Good News Agency – Year III, n° 20
Weekly - Year III, number 20 –
22 November 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. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti. Good News Agency
is published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge through
Internet to the editorial offices of more than 2,400
media in 46 countries, as
well as to 1,000 NGO.
It is a service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della
Buona Volontà Mondiale, NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public
Information.
International legislation – Human
rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Energy and
Safety
Environment and
wildlife
– Culture and education
Geneva, 15 November - The
Fifth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological
(Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction concluded today with
the adoption of a final report setting out a fresh approach to combat the
deliberate use of disease as a weapon. Under the agreement, reached late on
Thursday evening, States parties to the Biological Weapons Convention are to
meet annually in the lead-up to the next Review Conference in 2006. In preparation for each annual meeting, it
was agreed to hold a two-week meeting of experts.
These meetings of States
parties will discuss and promote common understanding and effective action on a
range of issues pertinent to strengthening the Convention. Each meeting will focus on specific elements
to strengthen the Convention. On the
agenda for next year will be consultations on national measures to implement
the prohibitions of the Convention, and on national measures to ensure the
security of pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins. In 2004, the focus of the process will shift to enhancing
international capabilities for responding to, investigating and mitigating the
effects of cases of alleged use of biological weapons or suspicious outbreaks
of disease, and to strengthening national and international efforts against
infectious diseases. The 2005 meetings
will address codes of conduct for scientists. (...)
UN Information Service
Paris, November 12 - A
proposed international declaration on human genetic data will be discussed for
the first time at the ninth session of UNESCO's International Bioethics
Committee (IBC) in Montreal from November 26 to 28. The meeting will also
tackle subjects ranging from religious views of bioethics to pre-implantation
genetic diagnosis, predisposition and genetic susceptibility.
The draft declaration has been
produced by the IBC's Drafting Group for an international instrument on genetic
data, which has already met three times. It will incorporate amendments
suggested by the Montreal meeting and come up with a further version to be
submitted to the Intergovernmental Committee of Bioethics (IGCB). The draft
will be widely debated, notably at a big meeting of government experts next
year. The final version should be presented for approval at UNESCO's General
Conference next autumn. (...)
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/2002/02-avis53e.shtml
United
Nations to hold first workshop on Space Law - The Hague, 18 to 21
November
Vienna, 7
November - The United Nations is holding its first
workshop on space law from 18 to 21 November in The
Hague, The Netherlands. The workshop is being organized
jointly with the International Institute of Air and Space Law
(IIASL) of Leiden University and is hosted by the Government of the Netherlands.
The workshop will bring together representatives of
national justice departments, civil aviation
authorities and space agencies, as well as experts from
international organizations, universities and private law
firms.
The main aim of the workshop
is to increase understanding and acceptance of the United
Nations treaties and principles on outer
space. The participants will also have the
opportunity to exchange information on domestic space laws and policies, for
the benefit of professionals involved in the development
and administration of these laws and policies. The workshop
is also organized to promote university level programmes in space law with the
intention to increase the expertise available in this field.
Further information on
this workshop, including a registration form, is available on the Internet at:http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SAP/act2002/spacelaw/index.html
For additional information about the activities of the United Nations in the
field of outer space, please see the Web site of the Office for Outer Space
Affairs at www.oosa.unvienna.org
(UN Information Service)
United
States signs International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture
Rome, 6 November - The United
States of America has added its signature to an International Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources which aims to ensure better use of genetic diversity to meet
the challenge of eradicating world hunger, the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) said on Wednesday. The USA joins the 76 other countries and
the European Union, who have signed the Treaty since it was adopted exactly a
year ago by the FAO Conference. The United States, along with Japan, was one of
two countries who had originally abstained from voting on the Treaty, approved
with 116 votes. "I understand that this signing is a kind of reversal from
what we said just about a year ago," Tony P. Hall, US Ambassador to FAO,
said as he added his signature. "But we have seen the wisdom of the Treaty
and are very glad to sign it," he added.
States that have signed the
Treaty may now ratify it. Other states may now accede to the Treaty directly,
without needing to first sign it.
The Treaty is a unique
comprehensive international agreement, the fruit of almost a quarter of a
century of negotiations, which aims to guarantee the future availability of the
diversity of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits.
