Industrialization will help Africa fully join world economy, says Ban

Posted on November 21, 2009 by editor

Armed conflict, inadequate infrastructure, weak governance, limited financing and technological abilities, and policies that stifle entrepreneurship, limit competition and raise the cost of doing business are hindering the industrialization that Africa needs to fully join the global economy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.

“Efforts to address these challenges must be rooted in a shared global responsibility for our planet’s prosperity,” he said in a message marking Africa Industrialization Day, observed annually on 20 November and whose theme this year is ‘Industrialization for integration.’

“We know what is needed, including a green agricultural revolution linked to industrial transformation. Indeed, there is great industrial potential in the emergence of a new, green economic paradigm,” he added.

African leaders must provide a supportive regulatory and financial framework for such changes to gain strength, he noted.

Meanwhile, the international community must work with African Governments and institutions to do the research, make the investments and deploy the technologies for a climate-resilient, low-carbon growth path to feed Africa’s growing population and raise living standards by building the industries of the future.

Mr. Ban cited encouraging economic growth on the continent in the past few years but stressed that increased industrialization is necessary if the transformation of African economies is to be sustained.

“Industrialization will help Africa increase its share of global output and trade, and become more fully and meaningfully a part of the global economy,” he said. “But integration itself will help Africa industrialize, since African economies need improved access to global markets if its industries are to be competitive.

“Greater integration of regional markets on the continent itself can also foster industrial development by making it easier to produce at economic scale.”

Speaking at a panel discussion at UN Headquarters in New York to mark the Day, the Secretary-General noted that last year was the fifth consecutive year in which Africa registered economic growth of more than 5 per cent, but he warned that the industrial sector has not lived up to its potential.

“Africa still accounts for just over one per cent of world industry, and industrial development on the continent has lagged behind other developing countries,” he said.

Member States Consider Ways to Energize, Fully Engage Powers of General Assembly, Pledge to Restore Institutional Balance with Other United Nations Bodies

Posted on November 20, 2009 by editor

A General Assembly that lived up to its status in that way would enhance the overall strength and effectiveness of the United Nations, said Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki in remarks delivered by Assembly Vice-President Tommo Monthe, representative of Cameroon. It was a cause to which he was devoted.

The Assembly’s authority had eroded in recent years, and constructive political dialogue among States was vital to making it more responsive to pressing world issues. “That is a strong incentive for all of us to redouble our efforts to achieve what we all want, a revitalized General Assembly,” he said.

For his part, the Assembly President planned to hold thematic debates in an open, interactive and inclusive manner, as a way to increase the Assembly’s visibility and enhance its relationship with other United Nations bodies, non‑governmental organizations and civil society. With a view to striking a balance among the United Nations principal organs, he had held regular meetings with the rotating Security Council Presidents and the President of the Economic and Social Council to ensure increased cooperation.

In the debate that followed, speakers pointed out various ways to inject more efficiency into the Assembly’s work. As a start, Peru’s delegate suggested curbing the “knee jerk” repetition of matters on its agenda. The Assembly’s work programme revealed a proliferation of items that did not reflect priorities and that, perhaps, could be taken up in other generalized or specific forums. The Assembly should not limit its work to long debates that had “scant” practical effect on the ground. Indeed, the important body must produce concrete, verifiable results.

Similarly, the Republic of Korea’s representative reminded delegates that revitalization had been on the Assembly’s plate for almost 20 years. The agenda clearly had to be restructured, and he urged exploring the idea of eliminating, clustering or biennializing some items. Cooperation with other main organs also should be improved, a point that should be approached from the perspective of “coordination”, rather than “competition”.

That approach would come into full view in asserting the Assembly’s power in matters of international peace and security, some speakers said. Egypt’s delegate stated that the Assembly should carry out its work on such matters, as outlined in articles 10 to 14 and 35 of the United Nations Charter ( on the powers of the Assembly ), and use, where appropriate, procedures set out in rules 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure ( on matter regarding relations with the Secretariat, the Assembly’s meetings, and documentation ).

He said the role of the Security Council in the selection process of the Secretary-General encroached on the Assembly’s duties, and he proposed establishing a mechanism that allowed the Assembly President to consult with States to identify potential candidates, inform States of the results, and forward those results to the Council. He pointed to the recent adoption of resolutions on the situations in Honduras and on the recent Gaza Conflict as proof of the Assembly’s ability to take action on issues that fell within that purview. That trend should be enhanced in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

One step could involve strengthening the United Nations budgetary processes, Singapore’s representative said. The current climate of States’ “politicking” in that area had ironically led to more bureaucracy, more wastefulness and a perception that the Organization’s budget was “spiralling out of control.”

He called for a review of the sources of budgetary growth in certain areas and a refocusing of budgetary concerns to a broader and more strategic level. Further, he requested a review of the Assembly’s agenda, specifically in regards to high-level meetings. To ensure States’ participation in such events, issues of both developed and developing countries had to be taken into account. Otherwise, the Assembly’s activities risked becoming a “sideshow” to those events.

Echoing the remarks of many delegates, India’s representative was especially concerned at the Security Council’s encroachment on issues that traditionally fell within the Assembly’s purview — like standard-setting and codification of international law. The Council also held thematic debates on issues that fell within the purview of the Assembly or the Economic and Social Council. He urged the Council to submit special reports to the Assembly, as outlined in resolution 60/286 ( 2006 ).

Ahead of that debate, the Assembly, acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee ( Administrative and Budgetary ), appointed several members to its subsidiary bodies and confirmed other appointments.

It appointed five persons to serve on the 16-member Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions ( ACABQ ) for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2010, to fill vacancies that would occur with the expiration of terms of office on 31 December 2009. Those appointed were Jasminka Dinić ( Croatia ), Collen Vixen Kelapile ( Botswana ), Stafford Oliver Neil ( Jamaica ), Mohammad Mustafa Tal ( Jordan ), and Nonye Udo ( Nigeria ).

Next, the Assembly appointed the following to the Committee on Contributions — which advises the Assembly on apportioning the United Nations’ expenses among Members — for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2010: Andrzej T. Abraszewski ( Poland ), Elmi Ahmed Dualeh ( Somalia ), Ihor V. Humenny ( Ukraine ), Meshal Al-Mansour ( Kuwait ), Lisa P. Spratt ( United States ), and Shigeki Sumi ( Japan ).

Turning next to the Investment Committee, the Assembly confirmed the reappointment by the Secretary-General of Emilio Cárdenas ( Argentina ) and Linah K. Mohohlo ( Botswana ) as regular members of the Committee for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2010. It also confirmed the reappointment of Fernando Chico Pardo ( Mexico ) as a regular Committee member for a one-year term beginning on 1 January 2010, and reappointed both Simon Jiang ( China ) and Ivan Pictet ( Switzerland ) as ad hoc members for a one-year term beginning on 1 January 2010.

For the Board of Auditors — which audits the accounts of the United Nations, its funds and programmes, and makes recommendations to the Assembly through the ACABQ — the Assembly appointed the Comptroller and Auditor-General of the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom as a Board member for a six-year term beginning on 1 July 2010.

In final action, the Assembly appointed the following persons as members of the International Civil Service Commission, an independent expert body that coordinates United Nations staff service conditions, for four-year terms beginning on 1 January 2010: Minoru Endo ( Japan ), Lucretia Myers ( United States ), Gilberto Paranhos Velloso ( Brazil ), Wolfgang Stöckl ( Germany ) and Gian Luigi Valenza ( Italy ). It also designated Mr. Stöckl as Vice-Chairman of that Commission for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2010.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Sweden ( on behalf of the European Union ), Algeria ( on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement ), Mexico ( on behalf of the Rio Group ), Belarus, Viet Nam, Indonesia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Japan, Madagascar, Colombia, Nicaragua and Iran.

The General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. Friday, 20 November, to take up the reports of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to fill vacancies in subsidiary and other organs, and to hold its annual debate on the revitalization of the work of the Assembly.

