Good News Agency – Year III, n° 17
Weekly - Year III, number 17 –
20 September 2002
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Rome Law-court registration
no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non governmental organizations, and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day.
Good News Agency is
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well as to 1,000 NGO.
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the United Nations Department of Public Information.
Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity - Peace
and security
Health – Energy and Safety – Environment
and wildlife – Culture
and education
West Africa: Experts review progress on child rights
Bamako, 17 September - West African experts on child
rights met government and nongovernmental representatives in Mali on Monday at
the start of a three-day technical meeting to review progress in promoting
children rights in the Economic Community of West African States. The delegates
at the meeting in Bamako, organised by the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) and ECOWAS, are due to review country reports and assess progress
across the region over the last 10 years.
They are also expected to examine socio-cultural practices that affect
boys and girls across the region.
While progress on polio and guinea-worm eradication,
salt iodisation, education and health sector reforms could be highlighted, the
region still lags behind others in the world. UNICEF Resident Representative in
Mali, Pascal Villeneuve, told the opening session that a review had shown
progress in most parts of the region, but that many countries had still not
reached their objectives, some had stagnated and others had recorded a drop in
key social indicators.
Participants at the Bamako agreed that socio-political
upheavals had deterred West African countries from implementing pro-children
rights policies. They called on governments to ensure significant progress in
2001-2010, a decade that has been declared the "Decade of the Child"
in the ECOWAS region. (...)
United Nations entrenches
human rights principles in AIDS response
Geneva, 10 September -
Updated guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights have been issued to reflect
significant political and legal developments relating to HIV/AIDS prevention,
treatment, care and support. (...)
The key change pertains to
updated Guideline 6 on "Access to prevention, treatment, care and
support," which is based upon the following premises:
·
Access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment is
fundamental to the realization of the right to health;
·
Prevention, treatment, care and support are a
continuum;
·
Access to medication is one element of
comprehensive treatment, care and support;
·
International cooperation is vital in realizing
equitable access to care, treatment and support to all in need.
The revised Guideline 6 is
one of 12 International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights published in
1998 by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). (...)
http://www.unaids.org/whatsnew/press/eng/pressarc02/Humanrights_100902.html
Colombia:
Humanitarian law makes further headway in universities
12 September - The
Universidad Externado de Colombia started up its second special course on
international humanitarian law, which is being run in cooperation with the ICRC
and the Colombian Red Cross. Around 50 students, drawn from the security forces, government agencies
and civil society, are enrolled in the course.
In a separate development,
five universities in Cali and Tunja completed the first stage – the training of instructors – of plans to offer humanitarian law through
their law and humanities faculties. The universities presented the ICRC with a
number of proposals concerning the place of humanitarian law within their
respective course programmes. The proposals will be examined during the final
quarter of 2002, with a view to their implementation in 2003.
Given the intensification
and polarization of the armed conflict in Colombia, which is not without
implications for university life, it is hoped that the teaching of humanitarian
law will serve to raise awareness among intellectuals and the next generation
of Colombian decision-makers of the humanitarian issues facing the country and
of their responsibility to ensure that the principles of humanitarian law are
respected and implemented.
New York, September 16 - The
United Nations General Assembly today declared its support for a new African
initiative for economic development on the continent that stresses peace and
stability, good governance, democracy and respect for human rights.
Following a daylong high-level
meeting, which saw the participation of 10 African heads of State and
Government and senior officials from dozens of other countries, the Assembly
adopted a resolution hailing the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) as an African Union-led, -owned and -managed initiative. (...)
The resolution also affirmed
that international support for the implementation of NEPAD is essential,
acknowledging the support expressed or provided so far and urging the UN and
the international community, particularly donor countries, to help with putting
the partnership into practice.
In a statement at the outset
of the debate, UN General Assembly President Jan Kavan said that with the NEPAD
initiative, a new approach was set in motion. For the first time, development
needs and objectives were identified and defined by African countries
themselves. (...)
Armenia seeks long-term plan for development and
poverty reduction
16 September - Armenia is resuming long-term economic
planning, with support from UNDP, to help ensure that its economic boom helps
reduce the high poverty rate and to keep the economy on an even keel.
Despite average annual economic growth of nine per
cent over the past four years, the country still has 55 per cent of its
population living below the poverty line.
Economic plans to be formulated up to 2015 will focus
on promoting private sector development, including small and medium enterprises
and public-private partnerships, and rehabilitating key economic sectors.
