Good News Agency – Year IV, n° 8
Weekly - Year IV, number 8 – 9
May 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 published in English on one Friday and in Italian the next. It is distributed free of charge through
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media in 46 countries, as
well as to 1,000 NGO.
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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
Progress
of the world's women: most positive change seen in women's political participation
No
systematic differences between developed and developing world in women's share
of seats in parliament - US, France and Japan lag behind 13 sub-Saharan
countries
United Nations, New York, 1
May - A new report, launched today by the United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), revealed that although women have progressed relatively slowly
in the last two years in the areas of education, literacy and employment, there
have been encouraging signs of improvement in women's legislative representation.
The increase in women's share of seats in parliament was attributed mainly to
political measures in several countries, where quotas were legislated or
adopted on a voluntary basis.
UNIFEM's report, Progress of the World's Women 2002: Volume
2: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals, is the second
edition of a biennial publication first produced in 2000 to track and measure
the world's commitment to gender equality. (...) The goal of increasing women's
political participation is a long-standing one. The target of 30 per cent
representation in key decision-making positions has been agreed on at numerous
international conferences in the last decade. Although there were definite
signs of progress in all regions between 2000 and 2002 towards meeting the
target, Progress 2002 indicates that
women are still on the whole largely absent from parliaments. They account for
about 14 per cent of members in 2002 overall. Only 11 countries had reached the
30 per cent benchmark in 2002 - Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Norway,
Iceland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Costa Rica, Argentina and Mozambique.
All of these countries have used quotas. (...)
http://www.unifem.undp.org/newsroom/press/pr_030501_pww.html
UN, ASEAN forge partnership
against drugs and crime
Vienna, 24 April (UN
Information Service) -- Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and
Mr. Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the
interrelated issues of drugs and crime. The two organisations have agreed to
work together in Southeast Asia, providing the 10 ASEAN member countries
assistance in their fight against drugs and transnational crime.
This agreement will enhance
the cooperation that already exists in drug control between ASEAN and UNODC, in
support of the ASEAN and China
Cooperative Actions in Response To Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD) Plan of Action.
This framework will deepen the
partnership by developing a more comprehensive approach, including exchange of
expertise on the interrelated issues of drug control and crime prevention. The
Memorandum will facilitate the exchange of information relating to specific
projects, programmes or activities, with a view to achieving better
complementary action. UNODC and ASEAN also agreed to identify and develop joint
technical co-operation projects and programmes. In addition, they will closely
consult in the planning and execution of their respective technical cooperation
activities in the region.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press_release_2003-04-24_1.html
Commission
on Human Security presents report to UN Secretary-General
New York - On 1 May, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Prof. Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate in economic science, presented the report of the independent Commission on Human Security to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.
The report proposes a new security framework that centers directly and
specifically on people. Human security
focuses on shielding people from critical and pervasive threats and empowering
them to take charge of their lives. It
demands creating genuine opportunities for people to live in safety and dignity
and earn their livelihood. (...)
The Commission concentrates on a number of distinct but interrelated
issues concerning conflict and poverty: protecting people in conflict and
post-conflict situations, shielding people forced to move; overcoming economic
insecurities, guaranteeing essential health care, and ensuring universal education. In its report, the Commission formulates
recommendations and follow-up activities.
The idea of an independent
Commission of Human Security grew out of the UN Millennium Summit which focused
on securing “freedom from fear” and “freedom from want”. The Commission is an
initiative of the Government of Japan and was launched in January 2001.
The Commission’s report, Human Security Now: Protecting and Empowering People, can
be accessed at WWW.humansecurity-chs.org.
Iraqi
POWs repatriated from Iran
Geneva, 5 May – Fifteen years after the end of the
Iran/Iraq war, 59 Iraqi prisoners of war were repatriated on 5 May under the
auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The prisoners' return resulted
from negotiations between the Iranian authorities and the ICRC. A team of five
delegates, including a doctor and a nurse, accompanied the returnees aboard an
ICRC aircraft on the flight from Tehran to Baghdad. In accordance with the
organization's standard procedures, the delegates had registered the prisoners
beforehand and held a private interview with each one to ensure that he was
returning of his own free will. Arrangements were made by the ICRC in Baghdad
to reunite the returnees with their families in Iraq.