Statement by the President of the General Assembly

TOMMO MONTHE ( Cameroon ), Vice president of the General Assembly, speaking on behalf of Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki, said the renewed commitment to multilateralism, the call for dialogue and the willingness to act together had reaffirmed international confidence in the United Nations. “That is a strong incentive for all of us to redouble our efforts to achieve, what we all want, a revitalized General Assembly,” he said.

Indeed, a General Assembly that protected the strength and effectiveness of the Organization would enhance its credibility, he explained. An Assembly that lived up to its status as the main deliberative, policy-making organ of the United Nations was a priority to which he was deeply devoted.

The Assembly had wide-ranging powers to discuss any questions within the scope of the United Nations Charter, and delegates should make optimum use of that authority to exploit the 192-member body’s full potential. From matters related to international peace and security, to development to human rights, justice and international law, the Assembly must continue to play its rightful role. It had to be more responsive — and quick — in tackling the issues of greatest concern. States’ engagement in constructive political dialogue was essential to retaining the world body’s authority, which had eroded in past years.

For his part, the Assembly President planned to increase the Assembly’s visibility by holding thematic debates in an open, interactive and inclusive manner, which would enhance its relationship with other United Nations bodies, non-governmental organizations and civil society, he said.

Thanking the two co-facilitators of the Ad Hoc Working Group on revitalization of the General Assembly, established last year, he said their work had provided a starting point to discuss the most relevant issues. States had underlined the need to achieve an adequate balance among the United Nations principal organs, notably between the Assembly and the Security Council, and negotiations on Council reform could be enhanced by work to revitalize the Assembly.

To that end, he had held regular meetings with the rotating Council Presidents and the President of the Economic and Social Council to ensure increased cooperation. Many States had also underscored the Assembly’s role in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and had stressed the need for the Security Council and the Assembly to work “harmoniously” when making that important decision. To continue the work of the past session, he had informed the Assembly that the representatives of Slovenia and Argentina had agreed to serve as co-facilitators for the Ad Hoc Working Group and he was convinced that States would extend them their full cooperation and support.

Statements

PER ÖRNÉUS ( Sweden ) speaking on behalf of the European Union said that the revitalization of the General Assembly was a high priority for his delegation and an integral component in overall Organizational reform. Such reforms would strengthen effective multilateralism. However, that could only be accomplished if the Assembly addressed issues of “genuine concern to all Members States and to the international community as a whole.” In engaging practical actions toward that, he urged that the efforts of the Ad Hoc Working Group, which he was counting on to advance such reforms, not be duplicated. He drew attention to the inventory chart that contained all relevant proposals on revitalization and at what stage they were in being put into action.

Continuing, he stressed that swift implementation of existing resolutions would further such reforms, including the outcomes from the Assembly’s 2005 World Summit. Further, improvement of the quality and accuracy of Assembly documents in the six official United Nations languages was essential. He requested the Secretariat investigate if eliminating paper versions of such documents would result in savings that could be redirected to quality enhancement.

In regards to the selection process of the Secretary-General he stated the importance of fully applying the relevant provisions of the Charter and respective resolutions of the Assembly. He stated in conclusion the European Union’s full cooperation and continued support toward the Ad Hoc Group’s work toward successful reforms through its active and pragmatic participation.

MOURAD BENMEHIDI ( Algeria ) speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement said that the aim of revitalizing the General Assembly was to strengthen that body’s role as the chief deliberative policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations. The outcome document of the June Conference on the world financial and economic crisis had established that “a reinvigorated General Assembly is the most appropriate plenary forum to tackle such global issues.” To that end, he noted the swift actions regarding the situation in Honduras, which was a result of the Assembly taking on a greater role of issues of maintaining international peace but which were not on its agenda.

He also said that although Member States should respect the functions of all United Nations organs, that the balance of power needed to be maintained and he urged the Security Council to observe all relevant Charter provisions and Assembly resolutions and to clarify its relationship of the Assembly and other organs. Previous attempts by the Security Council to encroach on the Assembly’s powers were in contradiction to Article 24 of the Charter and were of concern to the Movement. In that regard, he welcomed the adoption of the Assembly resolution 63/309 in 2008, and reaffirmed the Movement’s support and contribution to the Ad Hoc Working Group.

He also called for a thorough evaluation of the status of the Assembly’s resolutions and the underlining causes of any lack of implementation. That was essential to eliminate any constraints that were preventing the full expression of the Assembly’s responsibilities. He also expressed concern over a lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the process of nominating the Secretary-General, a process that appeared to represent the larger powers of the Security Council and its permanent members. To that end, he called for the Assembly’s President to consult with Member States to identify and endorse potential candidates and for these results be forward to the Security Council. In conclusion, he urged caution regarding a new optical scanner balloting system, as he was not sure such a method would protect and preserve the confidentiality and integrity of the voting process.

Speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, SOCORRO ROVIROSA ( Mexico ) said the resolution adopted by consensus on 14 September 2009 incorporated the main concerns of groups and delegations working under the framework of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly. That resolution and the Working Group’s report showed the commitment by the Membership and the Secretariat to galvanize the revitalization process.

Despite the advances, the Rio Group supported additional efforts in five areas. First, the Assembly should play a more relevant role in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. Secondly, the Assembly should assume a more proactive role in dealing with peace and international security issues, and in relation to the new peacebuilding architecture. The Assembly President’s Office should be institutionally strengthened and existing human and financial resources should be used to their maximum capacity, she said. Regarding the improvement of its working methods, the Assembly’s agenda should be streamlined, perhaps with additional biennialization or triennialization of agenda items. Finally, the Assembly’s manual voting system should operate with greater efficiency to reach major agility in the vote counting process.

MAGED ABDELAZIZ ( Egypt ), said that despite the importance of revitalizing the Assembly as the United Nations’ chief deliberative organ, no concrete results had been achieved due to the lack of political will to ensure that it play its leading role. The problem between the Security Council and the Assembly lay in the application of their respective mandates. On one hand, the Council encroached on the Assembly’s mandate. It did not bring any matter to the Assembly’s attention and, in most cases, ignored the will of the Organization’s general membership. On the other hand, the Assembly did not satisfactorily exercise its Charter-mandated responsibilities concerning its relations with the Council.

Given that, a focus was needed on implementing proposals adopted in Assembly resolutions and on new proposals to be presented that would prevent the Council from encroaching on the Assembly’s mandate. Highlighting important points adopted at the fifteenth Non-Aligned Movement Summit in July, he urged the Assembly to take concrete measures when the Council failed to address genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or ceasefire between parties. It should maintain its role in setting the United Nations priorities in budgetary and administrative reforms, including its absolute authority to allocate, and reallocate, financial and human resources.

Continuing, he said the world body should work to maintain international peace and security, as outlined in articles 10 to 14 and 35 of the Charter, and use, where appropriate, procedures set out in rules 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure. The recent adoption of resolutions on the situations in Honduras and on the Gaza Conflict showed the Assembly’s ability to take action on issues that fell within the purview of international peace and security, and that trend should be enhanced in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

Finally, he urged strengthening the “institutional memory” of the Office of the General Assembly President and stressed that the Assembly remain the principle organ that reviewed the work of its subsidiary organs, including the Human Rights Council. The role of the Security Council in the selection process of the Secretary-General encroached on the Assembly’s duties, and he proposed establishing a mechanism that allowed the Assembly President to consult with States to identify potential candidates, inform States of the results, and forward those results to the Council.

He also supported developing the technicalities of voting and balloting systems applied in the General Assembly, as long as it did not affect the confidentiality of those systems. He did not favour establishing a new balloting system. There should also be follow-up on the implementation of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the revitalization process.