Other priorities include creating a sound investment
and business environment, export promotion and trade policy, information
technologies, membership in the World
Trade Organization, and progress towards the UN
Millennium Development Goals. These efforts will also help improve Armenia's
international image and strengthen the Government's position in dealings with
international organizations, bilateral donors and the Armenian diaspora. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
Cooperation between UNESCO and Spain: signing of a framework agreement
concerning the UNESCO/Spain Trust Fund for Development Cooperation
11 September - The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, and
the Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Spain to UNESCO, Ambassador Francisco
Villar y Ortiz de Urbina, signed a framework agreement concerning the
Spain/UNESCO Trust Fund for Development Cooperation on Wednesday, 11 September
2002.
The signing of this agreement attests to the Spanish Government’s
resolve to strengthen its extrabudgetary contribution to the Organization. This
agreement also constitutes an appropriate legal framework for Spain to support
the Organization’s activities in the field of development. It is of
particular relevance to several projects and programmes already financed by
Spain, notably the “Major Project in the Field of Education in Latin
America and the Caribbean” (PROMEDLAC), which started up in the late 1980s, and
the “Information for All Programme”, in which Spain has
been participating since 1989.
This agreement is the second signed in 2002 between Spain and UNESCO. A
specific agreement on cooperation between Spain and the World Heritage Centre
was signed on 18 April last (See Flash Info No. 22). Other agreements are being
negotiated with the regional governments of Catalonia and the Basque Country in
order to strengthen cooperation between them and the Organization.
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/messages/2002/02-22e.shtml
IFAD board approves USD 107.82 million for eight
development projects
Rome, 5 September - The 76th Executive Board of the International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD) met at the Headquarters in Rome and
approved loans for 8 development and poverty reduction projects for a total
worth of USD 107.87 million. The projects approved are for Ghana,
Guinea,
Mauritania,
Uganda,
Mongolia,
Moldava,
Tunisia
and Yemen.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2002/36-02.htm
Sweden reaffirms support to UNFPA, increases
contribution by about $2 million
United Nations, New York, 6 September - The Swedish
Government yesterday announced its decision to grant a further 20 million
Swedish kronor (approximately $2.1 million) to the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA). The country's contribution for 2002 will thus increase from 165
million Swedish kronor (SKr) to 185 million SKr.
"We cannot accept UNFPA's important efforts to
improve women's rights and reproductive health being undermined by the United
States' decision to withdraw its support to the organization," said Jan.
O. Karlsson, Sweden's Minister for Development Cooperation, Migration and
Asylum Policy in a statement. The United States Administration announced its decision
last July to withhold $34 million appropriated for UNFPA by Congress.
"Efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies, unsafe
abortions, deaths in childbirth, venereal diseases and increased child
mortality will now be impeded," Mr. Karlsson said. "By increasing
Sweden's support to UNFPA, we hope to help change this disturbing situation.
Sweden has actively contributed to the increased focus on issues relating to
gender equality, sexuality and HIV/AIDS in the United Nations and other forums.
We must do what we can to safeguard the progress that has been made."
Sweden joins the Netherlands and New Zealand in making
additional contributions to UNFPA for 2002.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/2002/pressroom/sweden.htm
Sweden pledges support to
UNCTAD's investment-related follow-up work on Doha Development Agenda
Johannesburg, 3 September -
The Government of Sweden has announced two donations to UNCTAD for its work in
the area of investment. SEK 6 million ($640,000) was pledged towards
UNCTAD's project on capacity-building in developing countries on issues in
international investment agreements. This project seeks to assist developing
countries and economies in transition in the follow-up to the Doha Declaration's
work programme on the relationship between trade and investment, which was
adopted at the WTO's Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, last
November. Another pledge of SEK 2 million ($213,000) was announced for UNCTAD's
project on good governance in investment promotion and facilitation. (...)
UNCTAD's work programme on
IIAs aims to provide developing countries and economies in transition with
research and policy analysis and development, along with human and
institutional capacity-building. It offers intensive training courses,
workshops on negotiation facilitation and WTO issues, and technical assistance
for institution-building in the area of foreign investment. The activities are
intended to help beneficiary countries better evaluate the implications for
their development policies and objectives of closer multilateral cooperation in
the area of long-term cross-border investment, particularly foreign direct
investment. (...)
http://www.unctad.org/en/press/nc0240en.htm
Formula One Team Sauber
Petronas and UN join forces against HIV/AIDS
Updates international
HIV/AIDS and human rights guidelines; calls on governments to take significant
human rights action
Monza, Italy, 12 September
- In the first partnership of its kind, Formula One team Sauber Petronas has
joined two United Nations institutions to bring HIV/AIDS awareness messages to
a broader public and mobilize resources for AIDS projects in countries worst
affected by the disease.
Team Sauber Petronas, with
its drivers Nick Heidfeld (Germany) and Felipe Massa (Brazil), has given the
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) space to brand its race cars with the slogan
"STOP AIDS" and the red ribbon symbolizing AIDS. This programme will
run in the three upcoming Grand Prix races on three continents - Monza, Italy
(15 September), Indianapolis, USA (29 September) and Suzuka, Japan (13
October).