The Treaty also recognises Farmers' Rights and establishes a multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing for 64 crops and plants that are fundamental to food security. (...)
The Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resource will enter into force once ratified or acceded to by 40 countries, and
the Treaty's Governing Body will then meet.
http://www.fao.org/Legal/TREATIES/033s-e.htm
Internationally recognised
core labour standards in Japan
Geneva, 6 and 8
November - Japan has ratified six of the core ILO labour conventions. (...)
Japan has ratified both of the core ILO conventions protecting trade union
rights. Trade union rights are generally respected, although government workers
do not have the right to strike and many public employees face restrictions on
their right to collective bargaining.
Japan has ratified
one of the core ILO Conventions on discrimination, although the Constitution
prohibits discrimination. However, discrimination against women remains a
problem, especially as concerns the representation of women in senior
positions. There is insufficient legal protection against discrimination at the
time of recruitment.
Japan has ratified
both the ILO’s two core conventions on child labour. Child labour does not
generally occur. Japan has ratified one of the core ILO conventions on forced
labour, and forced labour is not a widespread occurrence. There remain problems
with legislation regarding forced labour as punishment for illegal strikes in
the public sector.
http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991216659&Language=EN
“Not A Minute More”: a call to
the world to end violence against women
On 25th November, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is hosting a special event at the United Nations in New York, to commemorate UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Women and men who have used effective strategies to end violence in their lives and communities will speak alongside Eve Ensler, author and activist, Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of UNIFEM, and others.
“Not a Minute
More” is a call to national governments and the international community to
take action to eliminate gender-based violence. The programme will highlight
effective strategies and approaches to combat violence against women, and will
acknowledge those governments who have been contributors to UNIFEM’s Trust Fund
in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women.
The event features experiences
and successes of UNIFEM Trust Fund grantees – women who have overcome violence
- who will tell their stories and share their experiences of working to end
violence in their communities. Solutions to eliminate violence will also be
presented by governments, who have implemented effective strategies to deal
with the issue. (...)
http://www.unifem.undp.org/newsroom/events/november_25th.html
Trafficking
in women and girls to be discussed at meeting in Glen Cove, New York, from 18
to 22 november
New York, 14 November - The
United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is organizing an Expert Group Meeting
on "Trafficking in women and girls" which will take place in Glen
Cove, New York, from 18 to 22 November. The expert group meeting will seek to
facilitate coordination and links between existing and future strategies and
programmes by focusing on the issue of best practices in combating trafficking
of women and girls. (...)
The complex and global nature
of trafficking and the seriousness of related issues, such as repatriation of
victims, requires a coordinated approach to combating the problem. In order to achieve a coordinated approach to
combating trafficking in women and girls, it is necessary to identify strategies
and programmes which have been shown to be most effective. It is also necessary to establish means by
which such “best practices” may be applied in a variety of situations and with
the most effective results. (...)
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/trafficking2002
Academia
Mexicana de Derechos Humanos wins 2002 UNESCO Human Rights Education Prize
Paris, November 12 - UNESCO
Director-General Koichiro Matsuura has announced the Academia Mexicana de
Derechos Humanos (AMDH) as winner of the 2002 UNESCO Human Rights Education
Prize. The AMDH, which was recommended by an international jury that met in
Paris on 28 and 29 October, is pioneering the spread of human rights education
in Mexico. Founded in 1983 by a group of figures from different sectors of
civil society, it has been carrying out a range of activities, such as offering
human rights classes, producing and distributing educational material and using
radio and TV to raise public awareness about human rights.
The Academy has trained many
target groups, including community leaders and players from civil society. It
has played a key part in setting up a national network of ombudsmen and human
rights commissions at federal and state level. It has also helped establish
election monitoring and has generally encouraged democratic growth in Mexico. (...)
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/2002/02-92e.shtml
Tokyo/Hong
Kong/Kuala Lumpur/Bangkok. 7 November 2002 - Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)
has been named the winner of the 2002 ABU/CASBAA UNICEF Child Rights Award,
which will be presented 7 November at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union's
annual meeting in Tokyo.
RTHK beat out nine other
finalists shortlisted in the competition for the annual Child Rights award,
which is given in recognition of the best television programme on an issue
related to children's rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region.