YURY YAROSHEVICH ( Belarus ) said the Ad Hoc Working Group on Assembly Revitalization had achieved tangible results, notably last year, when it worked out a chart of Assembly resolutions that would serve as a basis for examining reasons why previously adopted texts had not been implemented. Also, the first substantive resolution on Assembly revitalization in years had been adopted. The atmosphere in which the Working Group worked had significantly improved and would generally contribute to restoring trust between the General Assembly and the Security Council. Steps taken to strengthen the Assembly’s main deliberative role was evidence of the effective interaction between the recognized centres of world economic and political power.

Expressing hope that the “P-5” ( permanent five ) Council members would regard the revitalization process as a way to ensure the health of the system, he said various key ideas should be developed in the Assembly’s current session. First, the Assembly should facilitate consideration of the most pressing concerns — among them, the Kyoto and Copenhagen climate arrangements, and access of developing countries economies in transition to technologies of new and renewable energy sources. Next, the Assembly’s thematic debates could be more results-oriented, leading to the adoption of a resolution or establishment of an open-ended group on issues discussed. A list of States’ proposals could be drafted.

Continuing, he said public visibility of the Assembly’s work should be improved by cooperating with major media outlets, and Belarus had noted with great interest proposals by the United Nations Correspondents’ Association ( UNCA ) for the quick delivery of statements to the press and easy access for the media to General Assembly meetings. Consideration of the Assembly’s role in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General provides an opportunity to listen to the arguments of “the other side”, absorb them and work them out through decisions the Assembly supported. Modernization of the voting system was another important topic that could lead to a specific outcome, provided that confidentiality issues were taken into account. Finally, he urged continued analysis of the reasons for the lack of implementation of previously adopted resolutions on General Assembly revitalization.

BUI THE GIANG ( Viet Nam ) began by pointing out that 18 years after its appearance on the Assembly’s agenda, the issue of that body’s revitalization had emerged as one of the most important subjects in the process of reforming the United Nations in general and the Assembly in particular. In today’s world, interdependency among nations had grown to a point where no single nation, however big and powerful, could resolve all its problems on its own. The global economic and financial crisis that had been raging all over the world was ample evidence of that.

He said both the full implementation of all General Assembly resolutions as well as the strengthening of the office of the Assembly President remained essential to the process of revitalization. To that end, Viet Nam believed in the necessity to ensure both the sufficient provision and efficient use of financial and human resources for that Office in order to improve its substantive work. Further, the process of revitalization of the Assembly would be gravely deficit without the improvement of the cooperation and coordination between the General Assembly and the other principal organs of the Organization, other international institutions and civil society, as well as among the Main Committees and General Assembly subsidiary bodies.

HASAN KLEIB ( Indonesia ) said the slow implementation of existing resolutions was the fundamental reason behind the Assembly not being able to fully discharge its Charter-mandated responsibilities. Greater political will was central to advance the collective efforts to energize the Assembly. Regarding the President’s Office, he said the Assembly should support the strengthening of its institutional memory and functioning from separate and dedicated resources without increasing the overall budget.

To show the Assembly was in sync with the international community and could act decisively, it had to show leadership by taking timely policy initiatives on common issues of concern. For example, he lauded the Assembly’s initiative in convening the United Nations Conference in June and the outcome document on the global financial and economic crisis and its impact on development. The Assembly should also increase its involvement in the United Nations peace architecture. To tackle the complex global challenges of this century, there needed to be cooperation and collaboration among the principal United Nations organs, he said.

He urged delegations to be aware of the links between Assembly resolutions on revitalization and the ongoing process of mandate review and Security Council reform. The selection process of the Secretary-General could be improved and the candidates for that post should interact with the Assembly. Finally, he said support from the Committee of Information and the Department of Public Information was critical to boost the Assembly’s global visibility and its outreach capacity. Therefore, focused communication strategies and interaction with civil society about the issues being considered by the Assembly would contribute to the robust execution of its role.

PETER ALEXANDER LE ROUX ( South Africa ) said the Assembly had been frequently marginalized as other United Nations bodies, most notably the Security Council, had encroached on its mandate. Reiterating that the Assembly was the main deliberative and policy-making body of the United Nations, South Africa unequivocally supported the African position reflected in the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus. That called for a stronger Assembly so it could play its proper role as the most representative and democratic body within the Untied Nations system.

He noted the positive developments of the past year, when the sixty‑third session took action on international peace and security issues, such as the resumed tenth Emergency Session on Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, under Uniting for Peace, to discuss developments in Gaza, and its swift action to address the unconstitutional change of Government in Honduras.

South Africa did not want the Assembly to usurp the Council’s role, but he advocated an improvement in the “balance of competence between the General Assembly and the Security Council.” That was especially true with regard to the election of the Secretary-General. South Africa agreed with the Non-Aligned Movement that the procedure established by resolution 11/1 of 1946 should be reviewed, especially paragraph 4c, which determined that the Council should present the Assembly with one candidate, that “debate on the nomination should be avoided” and the nomination and appointment should be discussed at “private meetings”. Those were not characteristic of a democratically functioning organization, he said. Assembly resolution 51/241 of 22 August 1997 provided a slightly more transparent framework for the Secretary-General selection process and this practice should be enhanced, he said.

BYRGANYM AITIMOVA ( Kazakhstan ) outlined three ingredients she believed were necessary for the successful revitalization of the General Assembly. First, the Assembly reform was closely linked to the reform of other principal organs and their working methods. Second, it was important to strengthen the Office of the President of the General Assembly with both financial and human resources. Third, there was need to give proper consideration to the role and responsibility of the General Assembly in the process of selecting and appointing the Secretary-General.

She said there was no doubt that the issues of visibility and public outreach capacity of the Assembly, its relationship with the Secretariat, new technological and voting/balloting options, media coverage and documentation improvements were of no less importance. Nevertheless, it seemed that it would not be possible to reach the ultimate goal of Assembly reform without agreeing on those three main goals.

Kazakhstan also believed that major global issues such as the financial crisis, and progress on the Millennium Development Goals, needed to be discussed not only at high-level meetings as traditionally held on the eve of the start of the general political debates at the Assembly’s annual sessions, but directly at its plenary sessions, and beyond them. To that end, she reiterated her country’s firm position that a stronger Assembly could help strengthen multilateralism on the basis of the principles of transparency and inclusiveness. Kazakhstan was thus committed to the revitalization of the Assembly’s work as an essential element of the overall United Nations reform process.

PEDRO NỨÑEZ MOSQUERA ( Cuba ) said that as long as the General Assembly could not fully exercise its responsibilities, the United Nations would not have more effective and democratic actions. Revitalization and reform efforts needed to focus on reaffirming the General Assembly as the main body for deliberation, policy adoption and representation, which he noted were “enshrined in the Charter and the Millennium Declaration.” The restoration of the international community’s confidence in the United Nations and its credibility would occur only if the Organization responded to the collective interests of its Member States, and he stated that the first step in that process was by revitalizing the Assembly’s leadership role and strengthening its independence.

Further, he said, the main problem in the Organization was the lack of implementation of the Assembly’s resolutions, an important set of regulations but which depended on the political will of Member States and the capacity of their political and military powers. He also stressed that in order to maintain balance between all United Nations organs, attempts to transfer power from the Assembly to the Security Council needed to end and a strict adherence to the Charter’s provisions on the primary responsibilities of each organ needed to be ensured. Revitalization was a political issue, not a technical issue, he said, recalling former President Brockman’s farewell address and strong implementation of the resolutions on the topic was essential to a successful outcome, an outcome his country was committed to supporting.

LUIS ENRIQUE CHÁVEZ ( Peru ) said today’s world required quick responses and the General Assembly’s programme showed a proliferation of items that did not reflect priorities. Perhaps those items could be addressed by other generalized or specific forums. The Assembly should limit the “knee jerk” repetition of matters it addressed. “We must have a proactive General Assembly,” he said; one that did not limit its work to long debates that had “scant” practical effect on the ground. Delegates must define the essential work to produce concrete, verifiable results.