Since the Iran/Iraq war began
in 1980, the ICRC has supervised the repatriation of almost 97,000 prisoners of
war on both sides.
Brazilian
city steps up fight against urban poverty
May 2 - Recife, an important
city in the history of UN-HABITAT, is taking major new strides to fight urban
poverty. The city plans to invest US$ 4.5 billion areas the next 15 years
within the framework of its recently elaborated City Development Strategy
(CDS).
The Metropolitan Council
approved the plan in December 2002, which includes contributions from the twin
municipalities of Recife and Olinda, the State of Pernambuco, the Federal Government
and investment from the private sector.
During the first phase
(2003-2007), a pilot-upgrading project, PROMETROPOLE, will be implemented in
low-income areas, the “favelas”. A total of 35,000 households (154,000 people)
will benefit from infrastructure improvement financed by the state of
Pernambuco (US$21 million), the two municipalities (US$17 million) and the
World Bank (loan of US$46 million). As urban poverty - less US$35 per person
per month - affects 40 per cent of the population of the Recife-Olinda
agglomeration, representing 800,000 people out of 2 million, this first project
will only address the basic needs of 20 per cent of the urban poor. But it is a
welcome first step, which hopefully, will be followed-up and scaled up. (...)
http://www.unhabitat.org/recife.asp
Washington, DC, May 1 - Senior writers and editors
from Associated Press, BBC World Service, National Geographic Traveler
Magazine, Washington Post and United Nations Radio will exchange notes with
their Caribbean counterparts when the fourth Caribbean Media Exchange on
Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) comes off at Half Moon Golf, Tennis and Beach Club,
May 15-19, 2003 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The CMEx Secretariat, headquartered at Counterpart
International in Washington DC, announced that several members of the
international press corps will team with regional journalists, from Cayman to
Curacao, at the biannual media meeting which encourages the lively exchange of
ideas between movers and shakers in the world of tourism communications.
Cutting edge developments growing from the interaction
between media, business, governments and the hospitality industry are expected
to emerge from CMEx IV which will examine the theme "Maximising the
Economic Impact of Tourism". (...)
http://www.counterpart.org/news/presser.asp?id=328#Entry3
World
Bank loan to fight poverty in rural Algeria with job creation
Washington, April 29, 2003 —
The World Bank today approved a US$95 million loan to the Government of Algeria
to generate employment in low-income, rural mountainous areas of northwest and
north-central Algeria. The Second Rural Employment Project seeks to raise the
standard of living for Algeria’s rural poor and follows the first Rural
Employment Project in north-west Algeria, which succeeded in engaging the local
community, increasing employment and farmers’ income, as well as reducing soil
erosion.
Poverty and unemployment are
disproportionately high in rural Algeria. A study on growth, employment and
poverty reduction based on 1995 data revealed that 70 percent of the poor in
Algeria live in rural areas (19 percent of the rural population, equivalent to
a total of 2.7 million people), and that there is a close relationship between
poverty and unemployment. Rural communities are also affected by
underemployment due to the seasonal nature of agricultural activities and
conditions have worsened as a result of the persistent drought in the country
over the last decade.
In response to these
challenges, the Government of Algeria developed a National Agricultural and
Rural Development Plan in 2000 to promote food security, identify and exploit resources
with potential growth impact, and protect the environment. (...)
EU/UN
sign Financial and Adnministrative Framework Agreement
New York, 29 April - EU
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Poul Nielson and UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette signed today in New York an updated Financial and Administrative Framework
Agreement. This Agreement will pave the way for a closer strategic partnership
between the EC and the UN in the fields of development and humanitarian aid: http://europa-eu-un.org/article.asp?id=2275. (...)
