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organizations with NGO status at the United Nations. Please contact member parties regarding the
positions of their respective organizations on matters expressed in this online journal.
April 29, 2008
Posted 8:58 AM
by Mary
ICC seeks DR Congo's 'Terminator'
A Congolese warlord known as "the Terminator" is being sought for prosecution, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague has revealed.The arrest warrant for Bosco Ntaganda, was issued in 2006 but not made public and he is still at large. He is accused of conscripting children under 15 to fight in hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between July 2002 and December 2003.Judges say he reported to Thomas Lubanga, currently in ICC custody. The arrest warrant for Mr Ntaganda is the fourth to be issued by the ICC involving fighting in the gold-rich Ituri region. ICC judges say as deputy head of military operations for the rebel Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (FPLC), Mr Ntaganda was responsible for seven camps where children were trained.He is also accused of taking part in FPLC attacks when the group used child soldiers. The FPLC, drawn from the area's Hema ethnic group, fought alongside Mr Lubanga's Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) against the Lendu ethnic group. The violence broke out in 1999 and continued until 2003, partly for control of the gold deposits.An estimated 50,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands left homeless. At different times, Mr Lubanga was backed by both Uganda and Rwanda - DR Congo's neighbours. Under a peace deal, several Congolese militias have disarmed and been integrated into the national army.Mr Ntaganda's arrest warrant was not made public before in case it hindered the court's investigations, the ICC said in a statement. Mr Lubanga's trial is scheduled to start in June. Labels: COngo, ICC, war crimes
April 28, 2008
Posted 2:29 PM
by Mary
“The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Prospects for the 2010 Review Conference” 24 April 2008 This week’s DPI/NGO briefing examined the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which will hold its second session from 28 April to 9 May 2008 in the Assembly Hall at the United Nations Office in Geneva. This meeting is the second of three sessions that will be held prior to the 2010 Review Conference. The purpose of the PrepCom is to prepare for the Review Conference in terms of assessing the implementation of each article of the NPT and facilitating discussion among States with a view to making recommendations to the Review Conference. The guest speakers were Mr. Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and Mr. John Burroughs, Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee on Nuclear Policy. Mr.Sergio de Queiroz Duarte began by noting that the Non-Proliferation Treaty was the only instrument committing the majority of countries to non-proliferation and disarmament. It was important for all UN Member states to abide by the Treaty. Mr. Duarte stressed the important role the civil society played in raising awareness of nuclear weapons. He explained this to be the reason why he decided to share his knowledge with UN NGOs. Mr. Duarte discussed the ways in which security perceptions have changed over the past four decades. He noted a misconception of several countries that believed non-proliferation would diminish their security, although he recognized that with time many have come to see the option as the opposite, as enhancing their security. Mr. Duarte stressed that security was better served by signing the Treaty, which was a binding agreement. He cited that all countries, except for three, have signed the agreement. He explained that the three non-parties have important security perceptions, which in their view justifies acquiring nuclear weapons. Mr. Duarte noted that high marks of evolution for the Treaty took place between 1995 through 2000. He added that serious work must still be done. Mr. Duarte cited that terrorism added a difficult element to the equation. He noted that the 2005 Conference demonstrated how irreconcilable the positions had become, but in 2006 things seemed more positive. Mr. Duarte suggested that the Second PrepComm should avoid procedural pitfalls and concentrate on substance. Mr. Duarte added that the Third PrepComm would be an important test, due to its mandate to make recommendations to the Review Conference. Mr. Duarte concluded by saying that although our intelligence tells us to be pessimistic our will makes us optimistic. He said: “Let us use our will” and change into a nuclear free world. Mr. John Burroughs discussed possible problems for the 2010 Review Conference such as the dispute over Iran’s nuclear issue, the United States resistance to commitments made at the 1995 and 2000 conference, and Arab countries insisting on progress towards bringing Israel to sign the Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Mr. Burroughs noted possible solutions for these problems to be a resolution of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear issue, progress in resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict, and movement toward creation of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Burroughs noted that more than one billion dollars was spent to extend missile life to the year 2042. He added that there were 25,000 nuclear warheads and bombs in the world and there was no sign that countries were willing to cut those numbers. Mr. Burroughs noted that problems of proliferation and terrorist acquisition must be addressed, but can only be solved when reduction and elimination of existing nuclear arsenals takes place. Mr. Burroughs spoke about the priorities of his organization to be: verified reduction of nuclear forces, negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, strengthening negative security assurances, regulation of nuclear fuel supply and production, and improved governance of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He concluded by exploring the idea of having a weapons-of-mass-destruction free world and suggested a new treaty be implemented to ban all nuclear weapons in the future. During the question and answer session, Mr. Duarte responded to a question regarding the moral consciousness of the United