un news february 2009

8/9/2019 UN News February 2009

1/31

UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

Top UN envoy speaks out after suicide bomber kills Afghan policemen

2 February - The top United Nations official in Afghanistan has spoken out about on Mondays (2/02)

attack at a police station in the southern province of Uruzgan which reportedly killed at least 20 officers.

Many others were also wounded in the suicide bombing which took place in the provincial capital of

Tirin Kot.

The Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said the tragedy will not only

affect those who lost their loved ones but also the community at large.

People across Afghanistan want and need better justice and law enforcement, and efforts to train and

professionalise the police are aimed at meeting this demand, he said in a statement.

Mondays (2/02) attack shows contempt both for human life and for the community's wishes for a just

Afghanistan.

Just two weeks ago, a suicide bombing in the capital, Kabul, claimed at least two lives and injured

several more.


2/31


Germanys measles outbreak wake-up call for parents to have children vaccinated UN

2 February - A measles outbreak in Germany has highlighted the need for vaccination reminders and

better information for parents, after a study showed that at least 80 per cent of 614 cases in Duisburg in

2006 involved people who had not been vaccinated, according to research published ton Monday (2/02)

in the Bulletin of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).

Measles still causes an estimated 197,000 deaths each year around the world, the majority of them

children under five, Peter Strebel of WHOs Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals said.

Parents and doctors need to be reminded that measles is a highly contagious disease.

Even healthy and well-nourished children, if unvaccinated, are at risk of measles and its complications

such as pneumonia, encephalitis and, although rare, death, he added, noting that two children died of

encephalitis and 95 were hospitalized in the German outbreak.

The failure to vaccinate was ascribed to parents either forgetting or rejecting the vaccine for various

reasons including the mistaken belief that it was dangerous.

Even in countries with good health services, measles can be very serious, particularly in young children,

Dr. Strebel stressed.


3/31


Talks with senior Government officials bring UN envoys Myanmar visit to close

3 February - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Special Adviser concluded a four-day working visit to

Myanmar on Tuesday (3/02), meeting with senior Government officials in the South- East Asian nation.

Ibrahim Gambari met for about an hour on Tuesday (3/02) with Prime Minister Thein Sein in Yangon,

United Nations spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York. The meeting was attended by the

Ministers of Foreign Affairs, National Planning, Information, Culture and Health.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Gambari also met for the second time with the Government Spokesperson

Authoritative Team composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture.

The UN envoy is expected to meet with the Secretary-General in India on Thursday (5/02) to report on

the overall outcome of his latest visit, during which he also held talks with opposition and other political

parties, including with detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San

Suu Kyi.

This is Mr. Gambaris fifth visit to Myanmar in the past year and a half, and is part of the good offices

mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly.


4/31


On surprise visit, Ban reaffirms UN support for Afghanistan

4 February - Making a surprise stop in Afghanistan Wednesday (4/02), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

pledged the United Nations strong support for development and the consolidation of peace and

stability in the strife-torn nation.

.This year is going to be a very important and a crucial year for the Afghanistan people and Government

in many aspects, in addressing security challenges and also establishing fuller democracy and

development and prosperity with the Afghanistan people, Mr. Ban said at a joint press conference in

Kabul with President Hamid Karzai.

The Secretary-General expressed his determination to see Afghanistan enjoy full democracy, full

security and full development, adding that it is clear that Afghanistan will continue to face many

challenges in 2009, but I think we can confront them.

With presidential and provincial council polls scheduled for 20 August, he said the UN will ensure that

the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission will receive the funds needed from donors.

Further, Mr. Ban said that the international military presence in the country is still important.

We also need to balance political and military means to stability in Afghanistan, including through an

Afghan-led political solution based on the Constitution, he stressed. Regional cooperation is so crucial

to Afghanistan but also for its neighbours and it has a lot of potential.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will continue to work on political, economic andsecurity issues in the region, the Secretary-General said.

I fully share the concerns and frustrations that President Karzai has endured because of many tragic

incidents where civilian people have been killed in the course of military operations in fighting against

terrorism, he said in response to a question on civilian casualties.

As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in fact, this issue of civilian causalities has been a

source of deep concern and I have expressed on many occasions a strong concern that while conducting

military operations they must ensure that we have all civilian casualties over.

In addition to talks with Mr. Karzai, Mr. Ban was briefed by his Special Representative in the country and

UNAMA head, Kai Eide, who gave an update on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the UNs

efforts to support the Government.