This initiative will
support fundraising for two projects that provide housing and care to AIDS
orphans in Botswana where close to 70,000 children under 15 have lost one or
both parents to AIDS. Botswana has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in
Africa with 39% of adults aged 15-49 infected with the virus. Life expectancy
has fallen from 60 to 44 years due to AIDS. (...)
http://www.unaids.org/whatsnew/press/eng/pressarc02/FormulaOne120902_en.html
Harare, 10 September
- Twelve trucks, each carrying 30 metric tonnes (MT) of UNIMIX, arrived
in Harare yesterday, after having crossed the border at Beitbridge last Sunday.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) hired the trucks to bring 360 MT of
UNIMIX into Zimbabwe. These are part of an overall 600 MT consignment sourced
from South Africa. The remaining 240 MT are expected to arrive in the country
later this week. UNICEF is procuring another 600 MT of UNIMIX locally, bringing
the total to 1200 MT, worth up to $700,000 USD.
The UNIMIX will be prepared as porridge. It is meant
to provide supplementary feeding to children under five and to
pregnant/lactating women. The first 600 MT of UNIMIX will enable UNICEF to feed
95,000 children and women for 3 months in 5 selected districts in Zimbabwe:
Buhera, Mudzi, Mount Darwin, Chirumanzu and Gokwe North. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/media/newsnotes/02nn30emergencyfood.htm
WFP and Red Cross Red
Crescent working together in Southern Africa food crisis
Geneva, 10 September -
The UN World Food Programme and the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies have signed an agreement today in Malawi on an
operational partnership as part of their response to the unfolding food crisis
in southern Africa.
The agencies will work
as operational partners to supply and deliver food and non-food items to people
in five southern African countries (Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and
Zimbabwe), where 13 million people are facing severe food shortages. (...)
The International
Federation is making a Transport Support Package (TSP) available to WFP. (...)
Valued at 11.8 million Swiss francs, the TSP was donated to the International
Federation by the Norwegian government and the Norwegian Red Cross. The TSP
will allow the Red Cross Red Crescent and NGO's who are responding to the
emergency to transport and distribute WFP food. The vehicles will be used to
implement one of the largest food transport operations that the International
Federation has ever carried out.
The transportation and
distribution of the food poses an extraordinary challenge given the high number
of people needing assistance and the vast distances to cover including remote,
hilly and geographically isolated areas. (...) WFP will cover the running costs
for the TSP and the International Federation will employ and train all the
necessary staff.
New York, September 17 - The United Nations, Greece and Turkey have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of
Humanitarian Emergency Response.
Kenzo Oshima,
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief
Coordinator, called the agreement "a major step forward for regional
humanitarian stand-by arrangements, and a hopeful sign for the future of
relations between Greece and Turkey."
The agreement provides for a
"Joint Hellenic-Turkish Standby Disaster Response Unit" which will
allow the two countries to conduct training sessions for experts involved in
international humanitarian operations carried out under the aegis of the UN.
Both States will also participate in UN Disaster Assistance and Coordination
missions and will jointly develop seminars and field exercises for increasing
the Unit's preparedness to take part in international humanitarian operations.
The Memorandum was signed on
Monday by Mr. Oshima, George Papandreou, the Foreign Minister of Greece, and
Sukru Sina Gurel, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister.
Malawi: Volunteers helping people with HIV/AIDS
Lilongwe, 17 September (Plusnews) - Malawi is
reinforcing its image as the "warm heart of Africa" by forming
networks of volunteers who provide home-based care to the country's HIV/AIDS
sufferers. The groups help the sick with bathing and going to the toilet. They
fetch water for them and help with some housework and disseminate HIV/AIDS
awareness into the communities. This takes some of the strain off the public
health system and frees up beds in hospitals.
In the Salima district of central Malawi, over 1,000
volunteers from the Salima Aids Support Organisation (SASO) work in 457
villages twice a week. They cover a population of almost 250,000 and, with
support from the UN Children's Fund and a group called Southern Africa
Training, they identify patients through word of mouth, from counselling
sessions, or receive referrals from hospitals no longer able to help the
patient. (...)
Catholic Relief services works with Zambian Government
to provide food to hungry
Lusaka, Zambia, September 17 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will distribute
50 metric tons of white maize to vulnerable villages in the remote Shangombo
district in the western part of Zambia, the agency announced today. The Zambian
government provided the maize to assist villages in the district most affected
by the food crisis that has hit much of southern Africa. The Government
of Zambia has put a hold on the distribution of maize provided by the U.S.
government until they are able to assure themselves that there will be no
negative effects from the consumption of genetically modified foods (GMOs). The
50 metric tons provided by the government to CRS is non-GMO food. CRS is
also committed to procuring an additional 500 metric tons of locally produced
food using private resources to serve more people in needy areas around the
country.