He also called for fostering a closer link between the Assembly President and other United Nations organs and committees. That official’s greater involvement would lead to a greater ability to reach the public, essential to bolstering the Assembly’s profile in public opinion. It was essential to bolster the capacity of the President’s Office through the creation of an ad hoc team that did not rotate. Doing so would promote a streamlined approach to work that would preserve institutional memory. Such a team could support information management and cooperate in the many coordinating tasks between President and the Chairs of the main committees.

Strengthening the Office of the President also would help his ability to achieve consensus and bring a rapprochement of different views, he said. It was essential for the President to maintain a profile conducive to the important work he must undertake. Regarding an updated chart of Assembly resolutions, he said it should be a results-oriented structure. Those resolutions already implemented could be included in an annex of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure. On voting procedures, Peru favoured a secure system that would ensure confidentiality. As for selecting and appointing the Secretary-General, the Assembly should take on a more proactive role. Holding meetings with the candidates, and or with regional groups, could be a first step. In that process, due attention should be paid to gender equality and regional geographic rotation.

NORIHIRO OKUDA ( Japan ) said that thematic debates were useful in promoting understanding on the Organization’s priority agenda and particularly welcomed those debates on global issues such as the financial and food crises, problems relating to energy and natural resources, and human security. There should be mechanisms to link such debates to specific United Nations activities, he continued. Further, he stressed that conducting such debates, within the Organization’s limited resources, required careful selection of their subject and content for discussion on a case-by-case basis. He also said that based on the Secretariat’s report, he expected that monitoring of implementation of Assembly resolutions would be advanced.

Welcoming the submission of annual reports from the Security Council and regulation consultations between the Presidents of the Council and the Assembly, as well as timely communications to the Assembly from the Secretary-General, he expressed hope that continuing implementation of those processes would strengthen coordination between the Assembly and the Organization’s other principal organs. He said further that the active discussion by the Assembly and the Security Council on the annual report of the Peacebuilding Commission enhanced the links between those two principal bodies. He also noted that the new voting system under consideration in the framework of the Capital Master Plan should take into consideration the security concerns of Member States and should not entail any additional budgetary requirements.

MUSA FAZAL ( Singapore ) noted that the topic of revitalization and other pressing reform issues had been a subject the Assembly had struggled over for some time. Alternative global governance structures such as the Group of 20 ( G-20 ) were expanding their agenda beyond the financial crisis into labour and trade issues, and thus were challenging the relevance of the United Nations. “For Lilliputian States like Singapore, multilateralism has always been a vital defence against the Gullivers on the international stage,” he stated. To that end, it was vitally important that the Assembly’s unique and universal Membership be ensured and the necessary reforms be pragmatically engaged.

Continuing, he said that microreforms needed to also be coupled with macroreforms. One step, he said, could be through the strengthening of the United Nations budgetary processes — a process in which Member States should participate. However, the current climate of Member States’ politicking in that area had ironically led to more bureaucracy, more wastefulness and a perception that the Organization’s budget was “spiralling out of control.”

He called for an examination of the sources of budgetary growth in certain areas and for a refocusing of budgetary concerns to a broader and more strategic level. Further, he requested a review of the Assembly’s agenda, specifically in regards to high-level meetings. In order to ensure Member States’ participation to such events, issues of both developed and developing countries needed to be taken into account. Otherwise, he noted, “the activities of the General Assembly risked becoming a sideshow” to those events if the Assembly didn’t ensure its efforts be effective and not thwarted by deadlocks and “dogmatic sparring.”

ZINA ANDRIANARIVELO-RAZAFY ( Madagascar ) said the Assembly was the best context in which to reach a global consensus on major problems and interdependent threats facing the international community. It was an instrument of effective multilateralism, and he urged that any reforms initiated aim to improve those crucial elements. He then turned to the events this past September where his country had experienced “injustice” in the General Assembly by being denied the right to speak during the general debate.

He pointed out that all States were invited to speak and that the issue of his country not being allowed to do so wasn’t included in the Assembly’s agenda. Further the Verification Commission, scheduled to report to the General Assembly in December, had not made any statement regarding his country’s participation in the sixty-fourth session. Therefore, Madagascar maintained the same rights as other States and should have been treated as such.

Further, the exclusion of Madagascar from its rights and privileges, according to the relevant article, required a vote of two-thirds of the Member States in order to be enacted. His country wasn’t under any sanction from the Security Council or the Assembly, and he stated that such treatment in September was a violation of the sovereignty of his State and the rights of the Madagascar people. He denounced such action in light of the rule of law, the sovereignty and integrity of States and the principle of non-interference. Any procedure should have been carried out along the principles of the Organization, and he expressed hope that such a serious incident would not become a precedent in the United Nations.

CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia ) said greater interaction between the prospective candidates for Secretary-General and the Assembly, including presentation to the plenary and regional groups, would benefit better selection. Coordination among the three principal organs — the Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council — should be expanded. That work could be supported with greater exchange of information on the work of the bodies, as well as monthly meetings between the organs, and the submission of periodic reports. The challenges stemming from new global realities needed to be addressed in universal forums like the Assembly, and the development of “interactive thematic debates” was a step in that direction.

Supporting the Assembly President’s Office with the provision of required resources would strengthen its institutional memory and better disseminate its work. Other issues, such as the use of ballots, more efficient handling of documents, and new technology to improve the voting system and make it more transparent, should be a priority, she said. It was important to implement the resolutions on “revitalization of the General Assembly” during the current session. She highlighted the request, made in Assembly resolution 63/309, that proposed grouping items on the agenda, so some items could be addressed every two or three years. The introduction of the extension clause would also advance the rationalization of work. Lastly, Colombia supported the development of specific action plans for each thematic area as a task for the Working Group. These plans would let them map out pathways to produce concrete results.

KIM BONGHYUN ( Republic of Korea ) reminded delegates that the revitalization issue had been on the Assembly’s agenda for almost twenty years. A more focused approach should be introduced to bring about substantial results in future deliberations. Efforts should be geared towards making the Assembly more efficient, allowing it to cost-effectively use its resources. A thorough review of existing revitalization resolutions was needed to help determine which had been well implemented, which were not and the reasons why. The chart developed during the last session would be a good base. The agenda also had to be restructured with a focus on priority issues and he urged exploring the idea of eliminating, clustering or biennializing some items.

Next, the Assembly should improve its cooperation with other main organs in carrying out competencies, he said, a point that should be approached from the perspective of “coordination”, rather than “competition”. He encouraged the General Assembly President to meet periodically with the Secretary-General, the Presidents of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council and the Chairs of the main committees to help streamline agendas.

Also, he agreed it was desirable to continue holding thematic debates, but said such meetings should produce more action-oriented results. The Assembly President should work closely with States to decide on specific themes and set the timing of those debates in a more transparent manner. The Assembly should review past debates and evaluate how much added value they produced. Finally, a cautious approach in reviewing the election of the Secretary-General was needed and he urged the Assembly President to consult with the Security Council President on that matter. In closing, he said there were several issues on the table that needed further deliberation. His delegation looked forward to the creation of the Ad Hoc Working Group during this session, as called for in resolution 63/309.

MARIA RUBIALES de CHAMORRO ( Nicaragua ) was firmly committed to the process of revitalization. She said there was much work ahead before the Assembly fully assumed its role as the most democratic body of the United Nations. She praised the work of the former Assembly President d’Escoto, for advocating that all countries had the same right to be heard and the subsequent emergence of the “G-192.” She said the Assembly’s high-level conference on the global economic and financial crisis, as well as the richness of its debate, had showed that the Assembly was ready to discuss all matters. Indeed, that event had dispelled the myth that some matters could only be discussed by a few. The conference had shown that the Assembly was the most appropriate forum to grapple with matters that affected the international community.

