Good News Agency – Year IV, n° 12
Weekly - Year IV, number 12 – 11
July 2003
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
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media in 46 countries, as
well as to 1,000 NGO.
It is a service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della
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Information.
International legislation – Human rights – Economy and development – Solidarity
Peace and security – Health – Energy
and Safety – Environment and wildlife
Religion and spirituality – Culture and education
Rome, 1 July - The Codex
Alimentarius Commission, the UN food standards agency today adopted three sets
of standards on safety of genetically modified food (GMOs) that support strong
regulations for these foods. `These standards are a tremendous victory for
consumers, for science, for good regulation and for common sense. The food
safety officials from dozens of countries who negotiated these documents did
critical work on a highly polarised issue,’ stated Julian Edwards,
Director-General of Consumers International, which represents more than 250
organisations in 110 countries.
The three documents provide
guidelines for assessing the safety of GM food plants, such as maize, corn and
soybeans, and of GM microorganisms, which are used in beer and cheese
production. They provide pages of detailed procedures for determining if a GM
food contains new toxins or allergens, is altered nutritionally, or exhibits
unexpected effects. They establish a baseline standard that a GMO should be `as
safe as the conventional counterpart.’ They also endorse the use of `product
tracing’ as a tool of risk management.
Codex standards are important
because they can be used to settle trade disputes. The USA has just filed a
challenge against the European Union (EU) at the World Trade Organization (WTO)
on genetically modified food.
Consumers
International sees the Codex standards as strengthening EU countries that seek
to regulate GMO safety and to establish traceability systems that will allow
tracking in commerce. By 2004, 35 countries (including China, Japan, Korea,
India, Australia and New Zealand) covering half the world's population, will
require mandatory government safety assessments before GMOs are allowed on the
market. However the USA prefers a system of voluntary consultations about
safety, where the company developing the seed ultimately decides whether it is
safe. (…)
http://www.consumersinternational.org/
United
Nations Convention on Migrant Workers' Rights enters into force
Paris, 27 June – On July 1,
2003, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All
Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families* will enter into force. Its
primary objective is to protect migrant workers, a particularly vulnerable
population, from exploitation and the violation of their human rights.
The first 22 nations to ratify
the convention are essentially emigration countries, with none of the major
immigration countries yet listed. (…) It was promoted through the combined
efforts of three United Nations agencies (the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, the International Labour Organization and UNESCO), the International
Organization for Migration and ten NGOs concerned with protecting the rights of
migrant workers.
Today, one person out of 35 is
a migrant. The number of people who are living and working in a country other
than their own is estimated at 175 million, which represents 3% of the world’s
population, according to the United Nations International Migration Report 2002
(these figures include refugees, estimated at 16 million, i.e. 9% of the
total). Nearly all countries are concerned, whether as sending, receiving or
transit countries, or sometimes all three. (…)
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php@URL_ID=13200&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Collaboration agreement signed
between Mexican government and UNIFEM
United
Nations, New York – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United
Mexican States and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) have
signed a Collaboration Agreement to contribute to ensuring equal rights and
opportunities for women, the elimination of violence and discrimination, and
women’s advancement in compliance with Mexico’s commitments to international
conventions and conferences.
Within the framework of the
Agreement, collaboration will focus on two main goals: strengthening the
capacity of governmental and non-governmental institutions to follow-up on
international and regional agreements on gender equality, as well as promoting
gender mainstreaming throughout the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (…)
UNIFEM is the women's fund at
the United Nations, providing financial support and technical assistance to
innovative programs promoting women's human rights, their economic and
political empowerment, and gender equality in over 100 countries.
IFAD
and the Government of Tunisia to evaluate 25-years of experience in rural
poverty eradication – Tunis, 8 and 9 July
Tunis-Rome, 4 July – Joint
efforts by IFAD and the Government of Tunisia to achieve the Millennium
Development Goal target of halving the number of extremely poor people by 2015
will be discussed during a two-day meeting in Tunis next week, organized by the
Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Development and International
Cooperation, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
(…)
The strong performance of
Tunisia’s economy over the past 20 years, combined with development efforts
such as IFAD’s programme, has led to a significant reduction in poverty levels
in the country. However, substantial disparities remain between the urbanized
coastal regions and those most disadvantaged in the central part of the
country. (…)
Since 1981, about seven percent
of Tunisia’s rural population, or more than 230,000 people, have benefited from
IFAD’s programme in Tunisia, which has included nine projects worth a total of
US$ 289.85 million in the provinces of Kef and Siliana, Sidi Bouzid, Oued
Mellegue, Sidi M’Hadheb, Kairouan, Siliana, Zaghouan and Tataouine. IFAD’s
investment in the programme has totaled US$114.7 million.