“Our mission is to provide food to those who are in
need,” said Michele
F. Broemmelsiek, Country Representative for CRS in Zambia. “We respect the right of the Zambian government and our
Church partners to determine their own policy regarding GMOs, and we will
continue to work with them to seek alternatives so that no one in the country
goes hungry.” (...)
http://www.catholicrelief.org/
Rome, 16 September - World
famous Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, will join the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) in the battle against world hunger when he performs in
"Pavarotti canta Verdi" on 12 October, at the Grimaldi
Forum in the Principality of Monaco, the UN agency announced today. Mr.
Pavarotti and other well known opera singers will lend their talents to FAO's
TeleFood campaign raising awareness and funding for the fight against hunger
and malnutrition. (...)
TeleFood events appeal to the
generosity of those concerned about hunger in the world and all contributions
go directly to grass roots development projects. These projects have one basic
aim - to enable people to build lives free from hunger. The maximum cost of a
TeleFood project is US$10,000, and none of the money raised is diverted for
administrative costs. Half of the TeleFood funds collected go to projects
involving women and young people. (...)
More than 1,000 micro projects
in all parts of the developing world and countries in transition are financed
by the TeleFood Fund. Although small in scale and cost, TeleFood projects make
a significant impact.
http://www.fao.org/food/default-i.htm
New York, September 17 -
Members of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East - comprising the United
Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States - today outlined
a three-phase roadmap to achieve the shared vision of two States - Israel and
Palestine - living side by side in peace and security.
Following a meeting at UN
Headquarters in New York, the Quartet's principals issued a communiqué in which
they unveiled their plan, which aims to achieve a comprehensive final
settlement within three years. The initial phase of the plan, from now until
the first half of 2003, involves performance-based criteria for comprehensive
security reform, Israeli withdrawals to their positions of September 2000 as
security improves, and support for the Palestinians to hold free, fair and
credible elections early next year.
The first phase should also
include a ministerial-level meeting of an "Ad Hoc Liaison Committee"
to review the humanitarian situation and prospects for economic development in
the West Bank and Gaza, and to identify priority areas for donor assistance,
including to the reform process, before the end of the year, according to the
communiqué.
In the plan's second phase,
next year, "our efforts should focus on the option of creating a
Palestinian State with provisional borders based upon a new constitution, as a
way station to a permanent status settlement," said the participants. (...)
“Five years after the Mine Ban Treaty was negotiated in
Oslo and first signed in Ottawa, it is clear that the world is embracing a new
international norm rejecting the antipersonnel mine,” said ICBL Ambassador Jody Williams, who shared the
1997 Nobel Peace Prize with the ICBL.
According to the report, the export of antipersonnel
landmines has nearly ceased, the number of countries producing the weapon has
decreased from 55 to 14, mine action programs have expanded, there are fewer
new mine casualties than in the past, and use of antipersonnel mines has fallen
off. (...)
Eight countries became States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty since the last annual report, including three that have recently used
antipersonnel mines but now spurn the weapon--Angola, Democratic Republic of
Congo, and Eritrea—as well as regional leaders Nigeria and Chile. There are 125 States
Parties to the treaty, and another 18 countries have signed but not yet
ratified. More than a dozen governments have pledged to join in the near
future, including Afghanistan, Greece, Indonesia, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. (...)
Jody Williams and the ICBL
launched a new program: Sponsor a Mine-Detection Dog
Oslo, Norway, 13 September - This new program will provide support to ICBL’s member organizations that work to remove landmines
around the world. During 2002 the money raised from this program will support
Norwegian People’s Aid mine detection dog program. The launch took place at the Norwegian
Red Cross, where Jody Williams and a dog Lizzie, a 2 year-old Belgian Shepherd,
provided a public demonstration, together with her handler Todd Fossdal. Lizzie
was trained by NPA in mine detection for deployment in Bosnia. “We are launching this effort as a way to unite the
field work our colleagues and these incredible dogs do, saving lives and limbs,
with the treaty and the overall movement to eliminate landmines. It is a way to
educate people, and supporting these dogs is a terrific way for people to
actively contribute to a mine-free world,” said Jody Williams. (...)
Mine detection dogs are trained to identify the
various types of explosives found in mines. They help deminers by sniffing the
ground slowly and carefully. When they smell explosives they signal to the
deminers, who then start their work clearing the land.