Nations by clarifying that the UN was a collection of sovereign States and each of the Member States had high moral principles. A question was asked in regards to changing public perceptions of nuclear weapons. Mr. Burroughs responded to the question by noting that public perception had changed since the 80’s. He added that although people were aware of the situation, it was often not a high priority. He quoted that the “public was educated, just not activated”. A question was asked regarding how proliferation applied to the MDG Agenda. Mr. Duarte noted that if less money was spent on security, more money could be spent on meeting MDGs. Mr. Burroughs added that in 2006, 26 billion dollars was spent worldwide on nuclear forces, warhead maintenance, research, and delivery systems. He noted that if we had complete nuclear disarmament, the finances could be shifted to other areas such as poverty issues. In conclusion, Mr. Burroughs responded to a question regarding nuclear energy and nuclear weapons by stating the need for a long term transition from nuclear power to help eliminate nuclear weapons. Labels: NPT, nuclear
April 21, 2008
Posted 9:55 AM
by Mary
"Perpetual Minors" Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Report on Women in Saudi Arabia I. Background on Women’s Rights and the Role of the Religious Establishment II. Human Rights Violations Resulting from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation Denying Women the Right to Education Denying Women the Right to Employment Denying Women the Right to Health Denying Women the Right to Equality before the Law Denying Women the Right to Freedom of Movement Denying Women the Right to Equality in Marriage III. Saudi Arabia’s Obligations under International Law IV. Recommendations To the Government of Saudi Arabia To Governments with Final or Pending Free Trade Agreements with Saudi Arabia Labels: HRW, Human Rights, Saudi Arabia, Women
Posted 9:54 AM
by Mary
Saudi women 'kept in childhood' BBCSaudi women are being kept in perpetual childhood so male relatives can exercise "guardianship" over them, the Human Rights Watch group has said. The New York-based group says Saudi women have to obtain permission from male relatives to work, travel, study, marry or even receive health care. Their access to justice is also severely constrained, it says. The group says the Saudi establishment sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. Saudi clerics see the guardianship of women's honour as a key to the country's social and moral order. 'No progress' The report, Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia, draws on more than 100 interviews with Saudi women. Farida Deif, women's rights researcher for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch, said: "Saudi women won't make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies." It's astonishing that the Saudi government denies adult women the right to make decisions for themselves but holds them criminally responsible for their actions at puberty Farida Deif, Human Rights Watch The report says that Saudi women are denied the legal right to make even trivial decisions for their children - women cannot open bank accounts for children, enrol them in school, obtain school files or travel with their children without written permission from the child's father. Human Rights Watch says that Saudi women are prevented from accessing government agencies that have no established female sections unless they have a male representative. The need to establish separate office spaces for women is a disincentive to hiring female employees, and female students are often relegated to unequal facilities with unequal academic opportunities, the report says. Male guardianship over adult women also contributes to their risk of exposure to violence within the family as victims of violence find it difficult to seek protection or redress from the courts. Social workers, physicians and lawyers say that it is nearly impossible to remove guardianship from male guardians who are abusive, the group says. "It's astonishing that the Saudi government denies adult women the right to make decisions for themselves but holds them criminally responsible for their actions at puberty," said Ms Deif. "For Saudi women, reaching adulthood brings no rights, only responsibilities."
April 19, 2008
Posted 9:49 AM
by Mary
Rising food prices to top U.N. agenda Fri 18 Apr 2008, 15:08 GMT GENEVA (Reuters) - The rising cost of providing food aid will top the agenda when U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets heads of U.N. agencies, the World Bank and IMF in Switzerland later this month, a spokeswoman said on Friday. Ban will host a semi-annual meeting of U.N. agency heads in the Swiss capital of Berne on April 28-29, U.N. spokeswoman Marie Heuze said. World Bank President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn are also to attend, she said. "The main subjects on the agenda will be the food crisis and climate change. They will look at means of coordination," Heuze told Reuters. The World Bank has warned that higher food and energy costs, along with poor infrastructure and falling aid levels, threaten to undo several years of growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. High prices, driven by bad harvests and record fuel costs, have triggered riots and violence in poor and developing countries including Haiti and Indonesia, especially those which rely on imports for the bulk of food supplies. Josette Sheeran, who heads the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP), and Jacques Diouf, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), will be among the participants at the closed-door talks in Berne. The WFP's initial appeal to donor countries for this year was $2.9 billion (1.45 billion pounds). But due to rising food and fuel costs, the Rome-based agency issued an emergency appeal in late February for an extra $500 million to help feed 73 million hungry people in 80 countries. Since then, the price it pays to buy Thai rice, a staple in many poor countries, has jumped from $460 a tonne in early March to $780 a tonne now. As a result, its emergency appeal has risen to $756 million, a WFP spokeswoman said. "I can't guarantee this figure won't change again because if prices continue to rise, we'll need to act accordingly," spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume told a news briefing. The agency has received $900 million in donations so far, which represents only 20 percent of its overall needs of at least $3.65 billion for the year, she added. The FAO warned last week that food riots in developing countries will spread unless world leaders take major steps to reduce prices for the poor. Despite a forecast 2.6 percent hike in global cereal output this year, record prices are unlikely to fall, forcing poorer countries' food import bills up 56 percent and hungry people on to the streets, Diouf said at the time. Labels: FAO, food, WFP, world bank