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2003/28.htm
High-Level
Panel tackles youth employment crisis with new plan of action brings youth into
play
Geneva, 3 July – In an effort
to stimulate the creation of some one billion new jobs for youth over the next
decade, youth leaders, senior officials of the International Labour Office (ILO), the UN, the World Bank and other
organizations met here to launch a new initiative designed to convert
"policy work to action at the country level".
“Our challenge now is to move
from the excellent policy work that has been done to a new phase of action at
the country level", said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who joined ILO
Director-General Juan Somavia and other experts during a two-day session of a
"High Level Panel on Youth Employment" held here on 30 June-1 July.
“In the next decade, more than one billion young people will enter the working
age population", UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. "We have seen,
all too often, the tragedy of youthful lives mis-spent in crime, drug abuse,
civil conflict and even terrorism."
(…)
The road map proposes five
steps to be taken by a Youth Employment Network (YEN), including
endorsing the Panel's 2003 recommendations, translating strategy into National
Action Plans (NAPs), mobilizing financial resources for youth employment,
building bridges between school and work and inviting youth organizations to
play an active role in the design and implementation of national action
plans. (…)
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2003/37.htm
FAO
Gambia steps into cyberspace with launch of new country Web site
Gambia, 24 June - The FAO
Representation in The Gambia stepped into cyberspace today with the launch of a
new Web site detailing the work of FAO in the West African country of 1.4
million. The Web site contains details on FAO activities in the country which
focus on rural development and agricultural diversification in accordance with
the Gambian government's anti-poverty strategy. The Web site was created using
the FAO Representation Web site template which guarantees corporate identity
across all FAO country sites.
FAO Representation Web sites
can be accessed from the FAO Decentralized Offices Page which also gives details
of FAO Regional Offices, Sub Regional Offices and Liaison Offices.
Web page http://www.fao.org/world/gambia/index_en.htm
http://www.fao.org/waicent/portal/detail_event.asp?back=back&lang=en&event_id=14467
Promoting
urban governance and secure tenure
June 25 - Eradication of
Morocco’s shanty-towns by 2020 is a definite possibility, according to Farouk
Tebbal, chief of UN-HABITAT’s shelter branch. In an interview with the Moroccan
daily newspaper, Libération, Mr Tebbal said the UN agency was about to launch
twin campaigns promoting urban governance and secure residential tenure in the
North African country.
In Morocco as in neighbouring Algeria, over 50 per cent of the population are now living in urban areas, and more are coming. But those who cannot find affordable townhouse dwellings end up in shanty towns. Economic shocks can only accelerate the trend, Mr Tebbal said. A former housing minister in Algeria, Mr Tebbal spent some time in Morocco before joining UN-HABITAT. (…) “The campaigns we are about to launch in Morocco will give shanty-town dwellers a say in decision-making and will put them more in charge of their own destinies,” Mr Tebbal said. The campaigns will closely involve neighbourhood groups, non-governmental organisations and housing associations.
Mr Tebbal said UN-HABITAT’s
twin campaign in Morocco was a “first” to serve as a pilot programme for the
Arab world. And there was no denying the sense of urgency: “The worst is to
come, unless we come to intelligent arrangements and there is genuine political
readiness to acknowledge the citizenry and undertake fundamental reforms.”
http://www.unhabitat.org/promoting.asp
Shipment of agricultural aid
to rebel held areas in southern Sudan
FAO
supports both rebel and government controlled areas with seeds and tools - more
relief assistance needed
Rome
, 8 July - For
the first time, FAO has successfully delivered a substantial amount of seeds
and tools by road to previously inaccessible rebel held areas in the Nuba
Mountains in southern Sudan, according to a statement released today. The
region is controlled by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army
(SPLM/A). The Nuba Mountains are located in South Kordofan and part of Western
Kordofan States. The area has been a conflict zone between the government of
Sudan and the SPLM/A since 1985. (…) The delivery of urgently needed agricultural
aid became possible after a ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government
and the SPLA/M in January 2002. (…)
In total,
the delivery of seeds and tools is expected to result in the production of 8
200 tonnes of food in 2003 and to improve livelihoods and food security. (…)
The project is financed by the governments of Norway, as the main contributor,
the Netherlands and Sweden.