She also pointed to the Assembly’s resolution in support of Honduras as an indication of the body’s relevance and the role it could play in maintaining international peace and security. Assembly revitalization must be governed by the principles of democracy and transparency and an open format for consultations was necessary for reform. Some crucial areas of revitalization included the process surrounding the appointment and selection of the Secretary-General, she said. To restore the Assembly’s functions and authority, it also was necessary to strengthen its coordination with other main bodies, particularly the Security Council. The Council should not meddle in matters that belonged to the competency of the Assembly. She added that no decisions regarding a new voting system should be made until the issue was broadly discussed.

ESHAGH ALEHABIB ( Iran ) observed that although much had been accomplished in the last 18 years toward enhancing the role of the General Assembly, there were many aspects that still required attention, among them, the streamlining of the relationship between the Assembly and other United Nations organs, and the process of selecting and appointing the Secretary-General. In regards to the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly, a subject of much debate in past years, he noted the situation still called for clarification, especially in light of what appeared to be an encroachment by the Council on the Assembly’s responsibilities.

Further, he expressed concern about the Council’s norm-setting, law-making and establishment of definitions, all of which were beyond its competencies. He recalled the relevant article of the Charter which described the Assembly as the only universal organ representing all Member States and which was entrusted with the responsibility of the progressive development of international law and its codification.

Turning to the issue of selecting a Secretary-General, he stressed that in order “to make Article 97 of the Charter a reality, we can not and should not relegate the General Assembly to play the role of a rubber stamp.” It was clear, he said, that the majority of Member States sought to improve the selection of the Secretary-General by giving the Assembly a more meaningful and determining role in the process. His country was committed to participating in transparent, open and inclusive dialogue so that the comprehensive reform of the United Nations, which was a “dynamic and continuous process”, could continue.

HARDEEP SINGH PURI ( India ), said his Government was guided by a desire to have a more effective United Nations — one that was truly responsive to States’ aspirations. The Organization’s working methods must embody efficiency and transparency. As for the General Assembly, its role as the chief policy-making body must be strengthened and respected, both in letter and spirit. Indeed, the strengthening of procedures, working methods, documentation and follow-up were all important in that regard. Its enhanced visibility and outreach were equally important.

More important, however, was the need to focus on substantive measures and enhance the Assembly’s authority, including in exercising control over legislation, material and manpower. He said the Assembly must have a greater say in the selection of the Secretary-General. Its mandate stemmed from article 97 of the Charter, which envisaged a role for both the Assembly and the Security Council, but the process had come to be governed by paragraph 4( d ) of General Assembly resolution 11( 1 ) of 1946, which was created in the context of a post-1945 world.

More than sixty years later, “we live in a different world”, he said. While the Security Council must expand its membership in permanent and non-permanent categories, the Assembly could not remain bound by self-imposed restrictions reflecting a bygone era. Resolutions 51/241 ( 1997 ) and 60/286 ( 2006 ) outlined proposals on improving that process, which made full use of the Charter provisions on the Assembly’s power of appointment and due regard to regional rotation and gender equality. Political will to consider and implement those changes was necessary.

Finally, the United Nations’ convening power must be used more decisively in setting the global agenda, he said. Of special concern was the Council’s encroachment on issues that traditionally fell within the Assembly’s competence — like standard-setting and codification of international law. It was also a concern that the Council held thematic debates on issues that fell within the purview of the Assembly or the Economic and Social Council. He urged the Council to submit special reports to the Assembly, as outlined in resolution 60/286 ( 2006 ). It was also important that the Assembly have a much greater say in international economic matters and he expected States to continue their engagement in the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group set up after the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its impact on Development.

* *** *

Source: Media Newswire

Senior UN peacekeeping official to visit China

Posted on November 17, 2009 by editor

The United Nations peacekeeping chief is slated to pay an official visit to China this week to attend a meeting on the Organization’s operations tasked with restoring stability and democracy in conflict-ravaged countries.

Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy will be accompanied by the Secretary-General’s top military adviser General Obiakor and Assistant-Secretary-General Anthony Banbury.

In addition to participating in the UN peacekeeping symposium in Beijing, Mr. Le Roy plans to meet with members of the Chinese Defense Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry to discuss the vast Asian nation’s contribution to the world body’s peacekeeping efforts.

Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana Malcorra is in Sudan this week to attend the latest round of tripartite talks with the Sudanese Government and the African Union (AU).

Among the issues Ms. Malcorra is expected to discuss is the deployment of troops, personnel and equipment to the joint UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

UNAMID was established by the Security Council in 2007 to protect civilians in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million forced from their homes since violence erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and their allied Janjaweed militiamen.

Ban urges support for developing countries in combating diabetes

Posted on November 14, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for greater support to developing countries in preventing diabetes, which kills at least one million people every year, and in increasing access to health care. In a message marking World Diabetes Day, Mr. Ban noted that the illness can make other diseases worse, and can have a terrible impact on maternal and child health. &#8220In some countries, the rapidly rising burden of diabetes is a factor in faltering progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),&#8221 he said, referring to the pledges world leaders made to slash a host of social ills, including extreme hunger and poverty, infant and maternal mortality, and lack of access to education and health care &#8211 all by 2015. At the same time, the Secretary-General noted that Type 2 diabetes is preventable. It is among the so-called &#8220lifestyle diseases&#8221 &#8211 along with cardio-vascular disease and some cancers &#8211 attributable to unhealthy diets, a lack of exercise, tobacco use and the abuse of alcohol play. &#8220This means that effective strategies and plans of action will not be limited to the health sector alone,&#8221 he said. &#8220Rather, they should involve many areas of government and a wide range of actors, including civil society and the private sector. &#8220Prevention can help reduce poverty, promote economic productivity and keep countries on track in their efforts to achieve the MDGs,&#8221 he added. More than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which adds that a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay the onset of the disease.

UN ready to work with new Lebanese government, says Secretary-General

Posted on November 12, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to work with the new unity government in Lebanon in tackling the challenges facing the country.

Mr. Ban spoke by phone today with President Michel Sleiman and separately with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, congratulating them on the appointment of a new Cabinet.

“He expressed his hope that the new Lebanese Government will be committed to the full implementation of resolution 1701,” said UN spokesperson Marie Okabe, referring to the Security Council resolution that helped to end the August 2006 war between Israel and Hizbollah.

The resolution also called for respect for the so-called Blue Line separating the Israeli and Lebanese sides, disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling.

Yesterday the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon said that all sides must do more to translate the cessation of hostilities into a permanent ceasefire, citing recent “worrying incidents” in southern Lebanon, including rocket launches and air violations.

“While welcoming the parties’ stated commitment to resolution 1701, which is critical, we also stress the need for more tangible steps to facilitate forward movement in the direction of a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution,” Michael Williams told the press after briefing the Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701.

Lauding Japan’s decision to boost aid to Afghanistan, Ban hopes others will follow

Posted on November 12, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed Japan’s intention to increase its assistance for Afghanistan to a total of up to $5 billion over the next five years, and said he hopes other nations will follow suit.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban called the decision by the Japanese Government a “very positive development.”

The Secretary-General appreciates Japan’s “generous and continued contributions to the efforts and commitment of the international community to promote reconstruction and stability in Afghanistan,” the statement added.

Universality of global pact on mines and other explosive devices vital, Ban says

Posted on November 12, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for greater efforts to expand the number of signatories, especially among developing countries and States in conflict, to a global pact banning the use of mines, booby-traps and other explosive devices against civilians.

Congratulating the 93 States that have consented to be bound by Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), he called on those countries that have not yet done so to ratify the pact as soon as possible.

“The universality of the Protocol remains of vital importance,” he said in a message to the 11th Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Protocol, taking place in Geneva.

The Secretary-General commended the decision to re-establish the Group of Experts, an informal mechanism that has helped to improve understanding of the impact of improvised explosive devices on civilians and combatants alike, and urged parties to continue to make use of it.