Some of the costs involved in training and maintaining
a dog include purchasing the dog, the dog handler’s salary, veterinarian bills, dog equipment (leashes,
collars, toys), kennels, kennel staff, transportation and training. A mine
detection dog working with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Bosnia-Herzegovina costs approximately
$800 per month to maintain. (...)
Miguel-Angel Estrella's Orchestra for peace brings
Arabs and Israelis to play at UNESCO
Paris, September 10 - About 40 Arab and Israeli
musicians, members of the Orchestra for Peace founded by UNESCO Goodwill
Ambassador Miguel-Angel Estrella, will play works by Mozart, Beethoven,
Couperin and Shah Hosseyni at a performance tomorrow at UNESCO Headquarters at
8.30 p.m.
The orchestra includes musicians from Morocco, Tunisia,
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The
evening, under the patronage of several prominent French figures, will be
introduced by Eve Ruggieri and is organised by the International Federation of
Music for Hope and the Osted Elahi Foundation.
Argentine pianist Miguel-Angel Estrella, who spends
much of his time bringing music into the lives of poor and marginalized people
around the world, created the Federation Musique Espérence to provide everyone
with access to music. The Ostad Elahi Foundation, named after an Iranian
philosopher, poet and musician, works to promote tolerance and solidarity
between people and to bring their cultures together. (...)
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/2002/02-avis36e.shtml
13 September - Young people in
both the Congos are alerting one another about the deadly risks of HIV/AIDS and
how to prevent infection in an initiative supported by international and
private sector partners.
Nearly 250 students and
teachers in the Republic of the Congo and from the neighbouring Democratic
Republic of the Congo gathered recently at a conference in Brazzaville to
expand the project. First Lady Antoinette Sassou Nguesso told the participants
that awareness and prevention are inextricably tied to an effective response to
HIV/AIDS. "One without the other will not work, while together there is
synergy," she pointed out.
Impetus for the project
originally came from Brenda Bowman, wife of the US ambassador. UNDP, the Congo
Government, the US Mission, and two companies, Chevron Texaco and CMS Nomeco,
are providing support. The goal is to reach all students by next year with
messages from peers about responsible behaviour for preventing HIV/AIDS. (...)
The project is using two
strategies. One is participatory education, which includes training sessions
for students and teachers together, and the other is peer education, carried
out through Family Life Clubs for students. Since its launch last year, the
project has trained 1,939 teachers and 3,099 students in 64 of the clubs. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
Liberia: War
surgery
12 September -
A three-day seminar on war surgery was held this week at Monrovia's Medical
College. Organized by the ICRC together with the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare and the Liberian Medical and Dental Association, the event enabled
Liberian doctors to exchange experiences and upgrade their skills, and thus
improve care for people wounded in Liberia's current conflict. All doctors in
the country were invited to attend.
The head of the surgery unit
at the ICRC's Geneva headquarters travelled to Monrovia to conduct the seminar.
He shared the expertise that the organization has accumulated over the years
helping or actually running hospitals caring for war casualties. This has
enabled the ICRC to develop special procedures for treating the war-wounded in
often difficult conditions. The ICRC has held similar seminars in a wide range
of countries.
Working in conjunction with
hospital staff, the ICRC opened a surgical unit at JFK Memorial Hospital in Monrovia
in July. The unit, which treats war casualties and other surgical emergencies,
has a capacity of 50 beds. This could be increased to 165 if the need arose.
Children Under 15 Will be Vaccinated Throughout the
Country
Luanda, 11 September - Angolan children from 6 months
to 14 years old will be vaccinated during a massive campaign implemented by the
Ministry of Health as part of the Government Strategic Plan for the Reduction
of Measles Mortality. The campaign was made possible with the support of
UNICEF, WHO and other partners.
Measles remains the main vaccine preventable cause of
children under 5 mortality in Angola. It is estimated that between 7,700 to
15,000 deaths of children under five are attributable each year to measles
infections. Transmission of the disease is accelerated in Angola by massive and
continuous population movements from rural to urban areas. The concentration of
large numbers of people in the cities and IDP camps is also a major cause of
high rates of transmission. In urban areas non-vaccinated children contract the
disease in their first years of life.
The emergency vaccination campaign which began on 9
September throughout the country aims to vaccinate 172 000 children aged
between 6 months and 14 years and to ensure that all children under one year of
age receive their routine vaccination. These measures are expected to
significantly reduce measles mortality in the 35 family reception areas (FRA).
(...)
http://www.unicef.org/media/newsnotes/02nn31angola.htm
Tens of millions in
Afghanistan, Pakistan receive polio vaccine
Rotarians, health workers, and
other volunteers last week targeted 30 million children under age 5 in three
days of National Immunization Days (NIDs) in Pakistan. The country's President
Pervez Musharraf launched the 3-5 September campaign at a ceremony in
Islamabad, the political capital.