FAO said that
around 300 000 households in southern Sudan are in dire need of seeds and
tools, estimated at nearly $8.6 million, to resume their farming activities in
the upcoming season starting in July 2003. So far, FAO has received funds of
about $1.7 million.
WFP:
Umm Qasr becomes a key for humanitarian supplies into Iraq
Baghdad, 3 July - Iraqi Umm
Qasr port is becoming a key entry point for humanitarian supplies to Iraq. (…)
WFP is increasingly using Umm Qasr port to cut down on transportation cost and
create more employment for workers in this town as well as for the decimated
Iraqi transport industry. Still, WFP is using other ports in the region
including Aqaba in Jordan, Mercin in Turkey, Beirut in Lebanon, Latakia in
Syria and Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran to bring food supplies to Iraq.
“This is an unprecedented
logistic operation for WFP in terms of size and complexity. It is in fact the
largest food aid operation in history. Three months into this operation, we can
now say that we succeeded in making it possible for millions of Iraqis to push
away the specter of hunger that loomed over the country when military
hostilities broke out in late March,” said Amer Daoudi who is in charge of WFP
logistics for the emergency operations in Iraq.
Until the end of October, WFP
will continue to support the Iraqi Ministry of Trade in running the vast food
rationing system in this war-scarred country where before the war 60 % of the
27 million residents relied on the monthly food handouts as their only source
of income. (…)
http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/subsections/year.asp?section=13#
Liberia:
ICRC flies in medical relief
Geneva / Monrovia (ICRC), 30
June – An Antonov cargo aircraft chartered by the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) arrived today in the Liberian capital Monrovia with eight
tonnes of medical supplies and a doctor aboard. (…) John F. Kennedy Hospital is
the only major medical facility still functioning in Monrovia. An ICRC team of
three surgeons, two anaesthetists and three nurses have been working
continuously at the hospital for two weeks and currently have almost 500
patients in their care. (…)
Today’s arrival of a doctor
from Geneva brings to 14 the number of ICRC expatriate staff in Monrovia. While
the organization’s main activities remain medical, delegates are studying the
best means of bringing food aid to displaced people and residents of Monrovia
as the situation unfolds.
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/5NZKN9!OpenDocument
Eritrea:
Seed and food distributions completed
June 26 - In drought-affected
Eritrea, the ICRC has completed its seed and food distributions to families who
were displaced during the border war with Ethiopia.
Around 20,000 households
(100,000 people) in the regions of Debub and Gash-Barka received 457 tonnes of
cereal seed and 1,915 tonnes of food.
The first rains of the season have slowly begun to fall, and farmers are starting to plough and sow their lands. An ICRC agronomist is monitoring the planting. A specialist in household food economy is set to compare the beneficiaries’ current economic situation with that of October 2002, just after the failed harvest. The outcome of the next harvest, which will be surveyed in October 2003, will determine whether further seed and food distributions will be necessary in 2004 to help drought- and war-affected farmers regain their self-sufficiency. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/5NVDBG!OpenDocument
New study to assist Iraq’s most vulnerable children launched
UNICEF, in partnership with
five international NGOs, undertakes study of the needs of Iraqi children made
vulnerable by recent war and its aftermath.
Baghdad 26 June 2003 – UNICEF
has teamed up with five international aid organizations to investigate the
situation in which children live in Iraq today. The study will focus on the
risks to children’s wellbeing and the coping mechanisms that exist within their
families and communities to help them overcome the current challenges they face
in post-war Iraq.
UNICEF’s partners include the
Christian Children’s Fund, Save the Children UK, World Vision International,
the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children US.
“This inter-agency assessment
is the first of its kind to be taken at national level in Iraq,” said Carel de
Rooy, UNICEF’s Representative in the country. “Previously, it was virtually
impossible to do in-depth surveys of street children, orphans or children
living in institutions,” said de Rooy. “Until the late 1990s, the government
here did not even recognize that child labour or children living in the streets
even existed. That is why this new study is going to be so important to
understanding of the needs of children in this country.” (…)
The project will identify
particularly vulnerable groups of children, including street children, working
children, institutionalized children, and children in conflict with the law. It
will map out where these children are, what their needs are and which areas of
the country require particular attention. The study will also focus on the
risks facing children, such as unexploded ordinances, child labour, and sexual
violence. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03pr55iraqstudy.htm
Rotarians give hope to poor Ugandan children
Ugandan Rotarians are
channeling their expertise and compassion into a project that provides
educational assistance to disadvantaged children, who include some of the
nation's near-two million AIDS orphans, as well as a few others from
neighboring Kenya.