EU’s
CARDS on the increase
29 April - In 2003, within the
Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS)
Programme, the EC will spend € 229 million in Serbia, € 13.5 million in
Montenegro: http://europa-eu-un.org/article.asp?id=2270, € 53 million in
Kosovo: http://europa-eu-un.org/article.asp?id=2272 and € 38.5 million
in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia: http://europa-eu-un.org/article.asp?id=2273. Since 1991, the EU
has been the largest assistance donor to the Western Balkans.
UN-HABITAT
gears up for its Governing Council
April 28 - The Nineteenth Session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT will be held at the agency’s Nairobi headquarters from 5 to 9 May 2003. All 187 member states of the United Nations have been invited, along with local authorities, Parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations as well as private sector representatives from around the world, and various UN and intergovernmental organizations. Held every two years, the Governing Council is the forum at which the agency’s work and relationships with its partners are reviewed and guidelines established for the next two-year period. (...)
Charged in the UN system with
coordinating and harmonising human settlements issues, UN-HABITAT’s mission is
to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the
goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
(...)
http://www.unhabitat.org/hg1.asp
At
least one third of Iraq's spring crop unscathed
28 April, Rome -- At least
one-third of Iraq's critical spring grain crop appears to have emerged
unscathed from the conflict, according to preliminary surveys conducted by FAO.
In a statement issued today,
FAO warned however, that the fate of the bulk of the winter crop of cereals,
some 1.2 million tonnes of sorely needed wheat and barley, remains in doubt.
The UN agency based its preliminary assessment on reports received from
national staff in Iraq.
In Iraq's three northern
governorates (Erbil, Dohuk, Sulaimaniyah) most farmers were not displaced from
their fields during the conflict, which means they are well placed to begin
harvesting their grain crops in a few weeks. The northern governorates are
expected to produce between 30 and 35 percent of this year's total estimated
crop of 1.7 million tonnes of grain.
If the harvest in the north
proceeds on schedule, it will help alleviate food shortages by producing more
than 500 000 tonnes of wheat and barley, enough to fill at least 20 000
truckloads that would otherwise have to be imported. (...)
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/17063-en.html
Baltimore,
MD, USA, May 1- (...) Lutheran World Relief is assisting the people of Sierra Leone through
post-war reconstruction projects and is responding to the needs of new Liberian
refugees through Action by Churches Together (ACT), the emergency alliance that
includes LWR. In April, LWR shipped material resources valued at $1,254,253 to
ACT partners Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone and Lutheran World
Federation. Included in these shipments were clothing, blankets, quilts,
layettes, health kits, sewing kits, school kits and soap. LWR is also
supporting displaced people within Liberia with much-needed food relief and
medical care through Lutheran World Federation and Phebe Hospital, located in
Monrovia.
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1583
UNICEF Iran sends 40 tons of high protein biscuits and medical supplies
for Iraqi children to Baghdad today
Tehran, 30 April – Two trucks
carrying high protein biscuits and medical supplies provided by UNICEF Iran
crossed the Khosravi border point in western Iran today en route for Baghdad.
UNICEF staff in the Iraqi
capital will distribute the biscuits and health supplies to medical centers and
hospitals in Baghdad. This is UNICEF Iran’s first medical convoy to Iraq,
following two tanker convoys which took supplies of drinking water to Al-Fao
peninsula in southern Iraq earlier this month.
Today’s convoy – the first
movement of UN relief supplies through the Khosravi crossing point -- is
expected to pave the way for other similar ventures, according to Kari Egge,
UNICEF Representative in Teheran. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03bnapril30wus.htm
Afghanistan:
Micro-credit programme for the disabled
29 April - Life is hard for
the disabled in Afghanistan, where those considered to be unproductive members
of society are usually shunted aside.
In addition to manufacturing
artificial limbs for the disabled and providing them with physiotherapy, the
six limb-fitting centres the ICRC runs in the country therefore make every
effort to ensure their social reintegration and to give them the means to
recover their dignity. The ICRC's main tools in this area are education,
vocational training and a micro-credit programme to start up or improve
businesses.
Under this programme, small
loans are given out free of interest. It is up to the disabled to choose and
plan their activities. A committee of experts (all disabled persons themselves)
assesses the candidate's capacities and the feasibility of his or her plan. It
also monitors the business closely once it is operating. About 1,700 businesses
had been started up by the end of 2002. (...)