The winning entry by RTHK,
"Child Soldiers", an international standard documentary produced in
co-operation with ABC, OPB and Electric Pictures Pty. Ltd., documents the
plight of child combatants. According to a report released by the UNICEF last
week, up to one quarter of the estimated 300,000 children currently serving in
state and non-state armies around the world can be found in the East Asia and
Pacific Region. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/media/newsnotes/02nn36award.htm
November 7 - Amnesty
International, the Association for the Prevention of Torture, the International
Commission of Jurists and Human Rights Watch, applauded the adoption today of a
new treaty designed to prevent torture. Following 10 years of often difficult
negotiations, an overwhelming majority of States at the UN General Assembly
voted to take practical and concrete steps to eradicate this appalling
violation of human rights.
The Optional Protocol to the
UN Convention against Torture will help prevent acts of torture before they can
occur. This represents a new approach for UN human rights protection. It will establish
a system of regular visits to places of detention by an international body of
experts, complemented by sustained regular visits conducted by national
visiting bodies. Visits by independent experts, enabled to make concrete
recommendations, have proven to be one of the most effective means to prevent
torture.
The vast majority of States
from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, gave their support to the Optional
Protocol. The treaty was adopted by 104 votes in favour and only 8 against. (...)
The Optional Protocol will now
be presented for its formal adoption during the plenary session of the UN
General Assembly in December and will subsequently be open for signature. The
Optional Protocol will enter into force upon the 20th ratification. (...)
From: International Commission
of Jurists http://www.icj.org/article.php?sid=288
Human
Rights Watch honors Global Rights Defenders
Turkey, India, Chad activists
recognized
New York, November 7 - On Wednesday,
November 13, Human Rights Watch will give its highest honor to three leading
human rights activists from around the world.
The global human rights
defenders to be honored for the year 2002 have defended free expression and
civil society in Turkey, created a justice movement in Chad from the ground up,
and fought the burgeoning HIV/AIDS crisis in India. Human Rights Watch staff
work closely with these brave individuals as part of our defense of human
rights in more than 70 countries around the world.
The 2002 Human Rights Watch Annual Dinners in New
York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will honor:
·
Souleymane Guengueng, for his work to
bring to justice one of Africa's most abusive dictators;
·
Meena Seshu, for her work to expose and
stem India's growing HIV/AIDS crisis;
·
Sanar Yurdatapan, for his work in
Turkey, to defend freedom of expression
Human Rights Watch is a non-profit, international
monitoring group with headquarters in New York. We accept no financial support
from any government. (...)
http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/11/hrdefenders.htm
makes it to World Music Exp
Launch
of $100 million Biocarbon Fund provides new opportunities for rural poor
Tokyo, Japan, November 5 - A
new carbon fund launched by the World Bank today will create an unprecedented
opportunity for the poorest farmers and rural communities all over the
developing world. The US$100 million BioCarbon Fund, a public/private
partnership, will provide finance for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Farmers and rural communities will find new value in their agricultural lands
and forests as they earn income from sequestering or conserving carbon.
Combating rural poverty and stabilizing rural economies are among the biggest
challenges facing developing countries.
Every year 20 times more
carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere and the Earth’s vegetation and soils
than is released from fossil fuels. About a fifth of the build-up of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere is derived from land-clearing and other land management
practices. Activities to retain (e.g. reduced tillage) or increase (e.g.
reforestation) the amount of carbon in vegetation or soils referred to as
‘sinks’can make a significant contribution to combating climate change. Many of
these activities have additional benefits, such as improving soil fertility,
improving crop growth, providing non-timber forest products and maintaining
biodiversity. (...)
The biggest winners will be
developing countries that until now have been bypassed by direct private sector
carbon dollar investment. A recent World Bank study established that only 13
percent of all direct private sector carbon emission reduction dollars go to
the developing world.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/
1 November - After the
completion of a three-year exit strategy, UNCTAD is handing over its Trade
Point Programme, which assists small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with
their international trade through the use of information and communication
technologies, to the programme´s beneficiaries, represented by the World Trade
Point Federation (WTPF). The official agreement of transfer will be signed on 4
November 2002 in Beirut, on the occasion of the Third General Assembly of the
WTPF, hosted by the Government of Lebanon.