Lord Meade Vocational College,
a school in Njeru, near the industrial city of Jinja, is the fruit of the
initiative of members of the Rotary Club of Jinja. Their effort is based on the
belief that in a society where the traditional social safety net of the
extended family is severely strained or broken by war and disease and where
secondary education is not free, intervention by nongovernmental organizations
is the only ticket to a better life for many poor children.
"There is an enormous amount of human talent being wasted in Uganda," says Jinja Rotarian John Kirkwood, who also is the founder of the Tofta Educational Trust, the driving force behind the school project. (…) Kirkwood endowed the trust with money he raised from selling a farm he had inherited called Tofta in the north of UK. It is now partially assisted through donations from individuals and church groups.
Built from scratch on a
20-acre site, Lords Meade Vocational College serves as a modern secondary
school offering an unusual mix of academic and vocational curricula to impart
skills that are useful in the home or the job market. The Rotary Club of Jinja
is now working to provide textbooks, computers, furniture, and laboratory and
workshop equipment. For more information about Lords Meade Vocational College
and the supporting role played by the Rotary Club of Jinja, contact John
Kirkwood by telephone: 256-77 516299; Fax: 256- 43-123063; or email: jkirkwood@source.co.ug.
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/newsbasket/index.html#two
African
Union bolsters capacity to prevent and resolve wars
3 July - As the African Union (AU) prepares to open
its second summit next week in Maputo, Mozambique, a UNDP-supported project is
reinforcing peace and security machinery to strengthen its ability to prevent
and resolve conflicts in Africa. UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown will be
at the summit to launch the Human Development
Report 2003, focusing on the Millennium
Development Goals, on 10 July.
UNDP is providing US$2 million
towards the project's $6.4 million budget, and Canada, Germany, the
Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have also pledged support. The UN Office for Project Services is implementing
the initiative.
Headquartered in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, the AU came into existence last year as a successor to the
Organization of African Unity (OAU). The project follows an earlier initiative
backed by UNDP and Norway to train the OAU Conflict Management Centre staff in
Addis Ababa and set to up a local area network linking the organization with 41
African embassies in the city. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
Successful partnerships drive development in Angola
Luanda-Geneva, 23 June – Just
15 months after a cease-fire ended three decades of devastating civil war,
Angola has taken two significant steps on its long road to recovery. Campaigns
in health and education, backed by UNICEF and supported by all levels of
Government, are proving vital in restarting the development of social services
in Angola.
Final figures for the National
Measles Campaign, which ended on May 31, record that 7.1million Angolan
children were vaccinated (92% of the population aged 9months-15years).
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has just announced $40million for 29,000
new teachers. This equates to one million more school places for children in
the 2004 school year, and will be a 90 per cent increase in the number of grade
1 to 4 children in Angolan schools.
‘Development in services to
fight child mortality are critical if Angolans are to recover from the ruinous
results of war,’ said UNICEF Representative Mario Ferrari. ‘These campaigns are
only first steps but they are fundamental in kick-starting the system, shaping
policy and energising the administrative machine. UNICEF’s partnership with the
Government, in promoting and supporting the implementation of public policies
while advocating for higher commitment for the social sectors, is getting
stronger by the day and as a result the children of Angola are benefiting.’
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03pr54angola.htm
Washington
D.C., August 23: march for jobs, peace, and freedom
A March for Jobs, Peace, and
Freedom is being planned for Saturday, August 23 at the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington, D.C. on the 40th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on
Washington at which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a
Dream” speech.
The Coalition for Peace Action
(CFPA) is a grassroots citizens organization which brings together people of
all ages, backgrounds, professions, and political persuasions in support of
three goals: global abolition of nuclear weapons, a peace economy, and a halt
to weapons trafficking at home and abroad.
http://www.peacecoalition.org/
Nepal
starts Asian broadcasts with HIV/AIDS and development programming
30 June - Satellite digital
radio broadcasts are reaching rural communities in Nepal with locally-produced
programmes imparting valuable information on HIV/AIDS and gender issues through
a new initiative by UNDP and several partners. One programme is a drama set in
a Nepalese village, and the other, in magazine format, features a variety of
educational themes. Shows on early childhood development and micro-finance are
being developed.