CARE relief supplies, emergency team arrive in Baghdad
Organization aiding refugees in no man's land
Atlanta, GA, USA, April 28 - The
international humanitarian organization CARE reports that its first shipment of
humanitarian supplies, including food and hygiene kits, crossed the Jordan-Iraq
border and arrived safely in Baghdad over the weekend. Meanwhile, a team of
emergency response experts arrived in the Iraqi capital today to support CARE's
Baghdad staff and ongoing relief efforts. (...)
Destined for children's hospitals and
people in need throughout Iraq, the CARE convoy of 13 trucks carried the
following donated cargo: oxygen regulators, milk powder, lactose-free milk,
processed cheese, sugar, green peas, disinfectant, soap and hygiene kits. The
hygiene kits contain soap, detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels,
nailclippers, shampoo, sanitary towels and bandages, all packed in a plastic
bucket. (...)
http://www.careusa.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2003/apr/04282003_iraq.asp
28 April - Malawi is suffering
from the present Southern African food crisis, where at least a million of its
people are on the brink of starvation. Due to recent floods and delayed
precipitation, Malawi faces one of its worst harvest seasons ever. Stop Hunger
Now is providing food aid to help feed hungry Malawians.
Through a generous donation by partner agency, Amigos
Internacionales, a non-profit organization based in Longview, Texas, Stop
Hunger Now provided two 40' foot containers of dehydrated soup blend to help
the malnourished, ill and drought stricken needy of Malawi. The total quantity
of this donation is the equivalent of approximately 2, 200,000 meals.
Stop Hunger Now, a non-profit 501(c) (3) international
relief organization headquartered in Raleigh, NC, USA, has provided over $18
million dollars of cash and in-kind donations to help those in need in 45 countries
around the world. (...)
http://www.interaction.org/newswire/detail.php?id=1565
Brussels, May 5 - The European
Commission announced today that it intends to make available an accelerated
package of €210M financial assistance in support of Jordan and Egypt to offset
the economic impact of the war in Iraq. This emergency assistance will be drawn
from existing commitments and is scheduled for quick disbursement to help the
two countries most affected by the war to stabilise their economic situation. (...) €175 M of the total amount will
be disbursed as budgetary assistance to Egypt while the remaining €35M will
help to restore the stability of the Jordanian balance of payments.
This important package of
financial assistance is designed for quick disbursement. The funds will be made
available by reallocating money within the Commission’s current financial
assistance programmes for Egypt and Jordan. Whilst it is too early to assess
the full economic impact of the conflict, Egypt and Jordan are the two
neighbouring countries of Iraq whose economies are likely to be most affected
by the war. (...)
This package of accelerated
financial assistance, in response to the conflict in Iraq, will come in
addition to the €100M of humanitarian aid already made available by the
European Commission, thus bringing the total amount of funds made available to
€310 M.
Brussels, May 5 - The European
Commission has approved a number of actions to reinforce the EU’s regional
co-operation with its Mediterranean neighbours in 2003. With a total budget of
€ 57 million, funded under the MED Regional Programme, the approved activities
will encourage co-operation and dialogue between the 27 Euro-Mediterranean
Partners in areas such as the Middle East Peace Process, training of public
officials, water information systems, the South-South free trade area (Agadir
Process), investment facilities and cultural heritage.
The
Middle East Peace Projects (MEPP) 2003 (€ 10 million) will be a direct
follow-up of the previous MEPP frameworks. They are to provide funding for the
strengthening of civil societies in the Middle East, for enhancing peace
initiatives on both the Israeli and Palestinian/Arab side, and to promote and
explore ideas for a peaceful solution to the conflict (...)
Euromed
Heritage III (€ 10 million) is designed to promote heritage common to both shores
of the Mediterranean as a tool for policies of tolerance, peace and stability.
The programme will support 4 projects selected under the Euromed Heritage II
Call for Proposals, and aimed at increasing the Mediterranean Partners’
capacity in managing and enhancing their own heritage.