An integrated mission established in March 2002, UNAMA has two main pillars: one dealing with

development issues, and the other handling political matters.


5/31

On Tuesday (2/02), the UN and its partners appealed for $604 million to help meet the needs of Afghans

made vulnerable by natural disasters, lack of access to basic social services, increasing food insecurity

and the worsening security situation.

More than half of the funds will go towards food aid, while almost $100 million will be used to rid the

strife-torn nation of landmines, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told

reporters in Geneva, as he launched the Humanitarian Action Plan for Afghanistan for 2009.

The Plan, with a set of 112 projects from 39 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and eight UN

agencies, also focuses on the delivery of education, water and sanitation, as well as on protection

concerns amid growing insecurity in a country, where 42 per cent of the population lives on less than $1

per day.


6/31


Sri Lanka: bombed hospital now empty, UN says

4 February - A hospital in the zone of fighting between the Government and rebel forces in north-

eastern Sri Lanka, which has been the scene of heavy shelling and aerial bombardment for several days,

was empty on Wednesday (4/02) morning, the United Nations reported.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN staff said that

bombings took place for several hours on Tuesday (3/02), and the hospital was empty this morning after

intense military operations overnight.

The hospital was shelled numerous times on Sunday (1/02), resulting in the killing of 11 people

altogether, including one nurse, Gordon Weiss of OCHA said on Monday (2/02).

The hospital has around 600 patients, with new people arriving all the time of which hundreds are

critically injured and cannot be treated.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is continuing its negotiations to allow a food convoy into the

Vanni region. With the last batch of supplies having reached the area on 29 January, the agency has

been told that the earliest this can happen is Friday (6/02).

An estimated 250,000 civilians are trapped in areas of northern Sri Lanka where fighting continues

between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


7/31


UN Ambassador Angelina Jolie voices support for Myanmar refugees in Thailand

5 February - Hollywood star and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency Angelina

Jolie has called on the Thai Government to allow greater freedom of movement for tens of thousands of

refugees confined to makeshift camps after fleeing neighbouring Myanmar.

Ms. Jolie on Wednesday (4/02) spent listening to refugees in northern Thailand telling of the difficulties

they have faced over two decades living in closed camps.

I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even

been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp, the actress said after her visit to Ban

Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly Karenni refugees.

With no foreseeable chance that these refugees will soon be able to return to Burma [Myanmar], we

must find some way to help them work and become self reliant, Ms. Jolie added.

Some 111,000 registered refugees sheltering in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are

restricted from leaving the camps and as a result unable to earn a living or receive higher education,

according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

At a boarding school for orphans and children separated from their parents, Ms. Jolie told two teenage

girls who feared returning across the border to finish their education that I hope we can work with the

Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to goback to Burma if danger remains.

Local authorities have yet to process some 5,000 people who fled to northern Thailands Mae Hong Son

province between 2006 and 2007, the last time there was significant fighting in Kayah State just across

the border in Myanmar.

And throughout last year, there was a steady trickle of refugees from Myanmar into Ban Mai Nai Soi and

three other camps in the province, mostly fleeing forced labour and other human rights abuses.

Recent media attention has focused on the large number of stateless Muslim refugees making the

perilous trip from northern Myanmar to Thailand in rickety vessels. UNHCR has recently gained access to78 of the Rohingya boat people held in detention centres in the south of the country to determine their

need for international protection.

Ms. Jolie noted that witnessing the Governments hospitality towards the 111,000 mostly Karen and

Karenni refugees over the years makes me hope that Thailand will be just as generous to the Rohingya

refugees who are now arriving on their shores.


8/31

I also hope the Rohingya situation stabilizes and their life in Myanmar improves so the people do not

feel the desperate need to flee, especially considering how dangerous their journey has become, she

added.


9/31


World cannot afford to ignore climate change, Ban says at New Delhi summit

5 February - The world must tackle the growing threat of climate change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-

moon told a sustainable development summit in New Delhi on Thursday (5/02), stressing that the crisis

threatens to roll back development gains and lead to further economic and social misery.

We cannot afford to ignore or underestimate this existential threat. Failure to combat climate change

will increase poverty and hardship, Mr. Ban said upon receiving the Sustainable Development

Leadership Award at the summit taking place in the Indian capital.

It will destabilize economies, breed insecurity in many countries and undermine our goals for

sustainable development, he told the gathering.

Mr. Ban, who has made climate change the priority of his mandate as United Nations chief, stressed that

tackling the threat will require all our leadership, all our commitment, all our ingenuity.