Nepal is the first country to
start the broadcasts on the Equal Access Asia Development Channel, a regional
initiative, with India, Laos and another Asian country to follow. UNDP and Equal Access, a civil society organization
based in San Francisco, California, are implementing the 18-month pilot
project.
The broadcasts, which began in
April, reach more than 10,000 people directly through satellite receivers in
390 rural communities in 14 districts and about nine million people via
rebroadcasts by Radio Nepal and local FM stations. The
project is expanding to 51 districts in collaboration with the UN Population Fund and UNDP Nepal. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/june/30june03/index.html
MSF
maintains two teams medical in Monrovia
Paris, 26 June - With the
majority of the foreign representatives already evacuated from the capital of
Liberia, Monrovia, following the recent outbreaks of violence, MSF has decided
to maintain two medico-surgical teams to provide aid to the civilian victims of
the conflict. (…)
Today, nine international
volunteers and approximately 100 national Liberian staff members work for MSF
in the capital. MSF will reinforce these teams as soon as an access to the
capital is possible. In addition, an MSF team continues to provide assistance
to the near 60,000 people installed in camps in the Bong.
MSF asks all belligerents to
respect medical installations and personnel as well as the patients and
wounded, as required by the Geneva
Convention.
http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=DCBC476F-B876-4769-A5EFFDBA0DC45418
New initiative to research and develop drugs for the world’s most
neglected diseases
Delhi, 25 June - In a unique
initiative, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Nobel Prize
winning Organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and four eminent public
research institutes from around the world have joined forces to address the
lack of research and development in drugs for neglected diseases. This Drugs
for Neglected Diseases initiative or DNDi, will work in close collaboration with
WHO/TDR Tropical Disease Research program.
A mere 10% of global health
research is devoted to diseases that account for 90% of the global disease
burden. (…) The world’s most neglected patients desperately need new,
affordable, accessible and effective drugs, but their diseases do not represent
a market profitable enough to attract Research and Development (R&D). (…)
A number of organizations are
looking for solutions to ease the plight of the poor suffering from tropical
diseases. DNDi’s six founding partners are primarily from the public sector and
have already been working tirelessly in the field of public health and
research: MSF, the Institut Pasteur, the Kenya Medical Research Institute
(KEMRI), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, ICMR and the Malaysian Ministry of
Health. (…)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2003/pr51/en/
World drug trends: UN sees major changes
Vienna, 25 June - The world
heroin and cocaine markets are showing major new tendencies, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
states in its 2003 Global Illicit Drug Trends Report, launched
in Paris today. On the production side, some good news is forthcoming from the
two major illicit drug-producing regions. On the abuse side, important
developments have taken place, especially in Europe, Russia and the Far East.
In the Golden Triangle --
areas under opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar and Lao PDR have been reduced by
40 per cent between 1998 and 2002, and this downward trend continues in 2003.
Globally, compared to the bumper harvest of 1999, opium-production in 2002 was
some 22 per cent lower. The other good news comes from the Andean region, where
Colombia has achieved a very significant decline of coca bush cultivation,
amounting to a 37 per cent decrease between 2000 and 2002; Bolivia has become
an almost marginal source; and Peru has reduced coca cultivation by about 60
per cent since 1995. Potential global cocaine production has declined from 950
tons in 1996 to 800 tons in 2002; further declines are expected in 2003. (…)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-06-25_3.html
Rotary International Avoidable
Blindness Task Rorce
Its mission is to distribute
information on avoidable blindness and facilitate linkages between those with
project needs and those with available resources (…). General Chairman is Past
Rotary International President 2000-2001 Frank J. Devlyn.
The Avoidable Blindness Task
Force of Rotary International has carried out over 400 thousand Procedures in
two years besides all their other hundreds of projects involving almost 32,000
Rotary Clubs in 165 Countries.
www.rotary.org www.frankdevlyn.org
(top)
New guidelines on genetically modified and irradiated food
Rome,
7 July - The Codex Alimentarius
Commission has adopted a landmark agreement on how to assess the risks to
consumers from foods derived from biotechnology, including genetically modified
foods, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. Altogether, the Commission adopted more than 50 new food
safety and quality standards, some of which are revisions of old standards. The
Commission adopted ground-breaking guidelines for assessing the food safety
risks posed by foods derived from biotechnology.