He also called on all States that have not yet done so to ratify the other international treaties in the field of mine action, including the Mine Ban Convention and the new Convention on Cluster Munitions, which is expected to enter into force in the near future.

In addition, he drew attention to the grave threats to civilians posed by mines other than anti-personnel mines, which in many regions are another serious obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid, the return to normal civilian life after hostilities, and economic development.

“Although CCW States parties have not yet found agreement on this topic, I consider it my duty to bring this issue to your attention yet again, since the grave effects of such mines continue to be felt,” he stated.

UN agency calls for global day-long fast as symbol of war on hunger

Posted on November 12, 2009 by editor

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today called for a day-long, global hunger strike in solidarity with the planet’s one billion people who do not have enough to eat, ahead of next week’s World Summit on Food Security.

“I shall personally begin a 24-hour fast on Saturday morning,” FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told a press conference in Rome. “We are suggesting that everyone in the world who wants to show solidarity with the one hungry billion people on this planet go on hunger strike next Saturday or Sunday.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will open the three-day summit in the Italian capital on 16 November, when immediate action will be sought to build momentum to end the scourge of hunger and malnutrition. Heads of State and government from FAO’s 192 members have been invited to attend.

“Given the close inter-relationship between food security and climate change, the Secretary-General will engage world leaders to advance both agendas together,” spokesperson Marie Okabe told a news briefing in New York.

Mr. Diouf said that despite all the promises made, concrete action on hunger has been lacking. “In the absence of strong measures another global food crisis cannot be excluded,” he warned.

He also launched an online anti-hunger petition, http://www.1billionhungry.org/, where visitors are asked to sign the petition if they agree that 1 billion people living in chronic hunger is unacceptable. Everyone is encouraged to use Twitter or other social media tools to spread the word about the initiative.

“I would urge as many people as possible to sign our petition,” he said. “Each click will serve as another reason, in addition to the billion we already have, for ending hunger. Each click will also serve as a goad to world leaders to ‘walk the talk.’”

During his stay in Rome, Mr. Ban will visit the headquarters of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), where he will participate in a commemoration for the staff recently killed in the attack against the WFP office in Pakistan. He will also meet with the staff of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the FAO.

Council must do more to protect civilians in armed conflict – UN rights chief

Posted on November 12, 2009 by editor

The United Nations human rights chief today called on the Security Council to put more muscle into protecting civilians in armed conflict, citing Israel’s war in Gaza and the situations in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Afghanistan as examples of the need to end impunity.

“To be effective in the protection of civilians, the Council must consistently work to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross violations of human rights,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement delivered by Deputy High Commissioner Kyung-wha Kang.

“The establishment of tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and elsewhere, as well as the referral of specific cases to the International Criminal Court, have helped to send an important signal that even in the ‘fog of war’ impunity is not assured,” she added, stressing that “the corrosive effect of impunity on both human rights and peace” was clearly documented by the UN fact-finding mission’s report on the Gaza conflict last winter.

As it began its debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution reiterating its willingness to respond to cases where civilians are targeted or humanitarian aid to civilians is deliberately obstructed, condemning indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks and the use of the presence of civilians to render areas or forces immune from military action.

In addition, it called for an end to impunity, and noted that civilians continue to account for the vast majority of casualties in armed conflict.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for reinvigorated commitment by the Council, Member States, and the UN to the principles of international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, laying out “five core challenges.”

These are: strengthened compliance by all parties with international law such as access to conflict zones; more consistent engagement with non-State armed groups to ensure their compliance and safe access to populations; greater ability for peacekeeping missions to protect more effectively such as by active policing of territory; better and safer to civilians in need; and enhanced accountability for perpetrators of crimes and crimes against humanity.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said engagement with non-State armed groups, “however much we may condemn the aims of their often bloody acts which take many civilian lives,” is critical for access to those in need and enhancing compliance with humanitarian law, and agencies must have the flexibility to engage them.

Mr. Pillay’s statement was the most detailed in its litany of grave violations. Referring to the UN probe on Gaza headed by Richard Goldstone, former prosecutor at the UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, she stressed the nature and scope of violations of international human rights perpetrated on the civilian population of the occupied Palestinian territory.

The report, which the Secretary-General has transmitted to the Council, found evidence that both Israel and the Palestinians committed serious war crimes during the hostilities in December and January.

“Israeli forces killed well over 1,000 civilians and attacked homes, schools, mosques, food and water installations, and UN facilities,” she said, noting also the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars into southern Israel by armed Palestinian groups in Gaza, killing Israeli civilians and causing terror and trauma among communities in disregard of international law.

“Collective punishment, as evidenced by the crippling Israeli blockade and the devastating military offensive, is a violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, as are the forcible evictions of Arabs, the demolition of homes, and the expropriation of occupied East Jerusalem lands for Israeli settlements,” she added.

“Until meaningful steps are taken to end impunity for these violations and assert the applicability of international law, peace and security will remain illusive for all the people of the region,” she said, urging the Council to embrace the report’s recommendations to secure accountability for all perpetrators, and to fully integrate human rights guarantees into peacemaking efforts.

On the DRC, she called the situation in the east of the vast county “a horrifying reminder of the depths to which inhumanity can spiral if left unchecked.”

Decrying the fact that military operations against residual armed groups have led to massive displacement, the killing of several hundred civilians this year alone, and a drastic increase in sexual violence, including rape, she called for a review of support by the UN peacekeeping mission for the Congolese Army whenever there is a risk of violations of humanitarian law.

On Darfur, where some 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million others displaced by six years of conflict pitting rebels against the Government and its allied Janjaweed militiamen, Ms. Pillay said justice remains elusive and violations continue, while the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission, known as UNAMID, has been unable to fully deploy due to resource constraints, delayed troop deployment, and political impediments.

Turning to Afghanistan, she said the conflict has repeatedly caught civilians in the cross-fire, as evidenced by the recent attack on a UN guesthouse in Kabul that killed 5 UN staff members and injured numerous others. “Civilian casualties continue to mount, with hundreds killed every year by armed anti-government elements, government forces, and international forces carrying out both air strikes and ground assaults,” she added, noting the continued impunity.

These four country cases demonstrate the gap between policy and practice. “Closing that gap will require a greater commitment by all to the explicit application of international law, and to its enforcement,” Ms. Pillay concluded. “It will require more political will, and less political exceptionalism – all must be held to a single standard.”

More than 60 countries are scheduled to speak in the day-long debate.

Lebanon and Israel must do more to achieve permanent ceasefire – UN envoy

Posted on November 11, 2009 by editor

Despite recent “worrying incidents” in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah militants battled fiercely three years ago, talk of a new war is alarmist, but all sides must do more to translate the cessation of hostilities into a permanent ceasefire, a senior United Nations official warned today.

“The Secretary-General condemns all violation of resolution 1701, whether in the form of rocket launches, air land or sea violations, the active maintenance of an arms depot or the use of surveillance equipment on sovereign Lebanese territory,” Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams told reporters after briefing the Security Council on the latest developments.

Resolution 1701, adopted by the Council in August 2006, called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah, respect for the so-called Blue Line separating the Israeli and Lebanese sides, disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling. Hizbollah, which has not disarmed, is part of a new unity government formed in Lebanon yesterday.

The rocket launches into Israel, the almost daily Israeli flights over Lebanon, the arms depot maintained by Hizbollah and the apparently Israeli surveillance equipment left on Lebanese territory raise the spectre of a potential escalation. But the cessation of hostilities that followed the adoption of 1701 “has actually held remarkably well,” Mr. Williams said, calling this a tribute to the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, the Lebanese and the Israelis.

“To the best of my knowledge… probably no other country in the world – probably, I may be wrong – is subject to such an intrusive regime of aerial surveillance [as Lebanon],” he noted. “Now we also have other events, the discovery of listening devices which almost certainly seem to have been left by the Israelis. Are these violations? Yes, of course they’re violations of 1701.”