While facing up to the crisis will not be easy, he noted, it does provide an exciting opportunity to make

progress on a range of sustainable development issues.

By pursuing a green economy based on efficient and equitable resource use, we will cut down

greenhouse gas emissions and protect essential ecosystems.

At the same time, we will reinvigorate national economies, create employment and livelihoodopportunities, improve human well-being and achieve our sustainable development targets, said the

Secretary-General.

Looking ahead to the crucial climate change negotiations scheduled for December in Copenhagen, Mr.

Ban stressed the need to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive and ratifiable agreement to succeed the

Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A successful outcome will depend on resolving

three main political challenges, he added.

First, Copenhagen must clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their emissions, by

setting ambitious mid-term targets, with credible baselines. Also important is to achieve clarity on what

mitigation actions developing countries will be prepared to make.

Secondly, Copenhagen must advance on the issue of financing the mitigation and adaptation needs of

developing countries.

Thirdly, governments, as well as the UN system must come up with credible solutions for the

governance of new funds, and for their implementation response.


10/31

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ban met with CEOs of Indian industry and heard about how they plan to respond

to climate change issues. He emphasized that India has what it takes to lead on green technology.

Already India has shown ingenuity and dedication. Industrialists here have moved forward on new

energy technologies. I would encourage you to intensify this work and engage even more with other

international efforts in this field, he told the gathering.

The Secretary-General arrived in New Delhi, following visits to neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan on

Wednesday (4/02), culminating two weeks of travel through Europe, Africa and Asia.

While in the Indian capital, Mr. Ban also met with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, with

whom he discussed the regional situation following the Mumbai attacks, the Secretary-Generals efforts

to foster regional cooperation and Indias important role in dealing with climate change.

He also discussed the regional security situation following the Mumbai attacks with Indian National

Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan. They also talked about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and

progress in Nepal.

The Secretary-General discussed development and climate change with Sonia Gandhi, leader of the

United Progressive Alliance.

Also on Thursday (5/02), Mr. Ban met with his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari, who briefed the

Secretary-General on the outcome of his recent 31 January to 3 February visit to Myanmar.


11/31


Greater efforts needed to end female genital mutilation UN agency

6 February - The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) on Friday (6/02) called for greater efforts to

end female genital mutilation, as the agency marked the International Day against the harmful practice

that three million girls and women endure each year.

Some 70 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital cutting, UNICEF

Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a message on the International Day against Female Genital

Mutilation.

While some communities have made real progress in abandoning this dangerous practice, the rights,

and even the lives, of too many girls continue to be threatened, she added.

Female genital mutilation or cutting is the partial or total removal of the external genitalia undertaken

for cultural or other non-medical reasons often causing severe pain and sometimes resulting in

prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death.

Genital cutting can produce complications during child birth, increasing the chances of death or

disability for both mother and child.

Although this practice is in decline, it remains prevalent in many countries and often against national

laws, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. In the Central African Republic (CAR), for example, about

28 per cent of women are circumcised despite a 1966 law prohibiting the tradition.

Foncy Kongo, a 29-year old woman from the CAR, works with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional

Practices (CIAF) trying to stop genital cutting in her country.

As a 10-year old growing up in Bria, central CAR, Kongo was used to hearing about girls undergoing

circumcision, she told UNICEF.

It is part of our traditional culture, like a rite of passage into womanhood. Most women in my family

are circumcised and even in school there was peer pressure as the girls would contest their

womanhood, she said.

When her turn came she ran away from home only to be dragged back to the house a few hours later.

I was scared. I'd heard of girls who died because they lost too much blood.

Kongo did not die but she experienced immense pain and urinal problems after she was circumcised.

In 2008 data shows that 17 per cent of women in Bangui, the CAR capital, are circumcised and more

than 71per cent of women in Haute Kotto, where Kongo grew up, are victims of the cultural practice.


12/31

In February last year, 10 UN agencies banded together to pledge their support for eliminating the life-

threatening practice within a generation and aiming for a major reduction in many countries by 2015,

the year the Millennium Development Goals are set to be achieved.


13/31


Ban briefs Council on recent trip to Iraq, Afghanistan

9 February - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday (9/02) briefed the United Nations Security

Council in a closed session on his recent trip to Africa, Asia and Europe, providing a detailed report on

his contacts on a range of conflicts and issues from Somalia and Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,

Iraq and Gaza.