Irradiated food -
The Commission also adopted a new standard for irradiated foods that
accepts higher levels of radiation on food products. Food is irradiated to make
it safe for longer periods of time. The process, which uses gamma ray
irradiation, kills bacteria, increasing the food products' shelf life. The
Commission determined that allowing higher levels of irradiation would
eliminate bacterial spores and the radiation resistant pathogenic bacteria
Clostridium botulinum. The process also reduces the need to use more toxic
chemical methods of combating bacteria, some of which can be harmful to the
environment. (…)
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
Americans
declare Independence from hazardous chemicals
Washington DC, US, 2 July - On
the eve of the Fourth of July holiday, over 10,000 Americans from all 50 states
have signed the “US Declaration of Independence from Hazardous Chemicals”
according to WWF — one of the 60 environmental, health, and trade groups that
have endorsed the declaration.
Spurred by policy reforms
underway in Europe, citizens from around the country have demonstrated their
support for improved protection from chemical hazards. (…)
The EU has requested public
comments on the proposed legislation known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation,
and Authorization of Chemicals), which could transform how chemicals are
regulated. In short, for some 30,000
chemicals used in Europe, companies must provide data on potential health or
environmental hazards, eventually creating a valuable resource for public and
private decision making. REACH would also allow Europe to restrict the use of
the most dangerous chemicals. By putting the burden of proof on companies and
harmonizing the rules across the EU, REACH will create a huge incentive for
developing and using safer alternatives.
The “US Declaration of
Independence from Hazardous Chemicals” supports the proposed EU reforms and
urges the European Commission to strengthen key elements of the
legislation. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/other_news/news.cfm?uNewsID=7701
Saudi
Arabia to meet power demand while protecting environment
1 July - To help meet an increasing demand for electricity while protecting the environment, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Electricity is raising awareness about energy conservation. It has set up a committee to promote energy conservation and manage electrical loads to reduce sudden surges in power. The group will also advise the Government on energy conservation measures and coordinate their implementation. These are the first steps towards dealing with several energy challenges, and to meet them, the Government is formulating a National Energy Efficiency Programme with UNDP and UN agency consultants.
The country needs to satisfy
rapidly increasing energy demands driven by economic and social development.
Despite its vast oil reserves, the cost of generating more electricity and
expanding the national grid is enormous. (…) The programme will also help
preserve natural resources, including oil and gas reserves, reduce energy costs
for consumers, and foster economic development and a cleaner environment, he
added. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/july/1july03/index.html
24
New Sites inscribed on World Heritage List
July 3 -
Twenty-four sites were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including,
for the first time, sites in Gambia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Sudan. The
inscriptions were carried out by the World Heritage Committee, which has been
holding its 27th session, under the chair of Vera Lacoeuilhe (Sainte-Lucie) at
UNESCO Headquarters since June 30. The World Heritage List now numbers 754
sites, including 149 natural, and 582 cultural and 23 mixed sites “of
outstanding universal value”. (…) See the list and a brief description at:
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php@URL_ID=13350&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html]
The
frontier that unites
The
fight against desertification and hunger is bringing together both countries of
Hispaniola
Rome, 2 July - Two nations
share the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea: Haiti and the Dominican
Republic. Their parallel histories and realities meet along a single border and
now they are overcoming cultural and linguistic differences to fight a common
enemy: the deep poverty and deforestation ravaging swathes of the island. (…)
The Global Mechanism of the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration
with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is
tackling this problem through a development initiative called the Border Action
Plan or PAN-FRO (Plan de acción para la zona fronteriza).
The Border Action Plan
(PAN-FRO) has been conceived of as a planning mechanism that seeks to address
problems related to land degradation, drought, poverty and sustainable rural development,
and importantly, the linkages with each country's Poverty Reduction Strategy
Paper (PRSP). (…)
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/19443-en.html
Emissions
Trading Directive a significant step forward, say NGOs
Strasbourg, France, 2 July -
Environmental groups today welcomed the European Parliament's adoption of the
Emission Trading Directive but warned that further steps would be needed to
guarantee the environmental effectiveness of the EU trading system.
The Parliament today adopted
the compromise agreement on an EU-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading system,
achieved after hard negotiations with the Council of Environment Ministers.