Since its formal establishment
in November 2000, the WTPF has gradually built its position as a global trade
facilitator for SMEs operating through a network of more than 100 one-stop
shops (Trade Points) in 80 countries worldwide. A new web portal (www.wtpfed.org) integrating all online
services of the WTPF will be officially launched at the meeting in Beirut. (...)
The WTPF´s objectives are to
open international markets to new participants and to make them more competitive
by giving them access to the most advanced e-commerce technologies and
information networks. (...)
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=2870&intItemID=1634&lang=1
Expo
Belize band
makes it to World Music Expo
5 November - Andy Palacio and the Garifuna All Star Band returned this
week to Belize after attending the World Music Expo (WOMEX) in Germany. The
trip was made possible, among others, by HIVOS (Humanistic Institute for
Development Cooperation).
Over 500 artists from more than 100 countries submitted proposals to
perform at this years World Music Expo but only 36 were selected by the WOMEX
Jury. Andy Palacio and the Garifuna All Star Band are now the first band from
the Central American region ever to be selected for a showcase at the largest
world music trade fair, arguably the most important international presentation
of Belizean music to date.
Featuring the legendary Paranda Maestro, Paul Nabor, the band performed
a memorable show, which included songs from their upcoming album as well as
Paranda classics marking a new departure for Garifuna and Belizean music on
stage. (...)
http://www.hivos.nl/english/news/index.html
29 October - The sites hosts for the 25th anniversary
events across the US have aligned on creating a campaign of local investment
gatherings during November and December, utilizing a 1-hour edit of the event
video. These local events are designed to maximize Hunger Project
investment to bring in the budget for 2002 - a very challenging financial year
- and create the momentum for the expansion of investment in 2003 that will
allow for an expansion in programs.
Rome/Kabul, 18 November - The
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is currently distributing around
3,700 tonnes of wheat seeds and around 7,000 tonnes of fertilizers to half a
million people in almost all provinces of Afghanistan. The seeds were
distributed to farming families that were severely stricken by conflict and
more than three years of drought, FAO said in a statement issued today. The
distribution was carried out by 26 local and international non-governmental
organizations.
All seeds were purchased from
local suppliers participating in the FAO Seed Multiplication Programme. FAO
contracted several thousand farmers last year for multiplication of high
quality wheat seeds suitable for irrigation and rain-fed agriculture.
For more information: erwin.northoff@fao.org
World volunteers, recipient nations gather in Seoul for biennial forum
7 November - An international conference will open in Seoul next week, bringing together more than 1,200 people devoted to volunteerism. The 17th World Volunteer Conference is co-organized by the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), an organization based in Washington, D.C., and the Korea Volunteer Organization Committee. The conference will be held at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul from Monday to Friday next week.
The Ministry of Government Administration and Home
Affairs is sponsoring the biennial event (...)
More than 14 percent of Korea's population of 47
million works as volunteers in the country, experts say. Tens of thousands of
volunteers, for instance, assisted in relief work following this past summer's
devastating typhoons and floods. (...)
http://www.iave.org/kelly/news.htm
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/11/08/200211080034.asp
WFP
welcomes India into donor family with first-ever donation of 1 million tons of
wheat
New Delhi,
5 November - In a unique humanitarian partnership that will benefit hundreds of
thousands of Afghan children and transform India into a donor nation, the
United Nations World Food Programme and the Government of India announced today
the start of operations for an unprecedented donation of 1 million metric tons
of Indian wheat for Afghanistan.
Officials of the Government of
India, making the largest single pledge in WFP's history, said the first
tranche of the donation -- 40,000 metric tons - will be converted into 9,526
metric tons of high-energy biscuits destined for the WFP school feeding
programme in Afghanistan. (...)
In addition to the one million
tons of wheat, the Government of India is contributing 15,000 metric tons of
rice to WFP that will be used to offset the incidental costs of producing and
distributing the biscuits. (...)
WFP faces a shortfall in its
emergency operation in Afghanistan, a country facing a long road to
rehabilitation after decades of war, drought and ill-fated policies of social
engineering.
In India, WFP currently has an
assistance programme that includes nutritional support for 2.7 million young
children, expectant women and nursing mothers, and extra food rations for
815,000 people in low-income tribal areas to bolster their food security. (...)