It was a very rich report with a lot of substance, the Council President for February, Ambassador

Yukio Takasu of Japan, told reporters afterwards, adding that Mr. Ban had emphasized the need for

regional cooperation over the conflict in Afghanistan and voiced optimism on Iraq.

Mr. Ban also stressed the importance of strengthening the ceasefire and humanitarian access in Gaza

and the need to resume the Middle East peace process, Mr. Takasu said.

The Secretary-General is expected to give a fuller public account of his trip at a news conference on

Tuesday (10/02). During two-weeks of travel he made unannounced visits to Afghanistan and Iraq,

where the UN is committed to helping to bring stability, and visited both India and Pakistan. In Africa he

attended an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while in Europe he participated in the

Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland.


14/31


UN emergency aid reaches Pakistanis uprooted by conflict

9 Februari Sekretaris-Jenderal Ban Ki-moon pada hari Senin (9/02) memberikan sebuah taklimat

kepada Dewan Keamanan PBB dalam sebuah sesi tertutup mengenai kunjungan terkahirnya ke Afrika,

Asia dan Eropa, serta menyediakan sebuah laporan lengkap dari mulai masalah konflik di Somalia dan

Zimbabwe hingga Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Irak dan Gaza.

Ini merupakan sebuah laporan yang sangat mendalam serta berisikan berbagai substansi, tutur

Presiden Dewan Keamanan untuk bulan Februari, Duta Besar Yukio Takasu dari Jepang, kepada pers,

dan menambahkan bahwa Ban telah menekankan perlunya sebuah kerjasama regional terhadap konflik

di Afghanistan dan Ban juga menyuarakan optimismenya untuk Irak.

Ban juga menekankan betapa pentingnya memperkuat gencatan senjata dan akses humaniter di Gaza

dan perlunya untuk mengembalikan proses perdamaian di Timur Tengah, tutur Takasu.

Sekretaris-Jenderal diharapkan dapat memberikan sebuah gambaran yang lebih luas pada sebuah

konferensi pers pada hari Selasa (10/02). Selama dua minggu dalam kunjungannya, beliau telah

melakukan perjalanan mendadak ke Afghanistan dan Irak, dimana PBB di sana berkomitmen untuk

membantu mengembalikan stabilitas. Beliau juga mengunjungi India dan Pakistan. Di Afrika beliau

menghadiri KTT Uni Afrika di Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sementara di Eropa beliau juga berpartisipasi dalam

Forum Ekonomi Davos di Swiss.


15/31


Upcoming polls crucial for Afghan stability, says UN peacekeeping chief

9 February - The elections slated to be held later this year in Afghanistan will be a vital opportunity to

boost the countrys political stability, the United Nations peacekeeping chief said on Monday (9/02),

pledging the world bodys assistance to ensure fair, timely and transparent polls.

Afghanistans Independent Electoral Commission has fixed 20 August as the date for presidential and

provincial council polls, which will be an enormous undertaking for the fledgling democracy.

We will try to do our best to help because it is clear that this election is very important for the country,

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy told a news conference in Kabul.

Its clearly both a challenge but also a huge opportunity for the country to be able to work together,

he added, noting that success will be measured based on the elections taking place on time, with

fairness and transparency.

My hope is that it could bring political stability and renewed legitimacy, said Mr. Le Roy.

harapan saya adalah hal ini akan membawa stabilitas politik dan legitimasi yang baru, tuturnya.

The UN peacekeeping chief stressed that 2009 will be a year of challenges and new opportunities,

echoing comments made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week during a surprise visit to

Afghanistan.

At the same time, he noted that insecurity continues to be a problem and cautioned that some groupswill try to derail the process especially when the elections are coming.

Mr. Le Roy also highlighted the achievements Afghanistan has been making in health, education,

demining and the strengthening of the armed forces and police. The UN will be in Afghanistan for the

long term to help sustain these achievements, he added.


16/31


Joint UN, European initiative seeks to protect children from online dangers

10 February - The United Nations telecom agency and the European Commission have teamed up to

protect children, among the most active and most vulnerable users of the Internet from online

dangers, including cyber-bullying and paedophilia.

Child online safety must be on the global agenda, Hamadoun Tour, Secretary-General of the UN

International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said in a press release.

The Geneva-based ITU has joined forces with the EC to mark Safer Internet Day, which includes more

than 500 events in 50 countries worldwide to promote child online protection.