Geneva, 1 May (UN Information
Service) -- Ramiro Lopes da Silva, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator
for Iraq, led a team of senior United Nations officials across the border from
Jordan into Iraq this morning and is expected to arrive in Baghdad later today,
where the group will re-establish a permanent presence of United Nations
international staff in the Iraqi capital for the first time since hostilities
began.
Mr. Lopes da Silva was
accompanied by the country representatives of the World Health Organization,
Dr. Ghulam Popal; the World Food Programme, Torben Due; the United Nations
Children’s Fund, Carel de Rooy; and the United Nations Development Programme,
Francis Dubois. Communications, logistics, security and other key staff
completed the team of 21, which crossed the border at 11:20 a.m. local time, in
a convoy of eight vehicles.
The arrival of the senior
delegation in Baghdad will bring to more than
60 the number of United
Nations international staff working in Iraq.
Additional staff will enter the country in the north, centre and south
during May, to increase the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in
need.
Source: UNIC, Rome
Major
meltdown marks progress against illegal arms in Serbia
30 April - Almost 4,000
automatic rifles, grenade launchers, pistols and other small arms - recently
transformed into 12 tons of high-grade steel in a ceremony at a fiery furnace -
will no longer threaten lives in Serbia. The event highlighted the collection
of over 40,000 more small arms and about two million rounds of ammunition that citizens
turned in between 25 March and 24 April, according to the Ministry of Interior,
in support of a Government campaign to rid the country of illicit small arms
and light weapons. The campaign is part of a massive crackdown on organized
crime following the murder of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic in March and
supports wide reforms bolstering the push towards European integration. The
collected weapons account for two thirds of the 60,000 to 70,000 illegal
weapons that the Government estimates remained in the hands of citizens after a
decade of wars in the region. (...)
Proliferation and illicit
trafficking of small arms is a serious problem throughout the region,
undermining the rule of law, fuelling crime and insecurity, exacerbating
tensions and negating peace-building. For these reasons UNDP and the Stability
Pact for South-East Europe are supporting the campaign through the South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse
for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), a joint project
based with the UNDP
country office in Belgrade. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/april/30apr03/index.html
WHO launches partnership of European, Israeli and Palestinian cities
Programme
aims at promoting dialogue and improving health
30 April - Geneva -- The World
Health Organization (WHO) and the International Solidarity Fund of Cities
against Poverty today launched a new partnership for health and human
development of European, Palestinian and Israeli Cities. This innovative
programme aims at promoting dialogue through enhanced collaboration in the area
of health between local governments and civil society. (...)
WHO has invited
representatives from seven European cities - Geneva, Barcelona, Lyon, The
Hague, Brussels, Torino, and Hamar (Norway) - to launch the initiative. Today,
they will decide how cities can best work together to exchange health care
expertise. Representatives are meeting today in Geneva with the Deputy Director
General of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel (ULAI) and the Executive
Director of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) to develop
concrete next steps that will speed up the implementation of this promising
partnership. (...)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2003/pr35/en/
RCI:
Official Sponsorshipo of International Institute For Peace Through Tourism
Parsippany, NJ, USA, April 24
- RCI, the leading global provider of value-added services to developers,
owners and associations in the vacation ownership industry, today announced a
new alliance with the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT),
and issued a joint message of "Hope Through Travel" to consumers.
The IIPT is a not-for-profit
organization dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives which
contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality
of environment, the preservation of heritage, and through these initiatives,
help to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world.
The joint statement, issued by RCI President and Chief Executive Officer Ken May and IIPT Founder and President Lou D'Amore, is as follows: "In these uncertain times, we recognize that travel and tourism is a worldwide cultural phenomenon that brings together and broadens people of all nations, and is one of humanity's few truly global sources of understanding. We believe travel is not just an opportunity for some, but a right for all. (...)”
Security
of tenure for Brazilian slum residents
April 23 - The Brazilian city
of São Paulo is taking active measures to give residents of its slums security
of tenure. The action is backed by the United Nations task force spearheading
the Cities without Slums target enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals.