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
Rome, 5 November - The
United Nations World Food Programme announced that it has approved a US$ 23
million operation to feed over 200,000 people in Georgia on a three-year
period. WFP's work in Georgia is focused on three areas: feeding the most
vulnerable people who have limited access to government support, feeding some
4,000 Chechen refugees and rehabilitating agricultural and social infrastructure
through food-for-work projects in the poorest regions in this largely agrarian
country.
WFP began providing food
assistance to Georgia in 1993. Continued assistance is desperately needed,
stresses Joseph-Alain Charriere, country director for WFP's operations in
Georgia. The new operation will begin in April 2003.
The former Soviet republic,
with a current population of 5.5 million people, continues to grapple with
economic constraints and civil strife. Hyperinflation in the mid-1990s eroded the
population's income and savings. The elderly, who depend on inadequate State
pensions, have been hit especially hard. The country is barely able to meet
half of its cereal needs due to a damaged agricultural infrastructure coupled
with periodic natural disasters, including a series of drought in 2000 and
2001. (...)
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2
1 November - More than 70 senior staff representing 34 countries gathered this week in Sunriver, Oregon, USA for Mercy Corps' Worldwide Leadership Conference. Country leaders from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Guatemala, Indonesia, Lebanon, North Korea, Serbia, Uzbekistan and many other critical hot spots are strategizing, sharing successes and challenges, and strengthening programs. The Portland-based international aid agency is hosting this bi-annual event for the first time in Oregon. Staff from the agency's other headquarters offices in Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Seattle and Washington, DC are attending. Mercy Corps' Japanese partner, Peace Winds Japan, is also participating. (...)
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and
oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $640 million in aid to 75
nations. The agency currently reaches more than 5 million people in over 30
countries. More than 91 percent of the Mercy Corps' resources are allocated to
programs that help those in need.
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1035
Rotary
takes root in Asia celebrating 80 years of change and growth –
Across
the globe, the activities of Rotary clubs differ as each responds to the needs
of its respective community and seeks solutions to the social issues affecting
that part of the world.
Eighty years after Rotary came
to Asia, it has taken roots and blossomed all over the continent. The sheer
membership statistics speak volume. At present, there are 7,000 clubs, with
285,000 members in 17 countries and regions, accounting for 25 percent of
Rotary's 1.2 million membership worldwide. For the past 80 years, Asian
Rotarians have not only made tremendous financial contributions to the
organization's worldwide humanitarian efforts, they have also changed the face
of their own communities through their volunteer work and by addressing issues
such as hunger, homelessness, illiteracy, high unemployment and the environment.
While celebrating their past
achievements, Rotarians in Asia look to the future.
By far the world's most
populous region, Asia presents Rotary with great prospects for further growth.
as well as with new challenges for service projects. How can Rotary help Asian
children who have been struck by the economic crisis that has swept through the
region? How can Rotary's humanitarian and educational initiatives better meet
community needs and a burgeoning youth population in the new millennium? How can
Rotary work closely with government and non-governmental organizations to rally
support for the final phase of polio eradication? These are the major issues
that will confront Rotary as the organization enters the new millennium.
http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/presscenter/regnews/asia/index.html
Paris, November 15 - UNESCO's
International Hydrological Programme and Green Cross International, an
environmental non-governmental organization, are holding an international
conference on the prevention of water wars within and between countries from
November 20 to 22. The conference, entitled "From Conflict to Cooperation
in International Water Resources Management" will be held at the
International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental
Engineering in Delft (TheNetherlands).
More than 200 experts from
around the world are expected to participate in the conference sessions,
which will begin by presenting case studies to illustrate general themes
before opening the floor to debate. These open sessions will enable experts from
diverse regions to exchange perspectives on extremely sensitive issues, such as
major dam construction projects in India and tensions over shared water
resources in the Middle East. Experts from Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria, as well
as the Palestinian Territories, will give papers on their work.
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/pccp
Sierra
Leone: partners support the country’s plans for peace, recovery and development
Paris,
November 14 – Sierra Leone has established a unique track record
for a post-conflict country. Less than a year after the war ended, the country
has achieved a growth rate of six percent while inflation has fallen to zero
percent. These accomplishments have been achieved after ten years of devastating
civil conflict, the resettlement in the past year of 300,000 displaced people
and refugees and the disarmament and demobilization more than 70,000
combatants. On the basis of this impressive performance, development partners
sent a favorable message to the country today. At this first post-war
consultative group meeting, the government with its partners agreed to a
results framework for 2003-2004, and the donors pledged their financial and
technical support to achieve these results.