We must ensure that everyone is aware of the dangers for children online. And we want to promote

and strengthen the many outstanding efforts that are being made around the world, such as the Safer

Internet Programme, to limit these dangers, said Mr. Tour.

According to recent surveys, over 60 per cent of children and teenagers talk in chat rooms on a daily

basis. Three in four children online are willing to share personal information about themselves and their

family in exchange for goods and services. One in five children will be targeted by a predator or

paedophile each year.

Children are very resourceful in making the most of online services such as social networking sites and

mobile phones, said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media.

But many still underestimate the hidden risks of using these, from cyber-bullying to sexual grooming

online. Today, I call upon all decision-makers, from both the public and the private sector, to listen and

learn from children and to improve awareness strategies and tools to protect minors.

ITU notes that while child online protection programmes exist in many developed countries, there are

very few in the developing world and very little coordination between them.

The agency has set up the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) and launched the Child Online Protection

(COP) initiative, which aims to bring together partners from all around the world to ensure a safe and

secure online experience for children everywhere.

As part of the Safer Internet Day events, the ECs Ins@fe Network will launch a virtual exhibition which

will host pavilions where visitors can learn more about initiatives undertaken by the 50 participating

countries.

ITU will host an online pavilion in support of ECs efforts to raise awareness among youngsters aged 12

to 17 regarding the risks they may face online.


17/31


Zimbabwe: Ban calls on new government to tackle economic, humanitarian crises

11 February - Zimbabwes new Government of national unity needs to immediately address the

economic and humanitarian crises, including the countrys worst ever cholera epidemic, Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday (10/02), pledging full United Nations support.

The period ahead will also be critical for consolidating human rights and democratic freedoms, Mr.

Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, welcoming todays swearing-in of Zimbabwean

opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister in a unity government with President Robert

Mugabe.

The United Nations reiterates its offer of support to the new Government in its recovery efforts to ease

the suffering of the Zimbabwean people.

Mr. Ban recently met with Mr. Mugabe at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa where he stressed

to him that the Government must protect the human rights and democratic freedoms of all

Zimbabweans.

I urged him to release all those arrested or secretly detained in recent months. I remain especially

concerned about the humanitarian situation, he told a news briefing on Tuesday (10/02), noting that an

estimated 3,400 people have died of cholera and more than 69,000 have been infected.

Zimbabwe has been faced with a worsening humanitarian situation owing to years of failed harvests,

bad governance and hyperinflation, as well as months of political tensions after the disputedpresidential elections in March involving Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai.


18/31


Mobile phones can call for health, education and safety, UNICEF says

11 February - Cell phones can play an important role in education, crisis situations, and in monitoring

health and nutrition, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) stressed on Wednesday (11/02) at the

opening of a conference on innovation.

The conference, called Web4Dev: Innovation for Access and hosted by UNICEF, brings together

academics, experts in technology, UN officials and development professionals to explore the application

of new and existing communication technologies to dire problems in poor and isolated areas of the

world.

The task here this week is to put innovation and technology at the service of humanity, Ann Veneman,

UNICEFs Executive Director, said as she opened the three-day meeting in New York.

She cited as an example a health-monitoring initiative in Malawi, led by UNICEF and Columbia

University, which allows rural health workers to use mobile phone technology to relay data on childrens

health and nutrition and receive instant, expert advice on critical interventions.

That initiative known as the RapidSMS text-messaging system, shared first prize in the United States

development agencys innovation competition, known as the Development 2.0 Challenge last year.


19/31


Ban voices sadness at Australias deadly fires

11 February - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his sadness at the deadly fires that have swept

across south-eastern Australia, reportedly killing at least 180 people and leaving dozens missing.

The Secretary-General is deeply saddened about the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people as a

result of bushfires in the state of Victoria in Australia, a statement issued Wednesday (11/02) night by

his spokesperson said.

He extends his deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed or injured in the

fires.


20/31


Iraqis must not give in to extremism, UN envoy says after attack on pilgrim

11 February - The United Nations envoy to Iraq strongly condemned on Wednesdays (11/02) bombing

at a bus station in the capital, targeting pilgrims making the journey from Baghdad to Karbala, and called

on all of the nations citizens to not rise to the provocation of extremists.

Media reports say that at least 16 people have been killed and at least 40 wounded after two

simultaneous explosions struck a bus terminal in south-west Baghdad.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Special Representative, Staffan de Mistura, described the bombing as

a murderous attack which was clearly designed to provoke sectarian tensions, even though the people

of Iraq had clearly indicated through their votes on 31 January that they wish to put that sad phase of

Iraqi history well behind them.