This system will be one of the key tools in EU climate policy and central to
achieving the Kyoto Protocol targets. For the first time there will be a
binding cap on the total emissions from energy-intensive industry and the power
sector, currently responsible for nearly half of the CO2 produced within the
Community.
This agreement should, as
planned, allow the emissions trading system to start in 2005. Now, Member
States have to prepare their National Allocation Plans, a document setting out
the targets that each sector and firm must meet. This needs to be approved by
the European Commission by April 2004. (…)
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/other_news/news.cfm?uNewsID=7723
GEF
to double funding available to NGOs for community-based environmental
projects
Washington, July 1 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has
announced that it will more than double the amount of small grant funding
available to non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations.
The grants, which are up to US$50,000 each, support projects that
simultaneously benefit the global environment and local communities in
developing countries. The projected increase in funds for grants reflects the program’s
record of success, which has led to greater demand for grants and increased
donor support.
As one of the GEF’s three
implementing agencies, along with the UN Environment Programme and the UN
Development Prorgramme, the World Bank helps its client countries to prepare
and supervise GEF projects. It plays the primary role in ensuring the
development and management of investment projects.
According to the recently
approved GEF business plan, the GEF small grants budget is projected to
increase from $30 million in 2003 to more than $60 million in 2005. The increase in funding would allow GEF to
award more small grants and increase the number of countries participating in
the program. (…)
The Small Grants Programme is
administered on behalf of the GEF by the UNDP (the United Nations Development
Programme). So far, GEF’s Small Grants Programme has benefited some 4,000
communities (…)
Sacred
forests help conserve Madagascar's biodiversity
Antananarivo, Madagascar, 24
June - WWF is celebrating an innovative approach to conservation, with a
commitment to conserve the sacred forests of Sakoantovo and Vohimasio in
southern Madagascar through modern forest management mechanisms and traditional
practises.
The Mahafaly and Tandroy
communities of southern Madagascar, local authorities, and the Malagasy
government have committed to conserve the sacred forests of Sakoantovo
(6,163ha) and Vohimasio (30,170ha), with responsibility for their management
transferred to the local population through an agreement between the Ministry
of the Environment, Water and Forests, and local communities represented by
their traditional leaders. WWF has recognized these two initiatives as a Gift to the Earth, WWF's highest
accolade for a globally significant contribution to the protection of the
living world. (…)
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/forests/news/news.cfm?uNewsID=7603
Caribbean
Conservation Association partners with the International Fund for Animal
Welfare
(June 2, 2003, Barbados) - The
regional environmental organization, the Caribbean Conservation Association
(CCA), recently entered into a partnership agreement with the International
Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to initiate a programme aimed at the protection
and conservation of marine habitats and marine life across the Carribbean
region. An important focus of the partnership surrounds joint efforts to
protect coastal and marine habitats in the region and to promotion of
eco-tourism development and other sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The Secretariat of the
Caribbean Conservation Association, at the Association’s 36th Annual General
Meeting in Trinidad last year, was charged by its members to promote the
benefits of non-whaling activities in the Caribbean and in other regions of the
globe. The project is therefore envisaged, inter alia, as an informational
counterbalance to the bombardment of Caribbean states with information and
campaigns which actively seek to justify regional and international whaling
activities. (…)
The CCA exists to enhance the
quality of life for present and future generations of the Caribbean by
facilitating the development and implementation of policies, programmes and
practices, which contribute to the sustainable management of the region's
natural and cultural resources.
Interreligious
Engagement Project: Journal Launch Celebration
On July 12, the Interreligious
Engagement Project (IEP21 – a global initiative dedicated to interreligious
cooperation to address issues of peace, justice, and sustainability) will host
a major event in Denver. We hope to bring together a significant number of
people interested in interreligious action to build a better world.
The event will have two
themes:
1. Presentation of
the exciting new quarterly journal, Interreligious Insight, which began
publication in January 2003. Insight is published in the US and the UK by three
organizations, IEP21, the World Congress of Faiths (Oxford, UK), and Common
Ground (a Chicago-based interreligious study center). [www.interreligiousinsight.org]
2. The Dialogue of Civilization Project: a
three-year initiative to build a network of dialogue and action between Islamic
cultures and the West.