Although it was a countrywide
effort, the health ministry, Rotary clubs, and the global partners of the polio
eradication initiative specifically intensified efforts to reach all children
in high-risk areas in parts of the country where polio cases have recently been
reported. In those areas, the immunization teams worked with the poorest people
living in slums or leading a nomadic lifestyle.
"Not a single child needs
to be disabled by polio in the future," said UNICEF Country Representative
Carroll Long in a pre-campaign press statement. "To cross the final hurdle
to make Pakistan polio-free by 2005 is going to take a strong and sustained
effort. All of us together must make that final effort." As one of the 10
remaining polio-endemic countries, Pakistan has made steady progress toward
eradicating polio in the last two years. Cases have been reduced to 119 in
2001, down from 199 cases in 2000 and 558 in 1999. (...)
In neighboring Afghanistan,
the health ministry and World Health Organization launched a three-day
house-to-house polio eradication campaign on 3 September, targeting 5.9 million
children under the age of 5 in the third of four vaccination rounds for this
year. The Foundation's support for immunization activities in Afghanistan
amounts to more than $5.2 million.
http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/newsbasket/index.html#two
WHO
releases first global reference guide on safe and effective use of essential
medicines - Guide promotes consumer rights and
patient safety
4 September -
In its efforts to promote safe and cost-effective use of medicines, the
World Health Organization (WHO) today releases the first edition of the WHO
Model Formulary. The formulary is the first ever publication to give
comprehensive information on all 325 medicines contained in the WHO Model List
of Essential Drugs. It presents information on the recommended use, dosage,
adverse effects, contra-indications and warnings of these medicines. Correct
use of this tool will improve patient safety and limit superfluous medical
spending.
Bad prescribing habits are very common in all
countries of the world. They lead to ineffective and unsafe treatment,
exacerbation or prolongation of illness and harm to the patient. In addition,
inappropriate treatment increases the costs to the patient, the insurance
system or the government.
The new formulary is primarily intended as a model for
national governments and institutions, to be used as a basis for developing their
own national formularies. It is particularly relevant for developing countries,
where commercial and promotional materials are often the only available source
of drug information to health workers, prescribers and patients. The WHO
formulary may also be useful for individual prescribers – and for this reason it is available at reduced cost
for developing countries. (...)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/who67/en/
(top)
India, New Delhi: pollution drops 25 percent with
switch from diesel to gas
Not too long ago, the Indian capital of New Delhi was
one of the most polluted cities in the world; now, you still might not want to
run a marathon there, but the city is making serious strides toward cleaning up
its air. Dilip Biswas, chair of the city's Central Pollution Control
Board, says pollution has dropped 25 percent since 1995, as levels of sulfur
dioxide and particulates in the air have fallen sharply. "Now you
can see the stars at night," he says. Vehicles account for about 70
percent of the city's pollution, while power plants kick in an additional 15
percent. At the prodding of India's highest court, the government ordered
all forms of public transport -- defined as taxis, buses, and three-wheelers --
to switch from diesel to compressed natural gas. So far, about 6,000 of
12,000 buses have made the change, as have thousands of the other vehicles.
http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=471
Elaboration and promotion of partnership initiatives
UNIDO’s initiative on rural energy for productive use was welcomed as a
partner for the DFID initiative (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Partnership) and the European Union Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication
and Sustainable Development. In recognition of UNIDO’s comparative advantage in the field, the E-7, an
association of 9 large utilities from the G-7 countries, expressed interest in
concluding a letter of agreement with UNIDO, which was signed by the Director
General on 1 September 2002 in Johannesburg.
In early 2002 UNIDO started to elaborate proposals for
"type-II-outcomes" in the areas of energy for sustainable development
and technology cooperation in fulfilment of the mandate received from the 9th
General Conference which asked the Director - General to make contributions to
WSSD in those areas in which UNIDO has a comparative advantage. The UNIDO
Initiative on Rural Energy for Productive Use seeks to respond to the challenge
of severe under-supply of energy services for the very poor, especially in
rural and other remote areas (such as Small Island Developing States) (...)
Through its rural energy projects and programmes,
UNIDO promotes the productive (income generating) uses of energy for rural
development and poverty alleviation. In this connection, UNIDO's energy
programmes cover capacity building activities related to renewable energy
technology and the assembly/manufacture of energy equipment/structures in
developing countries. (...)
http://www.unido.org/periodical.cfm?pername=UNIDOScope#ruralenergy
New York, September 18 - Government representatives meeting in
Bonn, Germany, this week are hammering out tough new conservation rules for
endangered animal species under an international treaty linked to the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Under a proposal being put to
a meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, delegates
from over 100 countries will consider giving the strongest possible protection
to wild Bactrian camels, whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 1,000,
making them rarer than the giant panda. According to UNEP, the species faces a
number of threats, which experts fear are pushing the camels to the brink of
extinction. These include poaching by hunters as well as illegal gold and oil
miners, competition with farmers for water at oases, predation by wolves, and
crossbreeding with domestic camels.