He extended the UNs sincere condolences to the families of those killed, and wishes a full and speedy

recovery for the wounded.

Wednesdays (10/02) attack comes nearly two weeks after Iraqis participated in largely peaceful

provincial elections, which Mr. Ban lauded during his visit there last week as a remarkable achievement

in a country that has known so much conflict in recent years.


21/31


Ban repeats call for release of kidnapped UN staff member in Pakistan

14 February 2009 Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who spoke with President Asif Ali Zardari of

Pakistan on Saturday (14/02), reiterated his appeal for the release of a United Nations staff member

abducted nearly two weeks ago in the west of the South Asian nation.

According to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the two leaders agreed on the need to

secure the safe and immediate release of John Solecki, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR) representative in the city of Quetta.

Mr. Solecki, who has been with the UN since 1991, was kidnapped on 2 February and his driver, Syed

Hashim, was killed in the attack.

In Saturday's (14/02) statement, the Secretary-General emphasized the importance of Mr. Solecki's

humanitarian work in helping the people of Balochistan.

He stresses that no cause can be served by prolonging the abduction of Mr Solecki.

Earlier this week, the UN said it is seeking information on a group called the Balochistan Liberation

United Front, which on 7 February claimed in local media reports that it is holding Mr. Solecki.

The world body said that he has a medical condition requiring regular medication, adding that delaying

his release will lead to a deterioration of health.


22/31


Pakistan: UN calls again for immediate release of abducted staff member

17 February - The United Nations on Tuesday once again appealed to those holding John Solecki, a staff

member kidnapped in Pakistan two weeks ago, for his immediate and safe release.

Mr. Solecki, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the city of

Quetta, was kidnapped during a 2 February attack in which his driver, Syed Hashim, was killed.

Last week the UN said it is seeking information on a group called the Balochistan Liberation United

Front, which on 7 February claimed in local media reports that it is holding Mr. Solecki.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Islamabad, the UN encouraged the Balochistan community leaders

continued engagement and once more asked those keeping Mr. Solecki to initiate direct contact so that

dialogue can be started for his immediate safe recovery.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke over the weekend with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and

they agreed on the need to secure the safe and immediate release of Mr. Solecki, who has a medical

condition requiring regular medication.

Mr. Ban, in a statement issued on Saturday (14/02), underscored the importance of the humanitarian

work being undertaken by Mr Solecki and stressed that no cause can be served by prolonging his

abduction.


23/31


Secretary-General set to travel to Africa next week

18 February - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is slated to leave early next week for Africa where he will

make his first official visits to South Africa and Tanzania, as well as stops in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Egypt, his spokesperson announced on Wednesday (18/02).

While in South Africa Mr. Ban will meet with President Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as the Ministers for

Finance and Environment, Marie Okabe told reporters in New York. He is also expected to meet with

former President Nelson Mandela.

In Tanzania, one of the pilot countries for the UN reform programme on Delivering as One, the

Secretary-General will hold discussions with President Jakaya Kikwete, as well as address the diplomatic

and academic community in Dar es Salaam.

In addition, Mr. Ban will inaugurate the One UN Office in Zanzibar which will house all UN agencies

under a single roof. He is also due to fly over the receding ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro on his way to

Arusha to visit the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Following that, he will head to the DRC where he will meet with President Joseph Kabila, as well as with

parliamentarians and members of civil society. He will then go to Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu

province, to visit Panzi Hospital, where victims of sexual violence are cared for.

Then in the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, he will meet with members of the UN peacekeeping

mission (MONUC) and with local authorities. He will also visit the Mugunga camp for people displacedby conflict before flying to Rwanda to meet with President Paul Kagame.

Mr. Ban then plans to travel to the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he will participate

in the 2 March International Conference in support of the Palestinian Economy, for the reconstruction

of Gaza, co-chaired by Egypt and Norway.


24/31


Top UN sports envoy attends Special Olympics

16 February 2009 The United Nations envoy tasked with promoting sport for development attended

the Special Olympic World Winter Games, holding talks with United States Vice-President Joseph Biden

on the role of sport in promoting peace.

Wilfried Lemke, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, met with Mr. Biden in Boise, Idaho, on 12

February, where they discussed the part that sport can play in peacekeeping operations in conflict areas.

Prior to their meeting, the two mean, along with former US and world figure skating champion Michelle

Kwan, handed out the medals for this year's skating portion of the Winter Games.