He called for more to be done to safeguard what has been achieved in the past three years. “While welcoming the parties’ stated commitment to resolution 1701, which is critical, we also stress the need for more tangible steps to facilitate forward movement in the direction of a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution,” he said.

“Lebanon, Israel and the international community must be vigilant and undertake greater efforts in the coming period to allow us to move forward.”

Asked whether he would categorically say that there was no arms smuggling into Lebanon, he replied: “No I would not say that… it’s an established fact that Lebanon does not have an active border control regime in the way that most countries have on their borders.”

He cited UN missions in 2007 and 2008 that called the borders “very, very porous. Now that’s an objective and scientific assessment of what pertains on the borders. What they were not in a position to say is what may or may not come across the borders,” he added.

As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon did yesterday, Mr. Williams congratulated the new national unity government, noting the challenges facing it in the economic, political and social fields as well as in exercising its authority throughout the whole country.

Ban urges more States to adhere to global pact on explosive remnants of war

Posted on November 11, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on those States that have not yet done so to adhere to the global pact dealing with explosive remnants of war, noting the deadly toll that these weapons which are left over after conflict takes on society.

“Armed conflict leaves in its wake not only chaos, grief and hardship, but also explosive remnants of war that kill and maim long after the end of hostilities,” he told the opening of the Third Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

“Protocol V, which provides the legal framework for addressing this horrendous humanitarian and developmental impact, can help us eliminate this deadly hazard,” he added in a message delivered yesterday in Geneva by Sergio Duarte, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

The CCW aims to protect military troops from inhumane injuries and prevent noncombatants from accidentally being wounded or killed by certain types of arms. Protocol V focuses specifically on unexploded and abandoned ordnance which include artillery shells, grenades and gravity bombs. They pose severe threats to civilians because they can explode without cause or accidentally be triggered to detonate.

The Secretary-General congratulated States Parties for having established the machinery for implementing the Protocol, and encouraged them to make full use of the mechanism.

He also encouraged them to promote information sharing on the use or abandonment of explosive ordinance – bilaterally, through the UN, or through another entity as appropriate.

Mr. Ban said he was encouraged to see the “considerable increase” in the number of State Parties to the Protocol since last year, and commended the 61 States that have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol.

At the same time, he called on those States that have not yet done so to ratify Protocol V without delay, reminded them of their responsibility to provide protection to civilian populations both during and after armed conflicts.

“The United Nations will continue to assist you in your noble efforts,” he pledged.

Media Advisory – CTV news president Robert Hurst joins panel to discuss news blackouts in kidnapping cases at Nov. 17 event

Posted on November 9, 2009 by editor

/CNW/ – CTV News President Robert Hurst will join the panel at the upcoming Canadian Journalism Foundation Forum News Blackouts Save Lives taking place on November 17 in Toronto. He joins Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat and special envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Niger, Toronto Star publisher John Cruickshank and Globe and Mail foreign editor Stephen Northfield to discuss the significance of news blackouts in kidnapping cases. The event takes place on November 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave. The discussion will be followed by a cocktail reception in the adjacent cafe. A limited number of tickets are still available at http://cjfblackouts.eventbrite.com.

WHO:
– Robert Fowler, Canadian diplomat and special envoy of the UN
Secretary-General to Niger;
– John Cruickshank, publisher of the Toronto Star
– Stephen Northfield, foreign editor of the Globe and Mail
– Robert Hurst, president of CTV News

WHAT: CJF Forums presents Robert Fowler, John Cruickshank, Stephen
Northfield and Robert Hurst in a panel discussion on the significance of
news blackouts in kidnapping cases. They will review Fowlers case, who
himself was kidnapped on December 14, 2008, by al-Qaeda and held hostage
for 130 days before being released, as well as others. The presentation
and audience Q&A will be followed by a cocktail reception in the adjacent
café, where panelists and guests can continue the discussion. Limited
tickets available at http://cjfblackouts.eventbrite.com. The event will
be video recorded and webcast at a later date.

WHERE: Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Ave.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 17, 2009. Presentation 6:30-8:00 p.m.,
Reception 8:00-9:00

Thank you to CJF Forums Exclusive Series Sponsor: BMO FINANCIAL GROUP

UN ‘s Asia-Pacific gathering wraps up with call for better trade deal for poorer States

Posted on November 7, 2009 by editor

Exports from the world’s poorest countries should be granted duty- and quota-free access to markets, according to government officials, economists and academics attending a regional United Nations trade meeting as they warned against a turn towards protectionist policies.

More than 100 participants at the first session of the Committee on Trade and Investment of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which wrapped up today in Bangkok, said protectionism could undermine the multilateral trading system and delay recovery from the global economic crisis.

They called for the poorest States, classified as least developed countries (LDCs), to be granted better export rights, even without waiting for the completion of the so-called Doha round of negotiations on reducing international trade barriers.

ESCAP Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer told the gathering that they were enormous opportunities for growth in South-South trade and investment, but high tariffs and procedural obstacles were the biggest stumbling blocks to that goal.

Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said the Asia-Pacific region must not let the recovery from the current economic crisis be a jobless one.

“This financial crisis has turned into a social crisis for some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with job losses and deterioration in social well-being,” he said.

Little progress in overcoming deadlock in Nepal’s peace process, says UN envoy

Posted on November 7, 2009 by editor

The top United Nations envoy to Nepal today lamented the fact that there has been limited progress in overcoming the political impasse that emerged in the country earlier this year, and little movement on the remaining tasks of the peace process.

Around 13,000 lives were lost during Nepal’s decade-long civil war, which came to an end in 2006 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government and Maoists.

Presenting Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s latest report on the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), Karin Landgren told the Security Council that the peace process in recent months has “faced protracted deadlock, with the added risk of confrontation.”

Ms. Landgren, the Secretary-General’s Representative and head of UNMIN, reported that the impasse that emerged following the events of May – when the President revoked the Army Chief’s dismissal, and consequently the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) stepped down from the Government – remains unresolved.

“Despite continuing efforts, the level of trust among the major parties has continued to dwindle,” she stated.

Mr. Ban, in his report, voiced concern that key commitments in the peace process have not been implemented, and that persistent mistrust among the parties and their “absorption in day-to-day politics and internal party issues” are impeding talks.

Ms. Landgren noted that while much of the past three months has offered “the semblance of calm” in the country, the past few days have seen low-level clashes between the Maoist-affiliated Yong Communist League and the Unified Maoist-Leninist Youth Force in some eastern districts.

“In the current climate, these protest actions carry a significant risk of confrontation and violence,” she said. “There is an urgent need to de-escalate the tensions and to find a framework for taking the peace process forward.”

She added that the mandate of UNMIN – originally designed for supporting the election of the Constituent Assembly, and due to expire in less than three months time – cannot go on indefinitely.

During the next 11 weeks, she said, the parties need to “arrest the loss of momentum, and invest goodwill, realism and rigour” in their pursuit of sustainable peace in Nepal.

“Until the parties establish a clearer framework for cooperation, and find ways of moving forward on major elements of the peace process, it is difficult to plot a structured exit for UNMIN.”

The Representative also said that, three years on, a review of the progress in the implementation of the major peace agreements may be overdue, and the principal parties should also be encouraged to take stock of the state of the peace process.

“The parties themselves have repeatedly underlined their continued commitment to this process, and their intention to see it through to a positive end,” she stated. “It would be tragic if the successes so far were permitted to unravel.”

Following closed-door discussions on Nepal, Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria, which holds the rotating Council presidency for this month, told reporters that the 15-member body “urged the Government of Nepal and all parties to work together in a spirit of compromise and in a forward-oriented manner to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and take the necessary decisions that will allow UNMIN to complete its tasks within its current mandate.”UN spokesperson Michele Montas, who was asked today about criticism made by some political parties in Nepal to the Secretary-General’s report, said that Mr. Ban’s observations are consistent with his repeated calls for unity and consensus among the political parties to ensure the success of the peace process.