An initiative by the mayor, Ms
Marta Suplicy, was given the stamp of political approval by President Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva at a ceremony in the city on 8 April which included city
authorities as well as representatives of local slum communities. The ceremony
coincided with a meeting of the UN task force of which UN-HABITAT is a member.
It confirmed the will of the government and the São Paulo city fathers to
undertake decisive actions towards improving the living conditions of slum
dwellers.
The two campaigns are part of
preparations for a future launch in Brazil, to coincide with the celebration of
World Habitat Day on 6 October 2003 in Rio de Janeiro. UN-HABITAT officials
described the São Paulo initiative as a “strong signal” of the will of the
Brazilian authorities to achieve the Cities without Slums target of the
Millennium Declaration’s goal of improving the lives of least 100 million slum
residents around the world by the year 2020. (...)
http://www.unhabitat.org/brazilian.asp
34
million friends of UNFPA Campaign hits $1 million milestone
United Nations, New York, 1
May —The founders of the grassroots campaign “34 Million Friends of UNFPA”
today announced it has raised $1 million to support the United Nations
Population Fund, mostly in small donations. More than 100,000 Americans have
contributed to the campaign to help replace funds withheld by the United States
Administration last July. (...) UNFPA will use the campaign’s first million
dollars to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women; reduce the spread of
HIV/AIDS; equip hospitals with essential supplies; support adolescents and
youth; and prevent and treat obstetric fistula, a debilitating condition that
results from obstructed labour.
Campaign founders, Lois
Abraham, a lawyer from New Mexico, and Jane Roberts, a retired French teacher
and tennis coach from California, had never met, but they shared the same
indignant reaction when the United States Administration withheld $34 million
that Congress had appropriated for UNFPA. Ms. Roberts sent a letter to a
newspaper, asking that, “as an exercise in outraged democracy, would 34 million
Americans please send $1 each? This would right a terrible wrong”. Ms. Abraham
emailed 40 friends, asking them each to donate $1 to UNFPA and pass the email
along to 10 more friends. Thus, the “34 Million Friends” campaign was born.
Ms. Abraham and Ms. Roberts
recognize that $34 million is an ambitious goal, but agree that the campaign is
“just getting started”. The women intend to reach out to people in Europe to
spread the word about what they consider to be “a humanitarian issue, not a
political one”.(...)
http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=312
Canada contributes $66 million to UNICEF for immunization and health
programs for children
Ottawa / New York, 1 May – The Canadian Government announced today that it is contributing $66 million in Canadian dollars to UNICEF in support of vital immunization and vitamin A distribution programs for children in the poorest countries.
The gift to UNICEF comes as
part of a package of global health initiatives by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) totaling $143.6 million over five years.
UNICEF will receive $32.3
million from CIDA over five years to help expand routine vaccination of
children against such diseases as tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, and
tetanus. The gift will also help expand UNICEF’s use of auto-disable syringes,
which enhance safety of injections because they can only be used once.
UNICEF will also receive $33.6
million to extend its highly successful vitamin A supplementation campaign,
which presently reaches more than 200 million children in over 70 countries.
Vitamin A strengthens the immune system, helping protect children against death
and illnesses of all kinds. Canada is the leader in supporting UNICEF’s vitamin
A programs. (...) Over the past six years, Canada has contributed more than $73
million (Canadian) to UNICEF’s immunization and vitamin A initiatives. (...)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/2003/03pr30canada.htm
Washington DC, April 29 - An
innovative financing program to help eradicate polio (poliomyelitis) worldwide
by 2005 was launched today when the World Bank approved a US$28 million
no-interest loan for the purchase of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in Nigeria,
Africa’s most polio endemic country. The World Bank, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, Rotary International, and the United Nations Foundation,
which together comprise the Investment
Partnership for Polio, said they would move swiftly over the coming months
to fund the immunization of children in other polio endemic countries. A US$20
million loan for eradicating polio in Pakistan is scheduled for consideration
in mid-May.