The Dialogue of Civilizations
project is designed to engage the global Muslim community and the West in
deeper encounter and dialogue in order to promote greater understanding, mutual
respect, and cooperative common action. The project will be a two-year
undertaking, culminating in a four-day Conference convened in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia in February 2005.
http://www.interreligiousinsight.org/Events.html
WCC
general secretary to visit Russian Orthodox Church
(2 July) Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser
will pay his last visit as World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary to
the Russian Orthodox Church, 4-8 July. It will be his third visit to the church
- the first was in 1993 soon after he had began serving as WCC general
secretary, the second in 1998 before the WCC Assembly in Harare. (…) Raiser
retires at the end of 2003.
Raiser expressed particular
interest in discussing with the church leadership the response to the Special
Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC and how the Church is
anticipating the Ninth Assembly of the WCC in 2006. (…)
The
World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international fellowship of Christian
churches, built upon the foundation of encounter, dialogue and collaboration.
The WCC was formed to serve and advance the ecumenical movement - the quest for
restoring the unity of the church - by encouraging in its members a common
commitment to follow the gospel. The prayer of the churches which belong to the
WCC is for the renewal and faithful response of the people of God in witness
and service to the world.
Peace
Begins With Ourselves, Living In Harmony With One Another And With The Earth
The International Day of Peace (IDP) provides an opportunity for
individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of Peace on a
shared date to highlight
the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the
Children of the World, 2001 to 2010.
The International Day of
Peace, established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the
opening of the General Assembly, was first celebrated on the third Tuesday of
September, 1982. Beginning 2002, the UN General Assembly set 21 September as
the now permanent date for the International Day of Peace to mark our individual and collective progress toward
building Cultures of Peace, and serve as a reminder of our permanent commitment
to Peace, above all interests and differences of any kind.
Pathways To Peace, one of the
main promoters of this worldwide event, stresses that Individuals and Nations, acting in
concert, DO make a difference in the quality of our lives, our institutions,
our environment and our planetary future. Through co-operation, we manifest the
essential Spirit that unites us amid our diverse ways. Pathways to Peace suggests various ways to celebrate the Day, such as – among
many others :
© Join people throughout the world in one minute of silence
(or more!) this Day, and at NOON every day, in our common commitment to Peace.
© Plan a local
event. Use schools, places of worship, libraries, parks, or municipal buildings
to host events.
© Use universal invocations/prayers such as May Peace Prevail
on Earth (www.worldpeace.org) and the
Great Invocation (www.worldgoodwill.org).
© Promote the Day as one dedicated to nonviolence and global
ceasefire (www.peaceoneday.org
© Participate in a PeaceBuilding project that is
inter-generational and inter-cultural (www.WeWantPeaceOnEarth.com ).
© Become involved in the UN
International Decade for a Culture of Peace (www.cpnn-new-england.org).
© Or… Whatever inspires you as a PeaceBuilder!
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Information, services crucial to fight against Aids, broader quest for
good health,
UN Secretary-General says in Population Day
message:
The
theme of this year's World Population Day, "One billion adolescents: the right to health, information and
services", highlights the need to support young people in their efforts to
lead safe, rewarding lives and contribute to the well-being of their families
and communities.
Throughout the world, millions of girls and boys are
deprived of an education, harming their individual prospects and those of
society at large. In some countries,
half of all girls are married before the age of 18, often resulting in early
childbearing that poses serious health risks to both mother and child. Experience shows that educated women are
more likely to marry later, and have healthy and better-educated children, who
will pass on these benefits from one generation to the next. Education and information also influence how
many children they will have. If a
woman were to wait until age 23, instead of age 18, to have her first child,
that alone could reduce the momentum in population growth by over 40 per cent.
Information and services are also crucial in the fight
against AIDS and the broader quest for good health. Young people should know how the HIV virus is transmitted, and
how to protect themselves from infection.
This is important everywhere but is absolutely critical in countries
where infection rates are already high or quickly rising. Reproductive health services and factual
information about reproductive health will also help young people to avoid
risky behaviour, unwanted pregnancy and poor health in general. And in conflict zones, where levels of
sexual violence and abuse are dramatically heightened, young people need
appropriate and sensitive services to recover and participate in their
country's return to normal life.
If the world is to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals and implement the programme of action adopted at the International
Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, the most effective
interventions will involve young people themselves. It is they who can best identify their needs, and who must help
design the programmes that address them.
One of every six
people on earth is an adolescent. In
the developing world, more than 40 per cent of the population is under age
20. The decisions these young people
make will shape our world and the prospects of future generations. On this World Population Day, let us
recognize their right to the health, information and services they need and
deserve.
(Source: UNIC Rome)
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