Before arriving in Boise, Mr. Lemke visited a rehabilitation centre in Cairo, Egypt, of the non-

governmental organization CARITAS International, which aims to reintegrate people with mental

disabilities into society.

"Through sport the children are gaining confidence about their abilities, strengths and competencies,

the Special Adviser, who played soccer, basketball and handball during his visit, said. This makes them

proud and self-confident, a fundamental precondition for successful reintegration into society.


25/31


Secretary-General set to travel to Africa next week

18 February - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is slated to leave early next week for Africa where he will

make his first official visits to South Africa and Tanzania, as well as stops in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Egypt, his spokesperson announced on Wednesday (18/02).

While in South Africa Mr. Ban will meet with President Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as the Ministers for

Finance and Environment, Marie Okabe told reporters in New York. He is also expected to meet with

former President Nelson Mandela.

In Tanzania, one of the pilot countries for the UN reform programme on Delivering as One, the

Secretary-General will hold discussions with President Jakaya Kikwete, as well as address the diplomatic

and academic community in Dar es Salaam.

In addition, Mr. Ban will inaugurate the One UN Office in Zanzibar which will house all UN agencies

under a single roof. He is also due to fly over the receding ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro on his way to

Arusha to visit the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Following that, he will head to the DRC where he will meet with President Joseph Kabila, as well as with

parliamentarians and members of civil society. He will then go to Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu

province, to visit Panzi Hospital, where victims of sexual violence are cared for.

Then in the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, he will meet with members of the UN peacekeeping

mission (MONUC) and with local authorities. He will also visit the Mugunga camp for people displacedby conflict before flying to Rwanda to meet with President Paul Kagame.

Mr. Ban then plans to travel to the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he will participate

in the 2 March International Conference in support of the Palestinian Economy, for the reconstruction

of Gaza, co-chaired by Egypt and Norway.


26/31


Top UN envoy urges greater international efforts to achieve durable Gaza ceasefire

18 February - The top United Nations envoy to the Middle East on Wednesday (18/02) urged the

international community to redouble its efforts to help achieve a permanent and durable ceasefire in

Gaza, warning that anything less is unsustainable and could lead to more violence.

One month since unilateral ceasefires were declared, a proper ceasefire regime is still not in place, and

there is an ever present danger of a return to the unsustainable conditions of last year, or even for

renewed and more devastating violence, Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East

Peace Process, warned in a briefing to the Security Council.

Israels three-week offensive in Gaza, launched on 27 December with the stated aim of ending Hamas

rocket attacks against it, is estimated to have killed some 1,300 Palestinians and injured more than

5,300 others, in addition to causing widespread damage and destruction.

The fighting ended with declarations of unilateral ceasefires and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from

Gaza. Egypt is conducting talks with Israel and Hamas aimed at achieving a durable and sustainable

ceasefire.

Mr. Serry noted that since the end of major hostilities, irresponsible and unacceptable attacks have

continued by both sides, including the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants from Gaza towards Israel,

and Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

We are dangerously close to the previous situation, which we know has proven to be unsustainable,he told reporters after the Council meeting.

If it comes to that, we need to redouble our effortsbecause we all want a changed dynamic in Gaza.

For that, we dont need only a ceasefire but we also need to address all the other underlying issues

which have bedevilled us for so long in Gaza.

Those issues include an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for the release of Israeli captive Gilad Shalit,

the end to weapons smuggling to Gaza, and the full re-opening of all crossing points.

In the past few weeks, a daily average of 146 truckloads entered Gaza four times what entered Gaza in

December 2008, but only a third of what entered in May 2007. As a result, Gazas 1.4 million residents

remain desperately short of vital supplies, he noted.

While we appreciate Israels stated readiness to address humanitarian needs, we have not yet seen

truly open crossings for required access, which is so crucial given the extent of the needs in Gaza, Mr.

Serry told the Council.


27/31

In addition to the severe humanitarian, economic and political repercussions of the Gaza crisis, the

Special Coordinator outlined several other issues that need to be addressed to advance peace during

what he described as a formative moment for the future of the Middle East.

These include continued Palestinian divisions; a new political situation in Israel where last weeks

election produced no clear winner; and unmet obligations under the Road Map peace plan, especially

regarding settlements.

The challenges are daunting, but peace can prevail, and it must, Mr. Serry stressed. In the year

ahead, the international community will need to be united and determined, and intensify its efforts.