The loans will be funded
through the International Development Association (IDA)-the World Bank's
soft-loan arm for the poorest countries. In a new approach to development aid,
the partnership will "buy down" a country's IDA loans upon successful
completion of that country's polio eradication program. Because of the generous
loan terms, each grant dollar unlocks US$2.50-3.00 for affected countries to
fight polio. To fund the buy-downs, the partnership has established a trust
fund with US$25 million from the Gates Foundation and $25 million from Rotary
International/UN Foundation. This US$50 million investment will buy down
US$120-140 million in World Bank IDA loans. In this way, developing countries
can mobilize what ultimately becomes grant funding to eradicate polio, and thus
contribute beyond their national borders to the global campaign to eliminate
polio transmission worldwide. (...)
UNFPA
and OPEC Fund Launch Drive to Prevent HIV/AIDS in Central America and the
Caribbean
24 April - A new initiative to
prevent HIV/AIDS in Central America and the Caribbean was formally launched in
Havana, Cuba, in early April. The effort, implemented by UNFPA with a $3.2
million contribution from the OPEC
Fund for International Development, aims to raise awareness of
sexually transmitted diseases among the youth of the region, which has the
highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the Western Hemisphere. It will also
provide young people with sexual and reproductive health care that is
youth-friendly, and gender and culturally sensitive.
The new initiative is a follow
up to an agreement signed by UNFPA
and the OPEC Fund in November 2002. Countries benefiting from the initiative
include Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras and Saint Lucia. The
Havana launch coincided with the Second Forum on STIs/HIV/AIDS for Latin
America and the Caribbean. Kunio Waki, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, and Edwin
Gutierrez, Senior Officer of the Vienna-based OPEC Fund, spoke at the event.
http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=310
(top)
EU
proposal for Water Fund with a budget of €1 billion
29 April - The EC proposed the
establishment of a EU Water Fund, with a budget of €1 billion, to help give
people in the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific signatory countries to the
Cotonou Agreement access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. This
builds on the EU Water Initiative, launched during the 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, which confirmed the target of
halving, by 2015, the number of people across the world without access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation: http://europa-eu-un.org/article.asp?id=2262
Nicaragua
and Guatemala communities manage and reduce disaster risks
1 May - Nicaragua and
Guatemala, battling the onslaught of hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural
disasters for decades, are partnering with UNDP to respond to such crises. The
aim is to pick up where humanitarian relief leaves off, by putting in place
early recovery initiatives to mitigate the worst impact, and enhance
preparedness in the rebuilding process.
(...)
After tropical storm
"Michelle" severely damaged homes and livelihoods throughout the
Caribbean and Central America, the regional governments in Nicaragua and the
International Forum of Donors with the Atlantic Coast (FICCA) asked UNDP to
coordinate with other UN agencies, national authorities and donors in assessing
damages and needs, and managing the emergency and transition to recovery
through FICCA.
UNDP implemented a capacity
building project and by March 2003, only five months later, trained 86 local
authorities and community members in disaster risk management, enabling better
communication between the local authorities and SINAPRED at the national
level. (...)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/may/1may03/index.html
EW So
far yet so near
30 April, Rome/Abuja -- At
first glance the villagers of the southern Chinese province of Sichuan have
little in common with the inhabitants of the State of Kano, situated in the
north of Nigeria. Despite the miles that separate these two communities, both
share many of the same environmental and climatic challenges and their farmers
face similar problems.
A first group of 23 Chinese
experts has just arrived in Nigeria to share experience and expertise with
their Nigerian colleagues under the South-South Cooperation initiative, within
the framework of the country's National Special Programme for Food Security
(NSPFS). (...)
South-South Cooperation is
about allowing countries to benefit from the experience and expertise of other
more advanced developing countries.
China has already successfully
implemented a number of such cooperation programmes as part of the FAO Special
Programme under agreements with Ethiopia, Mauritania, Bangladesh, Mali and
Ghana. The SPFS in these countries has enabled farmers who took part in the
programme to considerably increase their production, incomes and overall food
security. (...)
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/16306-en.html
International
World Environment Day celebrations to be held in Lebanon on 5 June.
First
time in the Arab world.
