooth decay, gum disease and other oral afflictions are prevalent in industrialized countries and increasing in developing nations as global sugar consumption spikes, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) says in a new report.

"There is a perception that tooth decay is no longer a problem in the developed world, but it affects 60 to 90 per cent of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults," says Dr Catherine Le Gales-Camus, WHO's Assistant-Director General for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health. Dental caries are also the most prevalent oral disease in several Asian and Latin American countries, she added.

With changing lifestyles, tooth decay is expected to increase in many African countries, especially because the growing consumption of sugars might not be matched by adequate exposure to fluorides, WHO's World Oral Health Report says.

Globally, most children shows signs of bleeding gums, or gingivitis, while among adults, the initial stages of periodontal disease are prevalent. Severe periodontitis, which may result in teeth becoming loose, is found in 5 to 15 per cent of most populations. In industrialized countries, studies show that smoking is a key risk factor for periodontal disease.

Smoking, using smokeless tobacco, chewing betel and drinking alcohol are all risk factors for oral cancer _ the eighth most common form of that disease among men worldwide. In south central Asia, cancer in the mouth ranks among the three most common types.

 

UNESCO Awards Press Freedom Prize To Jailed Cuban Journalist 21

The Cuban journalist and poet Raúl Rivero Castañeda, in jail since last April, was on 25 February awarded the annual Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said the award was a tribute to Mr. Rivero's "brave and longstanding commitment to independent reporting, the hallmark of professional journalism."

Mr. Rivero is serving a 20-year jail sentence after being found guilty of undermining Cuba's independence or territorial integrity. He and 25 other journalists were given lengthy prison terms in April last year, one month after they were arrested by Cuban authorities as part of a general crackdown on dissidents.

Dr. Matsuura called on Cuba to free Mr. Rivero _ who is reported to be suffering circulatory problems in a prison in the country's east _ and the other jailed journalists.

Jamaica's Oliver Clarke, chairman of an international jury of media professionals, which awarded the 2004 World Press Freedom Prize to Mr. Rivero, said he hoped the honour would encourage Cuba to respect the right of freedom of expression.

UNESCO said that Mr. Rivero has endured sustained harassment from the government since he left the State-controlled media in 1988. This has included several interrogations, detentions and restrictions on his movements.

Mr. Rivero founded the Cuba Press independent news agency in 1995 and the first independent association of Cuban journalists in 2001. He has also conducted training workshops for other journalists and helped publish the magazine De Cuba.

The $25,000 World Press Freedom Prize, created in 1997, is named in honour of Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalist who was murdered in 1987 after he denounced the activities of the country's drug barons.

 

UNICEF And Real Madrid Form Partnership To Work For Children's Rights 22

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and celebrated Spanish football club Real Madrid on 25 February formed a formal partnership to draw attention to children's issues and improve the observance of children's rights.

The agreement was established by UNICEF's executive director, Carol Bellamy, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez and UNICEF Spain's president, Francisco Gonzalez-Bueno.

"UNICEF is proud of this partnership and looking forward to working together with Real Madrid and UNICEF Spain," said Ms. Bellamy. "Together we will use the power of sports to make a difference for children and young people around the world."

In partnership with UNICEF Spain, Real Madrid FC will work to improve the lives of children by harnessing the power of football and the global influence of the team and drawing attention to children's issues. Coupling one of the most renowned football clubs in the world and the largest international organization working for children will mean a powerful team striving to improve the well-being of young people, the agency said.