28/31


UNESCO on-line atlas seeks to save dying languages

19 February - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on

Thursday (19/02) launched an interactive electronic version of its atlas cataloguing some 2,500

endangered languages worldwide.

The updated Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger of Disappearing can continually be

supplemented, corrected and updated based on user contributions.

It ranks the dying languages according to five levels: unsafe, definitely endangered, severely

endangered, critically endangered and extinct.

Data shows that out of the 6,000 languages currently in existence, over 200 have died out over the last

three generations, 538 are critically endangered, 502 severely endangered, 632 definitely endangered

and 607 unsafe.

According to the Atlas, unveiled on the eve of International Mother Language Day (21 February), nearly

200 languages have fewer than 10 speakers and 178 others have between 10 and 50 speakers.

The language of Manx in the Isle of Man died out in 1974 when Ned Maddrell, the last speaker, passed

away while Eyak, in Alaska, United States, met its demise last year with the death of Marie Smith Jones.

The death of a language leads to the disappearance of many forms of intangible cultural heritage,

especially the invaluable heritage of traditions and oral expressions of the community that spoke it from poems and legends to proverbs and jokes, said UNESCO Director-General Kochiro Matsuura.


29/31


Timor-Leste must begin building foundation for lasting stability, says Ban

19 February - One year after the attacks on the leaders of Timor-Leste, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Thursday (19/02) told the Security Council that the small nation can now embark on paving the way

towards long-term stability.

Last February, President Jos Ramos-Horta sustained serious injuries, while Prime Minister Xanana

Gusmo escaped unscathed in two separate attacks, which Mr. Ban characterized as a small but serious

challenge to Timor-Leste, which the United Nations shepherded to independence in 2002.

Mr. Ramos-Horta participated in Thursdays Council meeting, which also heard from over 30 other

Member States.

By the end of last year, said Mr. Ban, remarkable progress had been made in addressing the residual

problems of the 2006 crisis, referring to the violence that erupted, attributed to differences between

eastern and western regions, which claimed dozens of lives and drove 155,000 people, 15 per cent of

the total population, from their homes.

The Secretary-General pointed to the settlement between petitioners and the Government and the

return home of most internally displaced persons (IDPs) as successes.

I have the rare pleasure of being able to say to the Council that more progress has been achieved than

had been anticipated in my last report.

In 2009, Timor-Leste can finally devote its undivided attention to the essential task of building the

strong and durable foundations that are crucial for long-term stability and prosperity, Mr. Ban, who

visited the nation over one year ago, told the 15-member body.

One of the key priorities this year must be developing the security sector, he said, noting that one

crucial step will be the gradual resumption of policing responsibilities to the National Police.

In his latest report to the Council on the UN mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), the Secretary-General

wrote that he is encouraged by post-2006 progress, but warned that the root causes of that crisis,

including poverty and unemployment, still linger.

Mr. Ramos-Horta declared that after the 2006 crisis, Timor-Leste is at peace today.

Incidents, including assaults and homicides, have dropped significantly since 2007, he said, adding that

in spite of the international financial crisis, the countrys economy will continue to register two-digit

growth this year.

Since the attacks on Timor-Lestes leaders last year, we have turned the corner, the President stated,

noting strides made such as the closure of most IDP camps.


30/31


UNICEF opens 200th school in tsunami-battered Indonesian Region

20 February - The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reports that it has opened its 200th school in

Indonesias Aceh-Nias region, which was devastated by the December 2004 tsunami.

SDN 34 is the largest school constructed by UNICEF, with 22 classrooms and a capacity for more than

1,000 students, according to a news release issued by the agency. As is the case with all UNICEF-built

schools, it is both earthquake-resistant and child-friendly.

The original buildings were destroyed and heavily damaged by the earthquake and tsunami which struck

the province on 26 December, 2004. Since then, classes have been held in double shifts in the remaining

parts of one of the schools until SDN 34 was completed in early February.

With its child-friendly and earthquake-resistant schools, UNICEF has been setting new standards in

reconstruction in Indonesia, said Jean Metenier, Chief Field Officer of UNICEF Aceh and Nias.

However, it is equally important that the schools are filled with motivated students, knowledgeable

teachers and supported by local authorities and a lively and involved community, he added.

Mr. Metenier encouraged all students, teachers, parents and school committees to take ownership of

their school and ensure that generations of Acehnese children will receive quality education in an

appropriate and safe learning environment.

UNICEF and its partners are planning to open nearly 150 more such schools in Indonesia by September.


31/31

un news february 2009

Documents