(...)
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/
Rwanda
military facility becomes technology training centre
14 November - A former military school and barracks in
Rwanda's capital, Kigali, have found new life as a training centre where
students learn everything from more efficient candle-making and civil
engineering to computer technology and food science.
Mark Malloch Brown,
Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who is
currently on official mission in Rwanda, visited the Kigali Institute of
Science and Technology (KIST) yesterday. KIST has nearly 1,600 full-time
students and about 1,160 part-time students - 27 per cent of them women.
The Government of Rwanda
launched the institute in 1997 with support from UNDP. It was created after the
genocide three years earlier, when many of the country's technical experts were
killed or never accounted for. In fact today, some 94 per cent of the
population still lives in rural areas and most make their living in
agriculture, using rudimentary traditional technology. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
60
million African children to be vaccinated; Aventis Pasteur donates 30 million
doses of oral polio vaccine
New York/Geneva, 12 November -
With West African countries in the midst of vaccinating millions of children
against polio, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Aventis Pasteur, has
donated 30 million doses of oral polio vaccine to the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative.
This week, 16 West African
countries have united to vaccinate all children under five within their
borders. Immunization campaigns over the past two years have driven the number
of polio-endemic countries in Africa to an all-time low. In 1999, 20 African
countries were polio-endemic, but to date this year, only three are considered
endemic. This success is due to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a
broad partnership forged to deliver polio vaccine to every child under five.
The Global Polio Eradication
Initiative is spearheaded by the World Health Organization, Rotary
International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF.
Aventis Pasteur - the longest standing corporate partner in the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative - has donated 120 million vaccine doses since 1997 and
targeted its donations to African countries affected by conflict, including
Sierra Leone and the Sudan, which now appear to be polio-free. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/02pr60aventis.htm
Over
450 teams from around the world submit designs for a mobile health clinic to
combat HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa
New York, NY - November 11 -
It is estimated that three-quarters of the world’s AIDS population lives in
Sub-Saharan Africa; most have no access to lifesaving drugs, testing facilities
or even basic preventative care. One of the major factors inhibiting medical
professionals in Africa from treating this disease is the inability to access
vast areas of the continent with adequately equipped facilities. In response,
on May 1, 2002 Architecture for Humanity announced the Mobile HIV/AIDS Health
Clinic for Africa initiative challenging architects and designers around the
world to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is devastating the continent.
Designers were given six months to develop schemes for a fully equipped, mobile
medical unit and HIV/AIDS treatment center specifically for use in Africa. (...)
During the submission period,
463 teams representing 47 nations across the globe answered the call submitting
highly innovative and cost-efficient schemes. (...) In total, over 1050
architects, medical professionals, industrial designers and students in the
field of design and medicine took part in this truly global response. (...)
Finalists will be announced in New York on World AIDS Day, December 1.
www.architectureforhumanity.org/
Geneva, 7 November - Mohammed
Yunus, the pioneering banker who put micro-credit on the map, has been
appointed Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) to help fight the AIDS epidemic, especially among the poor. (...)
Professor Yunus, an economist
from Bangladesh, is founder of the Grameen Bank, a "village bank" set
up in 1983 to provide micro-credit loans of very small amounts to the rural
poor.
"Access to micro-credit
reduces the impact of HIV at the family level and provides for succession
planning. Providing micro-credit to families affected by HIV/AIDS must be made
an essential part of the care strategy," Professor Yunus said. "The
Grameen experience has without doubt proved that communities, when given the
opportunity, can come up with unique and socially relevant solutions.
Communities are central to HIV prevention and care, and communities can provide
solutions for HIV prevention and care."
As founder of the Grameen
Movement, Professor Yunus is considered a revolutionary. His ideas couple
capitalism with social responsibility and have changed the face of rural
economic and social development forever. The Grameen Bank operates 1,092
branches in 36,000 rural Bangladesh villages, providing credit to over two
million of the country's poorest people. (...)
http://www.unaids.org/whatsnew/press/eng/pressarc02/Yunus071102_en.html
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1
November - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today announced the
launch of a two-year campaign to fight obstetric fistula in 12 countries in
sub-Saharan Africa. Obstetric fistula is the most devastating of all
pregnancy-related disabilities and affects about 50,000-100,000 African women
each year. The launch of the campaign marked the conclusion of a meeting with
over 60 reproductive health care experts on the incidence of obstetric fistula
which took place in Addis Ababa this week. The UNFPA-sponsored campaign will
focus on both the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistulas. (...)