The plan for the wild Bactrian
camels is one of 36 proposals covering the protection of endangered animal
species being debated at the six-day conference. Other proposals deal with the
Amazonian manatee, one of the largest mammals in South America, which is
threatened by large-scale commercial hunting and pollution from gold mining and
oil drilling operations. In addition, the Philippines is expected to lead talks
on closer, regional cooperation to conserve stocks of the whale shark, the
world's largest fish, which is prized for its meat.
New scientific report confirms
success of Montreal Protocol but warns ozone layer will remain vulnerable for
the next decade
Paris/Nairobi, 16
September - The executive summary of a new report by the world's leading ozone
scientists warns that despite good signs of recovery, the ozone layer will
remain particularly vulnerable during the next decade or so, even if countries
comply with international agreements to protect it. The new data in the full
report, (which is in the process of being finalized) shows levels of
ozone-depleting gases in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere) are now at or near
their peak. As a consequence, the scientists believe human-influenced
disturbances on Earth's protective shield will now be "at or near their
largest." At the same time, the report clearly shows that the world is
making steady progress towards the recovery of the ozone layer, with the latest
scientific results showing that the total amount of ozone depleting chemicals
in the troposphere (lower atmosphere) continuing to decline, albeit slowly.
The findings
reinforce the need for strengthened political commitment to ensure the
continued compliance with the international treaty known as the Montreal
Protocol by developed and developing countries. They also demonstrate the
need for greater awareness of the reasons behind this vulnerability, not least
a better scientific understanding of the linkages between ozone layer depletion
and climate change.
The report from the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) is being prepared by the scientific assessment panel of the
Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer. The Executive Summary is being released to the press today, with
the full report available next year. (...)
18 September - Tiny Tokelau, potential victim of rising
sea levels resulting from climate change linked to global energy excesses, is
setting culprit industrialized countries an example by promoting renewable
energy. With its highest point only
three metres above sea level, the Pacific island territory, which is
administered by New Zealand, is the most vulnerable area in the region to
rising sea water. It hopes other countries will emulate its effort to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions to help save low-lying areas worldwide.
Support from the recently established UNDP thematic trust fund for energy for sustainable development is enabling
Tokelau to participate in a Pacific Islands renewable energy project promoting
the commercial use of new, clean energy sources, such as solar power, to
replace fossil fuels. In addition, a new project co-funded by New Zealand,
France and UNDP, will soon install solar power units on the islands. (...)
Tokelau consists of three atolls with a total land
area of barely 13 square kilometres and a total population of only 1,500
people. It is situated 400 kilometres north of Samoa and is only accessible by
boat once a fortnight. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
CIS/Russian
Federation: Over a million pupils across Russia start the winter term with a
new ICRC school manual
12 September - This week,
pupils and teachers in 80 regions of the Russian Federation are starting the
winter term with a new school manual developed and produced by the ICRC. The new 8th form manual – A World Around You – is aimed at 14-year-olds and is part of a
ten-year programme that introduces issues of human dignity, individual responsibility
and the principles underlying international humanitarian law into secondary
school curricula. The new manual is the last of a series of four manuals for
5th to 8th forms that are currently used in schools across the country. (...)
The manual is accompanied by a teacher's book, and regional training seminars
are held annually to help local education authorities implement the programme.
The programme is a joint
venture, involving the ICRC, the Russian Ministry of Education and the Russian
Red Cross. The programme started in the Russian Federation eight years ago, and
more than 60% of Russian pupils and teachers who have received the ICRC's A
World Around You have worked with it, with 40% using it regularly. For
2002, the ICRC has allocated 1.7 million Swiss Francs to the programme. (...)
Dovish Mayor of Haifa (the City of
Jewish - Arab Co-Existence), is Running for Chairman of the Labor
Party in Israel, and is confronting Sharon.
September 12: 3000 People participate
in the support meeting for Mitzna in
Kibbutz Yakum in Israel
Haifa Mayor, the dovish Amram Mitzna, announced that he is running
for Chairman of the Labor Party -- and will confront Sharon at the
next General elections in Israel. If he wins, he will run as Prime
Minister of Israel. His first obstacle is beating Benjamin Ben-Eliezer,
the defense minister, in a Labor Party primary race slated for November.