April 17, 2008
Posted 9:09 PM
by Mary
NGLS is pleased to share with you the March/April 2008 issue of “The Road to Doha”, a publication jointly produced by the DESA Financing for Development Office (FFDO) and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) in the run-up to the International Conference to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus to be held in Doha, Qatar from 29 November to 2 December 2008 (A/RES/61/191 and A/RES/62/187). This issue contains summaries of the third and fourth ’Review Sessions’ on chapters five and six of the Monterrey Consensus as well a summary of the Special High-level Meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held on 14 April. The issue also contains a guest contribution on the role of the Doha Review Conference in encouraging trade to act as an engine for development. To view the current issue (in pdf format)Labels: Bretton Woods, Doha, Monterey
April 15, 2008
Posted 9:04 PM
by Mary
UN calls for farming revolution People queuing for rice in the Philippines, 15 April 2008 A UN-sponsored report has called for urgent changes to the way food is produced, as soaring food prices risk driving millions of people to poverty. The Unesco study recommends better safeguards to protect resources and more sustainable farming practices, such as producing food locally. More natural and ecological farming techniques should be used, it says. Haiti, Egypt, the Philippines and parts of West Africa have seen riots recently over the costs of rice, wheat and soya. Unesco, a UN educational body, says increased demand for food in India and China, the growing market for biofuel crops, and rising oil prices are some of the factors behind the rising prices. A group of 400 experts spent three years researching the report, which was unveiled on Tuesday at Unesco in Paris. * Progress in agriculture has reaped very unequal benefits and has come at a high social and environmental cost * Food producers should try using "natural processes" like crop rotation and use of organic fertilisers * The distance between the produce and consumer should also be reduced The BBC's Nick Miles says that with food prices at the top of the international political agenda, this is effectively a blueprint for the future of global agriculture. Unesco says wheat prices have risen 130% percent since March 2007 while soy prices have jumped 87%. "The status quo is no longer an option," Guilhem Calvo, a Unesco expert, told a news conference in Paris. "We must develop agriculture less dependent on fossil fuels, that favours the use of locally available resources." The report said rising oil prices had made transport and farm production more expensive and had led to more crops being grown to make bio-fuels for vehicles. It said bio-fuel production had mixed effects, adding: "The diversion of agricultural crops to fuel can raise food prices and reduce our ability to alleviate hunger throughout the world." It also warned large swaths of central and western Asia and Africa were running out of water. Farming was responsible for more than a third of the world's most degraded land, it said. Unesco noted the 'considerable influence' of big transnational corporations in North America and Europe. By contrast, Latin America and the Caribbean are largely dependent on imported food, it said. Over the weekend the World Bank outlined a plan of aid and loans to developing nations to help deal with the problem.
April 1, 2008
Posted 1:07 PM
by Mary
The U.N.'s World Food Program is struggling as costs of food and fuel skyrocket while the numbers of people needing help surge across the globe. Millions are in danger. By Edmund Sanders and Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers KHARTOUM, SUDAN -- For 15 years, he's been a "grocer" for Africa's destitute. But he's never seen anything like this. Pascal Joannes' job is to find grains, beans and oils to fill a food basket for Sudan's neediest people, from Darfur refugees to schoolchildren in the barren south. Lately Joannes has spent less time shopping and more time poring over commodity price lists, usually in disbelief. "White beans at $1,160," the white-haired Belgian, 52, cries in despair over the price of a metric ton. "Complete madness! I bought them two years ago in Ethiopia for $235." Joannes is head of procurement in Sudan for the World Food Program, the United Nations agency in charge of alleviating world hunger. Meteoric food and fuel prices, a slumping dollar, the demand for biofuels and a string of poor harvests have combined to abruptly multiply WFP's operating costs, even as needs increase. In other words, if the number of needy people stayed constant, it would take much more money to feed them. But the number of people needing help is surging dramatically. It is what WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran calls "a perfect storm" hitting the world's hungry. The agency last month issued an emergency appeal for money to cover a shortfall tallied at more than half a billion dollars and growing. It said it might have to reduce food rations or cut people off altogether. The most vulnerable are people like those in Sudan, whom Joannes is struggling to feed and who rely heavily, perhaps exclusively, on the aid. But at least as alarming, WFP officials say, is the emerging community of newly needy. These are the people who once ate three meals a day and could afford nominal healthcare or to send their children to school. They are more likely to live in urban areas and buy most of their food in a market. Labels: darfur, food
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"War does not determine who is right--only who is left." - Bertrand Russell
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