An obstetric fistula is an
injury to the pelvic organs that most often occurs when a very young, poor girl
experiences a long and obstructed labour, sometimes up to five days. (...)
http://www.unfpa.org/news/2002/pressroom/fistula.htm
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25-26 November 2002,
Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, Venice, Italy
Why not mix business with
pleasure in the beautiful, historic city of Venice? Join your colleagues from
around the world addressing the concept of sustainable water management and
help to turn the principle into practice. For further information on the
Programme, Registration and Accommodation, please visit us on the web at:
http://www.iwahq.org.uk/template.cfm?name=sustainability2002.
There is increasing
recognition among policy makers, utility managers, technicians and researchers
that water resource challenges need to be solved innovatively and holistically.
In this conference, IWA (International Water Association) will play a role in
assisting the water sector in achieving sustainability by: showcasing
leading sustainability efforts within the water sector;
promoting development of sustainable water practices; supporting the
development of pragmatic programmes for implementation; and providing
opportunities for cross-cultural and cross-discipline partnerships. (...)
http://www.iwahq.org.uk/template.cfm?name=iwa_news_25
New energy security threats
appraised by OPEC, EU, Russia and USA
UNECE Committee on Sustainable Energy Roundtable Takes a
New Look at the Security of Energy Supplies in Light of Recent Events - Palais des
Nations, Geneva, 10:30 a.m., 20 November
In response to the new energy
security concerns, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Committee on Sustainable Energy will host a Round Table on the Security of Energy Supply during its
annual session on Wednesday 20 November beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Salle XII of
the Palais des Nations. The aim of the Round Table is to review different
approaches to security of energy supply in a market-based framework as well as
in situations where government intervention or even international coordination
may be needed. Panellists and delegates will be invited to share their views on
the economic, environmental, financial and other trade-offs related to security
of energy supply. (...)
http://www.unece.org/press/pr2002/02ene04e.htm
Rome, 15 November - Ending a week of
discussions on ways to improve the implementation of the United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), governments proposed innovative methods to
fight desertification during the first session of the Committee for the Review
for the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 1). The many successful
projects presented by governments from 11 November have shown that degraded
land can be rehabilitated and poverty tackled at the same time through the
application of new methodologies that combine modern technology with
traditional knowledge and innovate approaches. (...)
The Convention came into force
in December 1996 and has 185 country Parties. It is the only
international legal instrument to deal with the problem of desertification and
recurring droughts. More than 135 million are at risk of forced migration
as a consequence of land degradation and desertification and more than 110
countries are affected by desertification.
For further
information: Cheemin Kwon at ckwon@unccd.int
Nairobi, Kenya, 11 November -
A pioneering new project to heal dying and degraded lands fringing Africa's
mighty deserts was launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR). The project, marking a new phase of the five year-old Desert Margins
Programme, has numerous aims including conserving the rich and unique plant life
that has evolved to survive in these dry and arid lands. Experts believe the
genetic diversity remaining in these desert margins could be a veritable
treasure trove harbouring potentially promising drugs and products for 21st
century agriculture and industry.
Under the scheme, key dryland
areas and sites have been pin-pointed in each of the nine countries involved. (...)
It is planned to unravel the key causes of land degradation and damage in each
of these land areas before drawing up action plans for arresting and reversing
the decline. The action plans will be blue prints for land recovery and
wildlife conservation projects in similar kinds of desert margin areas
elsewhere in Africa. (...)
http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?ArticleID=3164&DocumentID=270
Paris, November 8 - Eighteen
new sites in 12 countries have been added to UNESCO's World Network of
Biosphere Reserves while five existing biosphere reserves have been extended.
One extension creates the first transboundary biosphere reserve in Africa.
The World Network of Biosphere
Reserves now consists of 425 sites in 95 countries. Its focus is all the more
pertinent in the wake of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), where countries called for action to reduce extreme poverty
and hunger and ensure environmental sustainability. "Biosphere
reserves," says Peter Bridgewater, Secretary of UNESCO's Man and the
Biosphere (MAB) Programme, "represent real, on-ground action with these
ideas." A key aspect is that local populations work together with all
other concerned parties to achieve these aims.