Amram Mitzna has a good chance, as he has many supporters who see in him
a Peace Leader of the caliber of Rabin, and at the latest meeting in
support for his candidacy there were more than 3000 participants, including
members of the Knesset, and many prominent writers and intellectuals both
Jewish and Arab. His program includes Peace with the Arab and
Palestinian neighbors as his first and uppermost goal. Mitzna has
reminded Israelis that he is a different kind of politician, he is known
as a man of values, straightforward, honest, and a man of his word. Many
sectors of Israeli society have already swarmed to join him, including
Arab\ Palestinians, Druze, and Bedouins.
Mayor Amram Mitzna has opened the year of peace activities at IFLAC; The
international Forum for the Culture of Peace, since its foundation, in
June 1999, at the Haifa Townhall, and will do so again in November
2002, to which the public and media is invited.
http://iflac1.up.co.il ada33@bezeqint.net
Tanzania: HIV/AIDS campaign launched to target East
African youth
Dar Es Salaam, 17 September (Plusnews) - An American
AIDS organisation has launched a regional mass communication campaign that
hopes to sensitise youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and will culminate in
major music concerts in the three East African countries.
The organisation, Africans Unite Against Aids Globally
(AUAAG), has teamed up with the health ministries in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
for the 'Celebrate Life' campaign and aims to import 10 'Celebrate Life'
"containers" into each country by the end of the year, an AUAGG
statement said.
"The containers will serve as a refreshing
approach to the stigma associated with Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT).
These outlets will not only provide information about malaria, nutrition,
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV/AIDS and TB, but they will also
provide counselling and HIV/AIDS testing to the public," the statement
said. "To encourage the youth to visit these centres, tickets to the
'Celebrate Life' concert will be available there," it added. (...)
Africa: AU launches anti-corruption drive
Addis Ababa, 17 September - The newly-formed African
Union (AU) has set out its first ever policy to tackle corruption which, it
says, is costing the continent at least US $148 billion a year.
A high-level meeting is being held in the Ethiopian
capital Addis Ababa this week to adopt a comprehensive draft policy that has
been a year in the making. Ministers from the AU are expected to adopt a series
of tough proposals which aim to tackle the graft that has blighted the
continent.
It is the first time that countries in Africa have
drawn up a universal policy - to be called the AU Convention on Combating
Corruption – designed to tackle its insidious effects. It calls on all public
officials to declare their assets when they take office and train them on
ethics. (...)
Cameroon: Volunteer ship offers cheap books
Douala, 17 September - A ship carrying more than a
million cheap books has docked in Douala, aiming to give Cameroonians access to
thousands of previously unavailable and unaffordable titles. The ship, the MV
Doulos, is staffed entirely by volunteers and funded by a German charity, Good
Books for All. Francis Vosloo director of the charity, said the ship carried at
least 8,000 different titles. All the books had been donated by publishers and
were on sale for about one third their normal price, he added.
The ship opened its bookshop to the public on Friday,
with buyers keen on a thin pamphlet entitled "AIDS: Understanding and
Prevention" that was on sale for 600 CFA (US 90 cents).
English language course books and dictionaries, and
computing textbooks, which were selling at 6,000 CFA ($9) instead of the
regular price of 19,000 CFA ($28), were also popular, according to buyers. Many
shoppers were buying textbooks for specialist courses or for children still at
school, while others said it was difficult to find non-French books in the
Francophone city. (...)
Nigeria: US $101 million for basic education
Abidjan, 17 September - The World Bank on Thursday
approved a US $101 million credit for Nigeria towards the implementation of an
$180 million Universal Basic Education project.
The project aims to revamp the country's education
system, which has deteriorated dramatically in the last 20 years, according to
a statement from the Bank. Many schools were no longer physically operational,
or were operating with fewer classrooms, and furniture and teaching materials
were virtually non-existent, it said. Overall enrolment had dropped, with girls
lagging behind boys, and teachers - a lot of whom had lost their enthusiasm and
devotion – were burdened by teaching in overcrowded classrooms, the Bank added.
The Universal Basic Education project, which includes
construction and renovation of infrastructures, will cover all 36 states and
target the entire education system. The primary and secondary education sectors
are each due to receive 33 percent of fund, with the remainder to be spent on
general education.
South Africa: Children TV series introduces HIV
positive puppet
Johannesburg, 17 September (Plusnews) - An HIV
positive puppet will soon join the cast of South Africa's Takalani Sesame, a
local television production of children's educational programme, Sesame Street.
With the appearance of Kami, a puppet living with HIV, Takalani Sesame will
become the first pre-school television programme to tackle the stigmatisation
associated with the disease. (...) The puppet was unveiled at a press
conference held on Tuesday in Cape Town, by the Sesame Workshop, the Department
of Education, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
The addition of the character would promote
age-appropriate messages that would create acceptance of people living with
HIV/AIDS, Sesame Workshop said in a statement. (...)
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