Nairobi/Beirut, 30 April –
Lebanon, a country whose fabled cedar trees have been revered since the
sea-faring days of the Phoenicians, will host this year’s World Environment Day
(5 June), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.
It will be the first time in
the 30-year history of this awareness-raising event that the main celebrations
have been held in the Arab world.
This year’s theme, Water - Two
Billion People are Dying for It! echoes one of the most pressing environmental
issues facing the planet and its six billion citizens. The theme for World
Environment Day also supports the celebration of 2003 as the International Year
of Freshwater. (...)
http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=309&ArticleID=3973
Buddhist
- Muslim dialogue at UNESCO
Paris, 30 April –
About 20 religious leaders and experts on religion from a number of countries
will gather at UNESCO Headquarters from May 5 to 7 to take part in a
Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue on the theme “Global Ethic and Good Governance.”
The conference,
organized by two NGOs accredited to the United Nations – the Museum of World
Religions and the Global Family for Love and Peace – and by the UNESCO Chair
for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue based in Jerusalem, is part of
UNESCO’s Interreligious Dialogue Programme. It will look at the relationship
between Islam and Buddhism worldwide and especially in South East Asia.
This
Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue, the first to be held under the aegis of a UN agency,
will analyse those elements that unite Muslims and Buddhists, especially in
South East Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Shared values and
practices that help to prevent or resolve conflict will be highlighted. (...)
Brussels - Working together
with the European Parliament's Committee on Development and Co-operation, EI is
pushing for the adoption of a Resolution to increase EU contributions to the Education For All Goals. On 8 may, the
European for Education Campaign is organising a large demonstration in the
plenary hall of the European Parliament in Brussels. In the presence of
European decision-makers, the seats of the European Members of Parliament will
for once be taken by schoolchildren from all over the continent to make sure
that the European Union stands up for all those children deprived of an
education. We would like you to join us and participate in the event! In
addition, we hope you could visit the Education for All - European Campaign
photo-and-drawing exhibition in the main hall of the Parliament.
http://www.ei-ie.org/main/english/index.html
UNESCO
hosts second conference on 'Education for tolerance: the case of resurgent
antisemitism'
Paris, 30 April –
The second international conference on “Educating for Tolerance: the Case of
Resurgent Antisemitism,” organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in
cooperation with UNESCO will be held at UNESCO Headquarters from May 12 to 14.
The opening session on May 12 (7 pm) will be attended by UNESCO
Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Sergio Vieira de Mello, Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky,
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Rabbi
Marvin Hier, Dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.
A press conference
(2.30 pm, accreditation required) with Mr Matsuura and Rabbi Hier will be held
before the opening ceremony. (...)
The first conference on
“Educating for Tolerance: the Case of Resurgent Antisemitism,” was held in June
1992 at UNESCO Headquarters. Three conferences were subsequently organized by
the Wiesenthal Centre under the auspices of UNESCO: “From Xenophobia to
Tolerance: Jews and Muslims in Europe and Beyond” (Paris 1995);
“Migrantophobia, Caucasophobia and Anti-Semitism (Moscow 1996) and “Kosovo in
the Mirror of Auschwitz” (Vienna, 1997).
Prof. Ada Aharoni, President
of IFLAC-International Forum for Literature and Culture, has seen two of her
poems win the UNESCO poetry contest for Poetry Day; the poems can be viewed on http://www.unesco.it in the section
"Poetica Babele" under "Israel".
Also, the IFLAC Peace Culture
Anthology: GALIM 10: New Horizons 2003, has just been published, and it
contains excellent material for peace studies and peace education programs. It
has been recommended for schools and colleges by the Ministry of Culture
in several countries. Likewise the 3 new Peace e-Book CD's have
been highly recommended: You and I Can
Change the World, Women Create a World beyond War and Violence, and a
book of children: The Peace Flower.
The Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel, who is a sponsor of IFLAC
rightly stated: "We are the stories we read and the stories we
tell..." The Peace E-Books can be viewed at:
http://s1.amazon.co.uk/exec/varzea/ts/exchangeglance/Y02Y2980092Y7720527/202-0470233-0761430
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Next issue: 23 May 2003
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