The new biosphere reserves and
extensions were approved by the Bureau of the MAB International Coordinating
Council at its meeting on November 6-8 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The new
biosphere reserves are very varied, differing in size, population density,
ecological features, land use and challenges (...)
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/eng/unescopress/2002/02-90e.shtml
India:
World Bank approves credit for improving technical and engineering education
Washington, November 14 - A
US$250 million credit will help India boost the quality of its emerging young
technicians and engineers. The Technical/Engineering Quality Improvement
Program, approved by the World Bank today, will help India supply its economy
with the level of professional excellence needed to foster greater
competitiveness and productivity. (...)
The project is designed to
support engineering colleges, technical universities and polytechnics, in
achieving their own visions of academic excellence. Institutions will be
selected to participate in the project on a competitive basis depending on
their capabilities and long-term planning for quality improvement. All selected
institutions will be required to network with others and to provide services to
the local community. It will also encourage granting of greater freedom to the
institutions for their own governance and management of finances. (...)
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/
Effective
E-feminism in Southeast Europe
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 1st November – Wars. Earthquakes. Landslides. Narcotics. Ethnic Cleansing. Poverty. Are mountains the source of many of today’s miseries? Or of much of tomorrow’s hope? His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, this week demonstrated the argument for optimism as heads of state, international leaders and mountain experts gathered together to mark the end of the UN International Year of the Mountains.
Yesterday, in the 3000-year old city of Osh, where
caravans pausing along the Silk Road once discharged their wares, the Aga Khan
School was inaugurated as a “centre of excellence” where computers will download the future off the electronic highway. (...)
Today, at the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit, the Aga Khan challenged global
decisionmakers to tackle issues such as poverty, critical infrastructure, and
agricultural and social development needs through regional policies. (...)
Tomorrow, in Naryn, a picturesque town not far from the Chinese border, the Aga
Khan will review plans for the Kyrgyz campus of the University of Central Asia,
the first institution of higher learning in the world created specifically to
deal with problems affecting mountain societies and their environments. (...)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1030
University
of Texas at Dallas to join Italian research project on grid computing,
high-speed networking - First manifestation
of collaborative agreement signed earlier this year
Richardson, Texas, USA, October 29 - The
University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has
been selected to join a consortium of university and government researchers in
Italy studying grid computing and high-speed networking. The project is the
first substantive manifestation of an agreement concluded last February between
UTD and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, a
university in Pisa, Italy. The agreement provides for joint research on
advanced telecommunications networks and an exchange of faculty members and
students of the two institutions.
The project is funded by the
Italian government and involves researchers from the National Research Council
of Italy (CNR) and the Italian National Consortium for Telecommunications
(CNIT), as well as UTD. The only non-Italian entity involved in the research,
UTD is a subcontractor on the project and will be paid 200,000 Euros (about
U.S. $200,000) for its services over the next three years. (...)
The research will be
coordinated by the Pisa Center of Excellence for Photonic Networks and Technologies, a collaboration of Scuola
Sant'Anna, CNIT, CNR and Marconi Communications, the global communications and
information technology company. As a part of the project, an innovative, very
high-speed photonic demonstrator, named Metro-Core, will be built in Pisa.
News contact: Steve McGregor,
UTD, smcgreg@utdallas.edu
http://www.utdallas.edu/research/
Canada
and Singapore provide English language training in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam
and East Timor
Ottawa, Canada, October 28 –
The Honourable Susan Whelan, Minister for International Cooperation, today
announced that Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), will contribute $3.4 million for English language training that will
help Southeast Asia countries participate more effectively in the international
community.
Canada, in partnership with
Singapore, launched the third phase of the Singapore-Canada English Language
Training initiative at a signing ceremony in Vietnam last week. (...)
Initial English language
training funded by the Government of Singapore and CIDA helped Cambodia, Lao
PDR and Vietnam integrate more fully into the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). With this announcement, this work will also be extended to
East Timor to help it adapt to the challenges of a newly independent nation.
The training will take place at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre in Singapore. A total of 350 officials from the four
countries will receive three-month English language training sessions. (...)
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