“The report is intended to encourage Nepal’s political parties to achieve what they themselves have expressed about the desirability of a unity Government and does not in any way represent a form of interference,” she told reporters.

Ban rejects reports of UN withdrawal from Afghanistan

Posted on November 7, 2009 by editor

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today rejected any notion that the United Nations is leaving Afghanistan, amid reports that the world body is pulling out of the country following the announcement that it will temporarily relocate some of its staff owing to security concerns.

“Let me be crystal clear: we are not evacuating. We will not, cannot and must not be deterred. Our work will continue,” Mr. Ban told reporters after briefing the Security Council in a closed-door meeting about the situation in Afghanistan.

The world body announced yesterday that it is taking immediate steps to strengthen security for UN employees in Afghanistan, in light of the 28 October attack on I was able to see for myself that the determination and commitment of our staff in Afghanistan remains stronga guest house in Kabul that killed five UN staff members and injured nine others as well as “further ongoing threats.”

The measures include the short-term relocation of some of the roughly 1,100 international staff to safer sites within Afghanistan, as well as to duty stations in the region. The UN has around 6,000 staff working across the country in total.

The Secretary-General, who visited Kabul on Monday in a show of solidarity, stated that no critical staff will be moved, and that the UN’s work on humanitarian and development needs will continue as before.

“I was able to see for myself that the determination and commitment of our staff in Afghanistan remains strong,” he stated, while adding that colleagues there will have to manage, temporarily, with less administrative support.

Mr. Ban said he plans to provide the General Assembly in the coming days with specific proposals regarding additional resources for strengthening security for UN staff and premises.

While in Kabul, the Secretary-General also met with President Hamid Karzai and former presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah. Both Mr. Ban and his Special Representative, Kai Eide, have emphasized the need for the formation of new Government that is composed of competent, reform-oriented personalities that can move the country forward, he said.

In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria, which holds the rotating Council presidency for this month, Council members congratulated the Afghan people on their active engagement and participation in the elections and commended the efforts of those who worked to ensure a credible process.

“They called for the new Afghan Government to effectively address the issues facing the country, including security, good governance and the fight against corruption as well as economic recovery, improving the livelihood of its people, and the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics,” said the statement.

UN official kicks off week-long event on trade and investment in Asia-Pacific region

Posted on November 3, 2009 by editor

A top United Nations official has called on countries in Asia and the Pacific to strengthen regional ties in an effort to boost trade and investment and increase economic growth, kicking off a week-long event in Bangkok focusing on these critical issues.

The Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) noted that regional economic cooperation can be a driver of growth for a region traditionally reliant on trade with developed countries.

“Some of the world’s largest economies are in our region, [and] a more unified market of East Asian countries would be a potential economic powerhouse and an emerging centre of gravity of the world economy,” Noeleen Heyzer told 150 trade researchers and policymakers at the Asia-Pacific Trade Economists’ Conference.

“Strengthening regional connectivity will leverage our complementary strengths and synergies,” she added in her remarks to the two-day conference, which is the lead-off event for the inaugural Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Week.

Ms. Heyzer also called for streamlining trade procedures, and untangling the “noodle bowl” – consolidating the 151 existing bilateral and regional trade agreements – which will encourage greater levels of economic integration.

Also at today’s meeting, several speakers noted that although the three countries that have weathered the global economic slowdown with the least damage are in Asia – China, India and Indonesia – the crisis still required regional leaders to fundamentally rethink their trade policies.

The first-ever Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Week will also feature the first session of ESCAP’s Committee on Trade and Investment, which is scheduled to hear an address from Supachai Panitchpakdi, the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), on Thursday.

Toronto Forum for Global Cities – November 9 and 10, 2009

Posted on November 3, 2009 by editor

/CNW/ – Senior White House officials, OECD leaders and high profile business executives will be among the over 40 panellists participating in the Toronto Forum for Global Cities, taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building (255 Front Street West) on November 9 and 10, 2009. The Forum will tackle a series of questions about the role of cities in the global economy, including issues pertaining to public transportation, green energy and more.

Forum highlights will include:

Monday, November 9

8:30am: WORDS OF WELCOME with keynote speaker David Miller, Mayor of Toronto

9:00am: OPENING SESSION – Restoring Growth

Speaker highlights: Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs and Deputy Assistant to the President, and Angel Gurria, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Rapid urbanization is increasing the importance of large cities in the world economy. How can cities contribute to restoring the economy in the aftermath of the economic crisis?

10:30am: Financing Transportation Infrastructure

Speaker highlight: Joel Szabat, Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Department of Transportation

Transportation infrastructure is a key component of economic development, as demonstrated by Obamas $64.1 billion investment in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. What are the key opportunities to renew infrastructure, and what are the sources of funding?

10:30am: OECD EVENT

Towards a sustainable competitiveness agenda for Toronto: Presentation of the OECD Territorial Review, which recommends a new sustainable competitiveness agenda for the Toronto region. What are Torontos unique assets, how well-prepared is the city for global competition, and how can it meet its potential?

Speakers: Mario Pezzini, Deputy Director in the OECD Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate and Olaf Merk, Economist in the OECD Regional Competitiveness and Governance Division

12:00pm – LUNCHEON – Engineering our Future: Delivering Infrastructure Projects Within a Green Energy Economy

Speaker highlights: The Hon. Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board; Angel Gurria, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Jean Lemierre, Advisor to the Chairman, BNP Paribas; The Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

How can industries and governments meet infrastructure demands as fast as they arise? What are the latest trends and most notable successes in infrastructure project development? How can green-energy supplies and fuel be systematically integrated in large-scale projects?

3:00pm – SESSION 3 – Investing in Green Energy

Speaker highlights: Wesley Clark, Co-Chairman, Growth Energy; Dan Hoornweg, Lead Urban Specialist on Cities and Climate, World Bank Group

What are the most important sources of renewable energy, and how can they support the needs of the population and create employment opportunities?

4:15pm – SESSION 4 – Public Transportation and the Economic Recovery

Speaker highlights: Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga, and Ron Lemieux, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Government of Manitoba

What are the latest trends in financing, building and operating public transportation?

Tuesday, November 10

SMARTER CITIES FORUM presented by IBM (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

8:30am – OPENING SESSION

Speaker highlights: Dan Fortin, President, IBM Canada Ltd.; Courtney Pratt, CEO, Toronto Region Research Alliance (TRRA); Warren Jestin, Senior VP & Chief Economist, Scotia Bank

How can cities leverage their knowledge-based economies to reach full potential as engines of growth? How can public investments be directed to reflect the economic and demographic realities of our urbanized nations? How can metropolitan networks distinguish themselves in an era of intense global competition?

10:30am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS (simultaneously)

ROUNDTABLE 1

Smarter Economic Development

Speaker highlights: Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Government of Ontario; Shawn Graham, Premier, Province of New-Brunswick; Chris Gibbon, Vice President, Global Social Services & Social Security, IBM Global

Todays governments have a unique opportunity to transform their operations and services, making them truly citizen-centric. How can governments seize this opportunity? Will the solutions be sustainable?

ROUNDTABLE 2

Smarter Public Safety and Emergency Services

Speaker highlights: Paul McCullough, Business Unit Executive, Public Safety and Defense, IBM Canada; Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

A smarter city uses advanced technologies and community-based approaches to anticipate and prevent – not just respond to – crimes and emergencies. What are these technologies? How can we direct funding to the necessary infrastructure to support them?

ROUNDTABLE 3

Smarter Energy and Utilities

Speaker highlights: Michael Valocchi, Global Industry Leader, Energy and Utilities, IBM Global; Anthony Haines, President and CEO, Toronto Hydro Corporation

Every day, energy is wasted due to inefficient electrical distribution systems. How can intelligent systems help utilities and citizens make smarter, more responsible choices about how to buy, sell and use electricity?

12:00pm: LUNCHEON

Competing in an Innovation-Intensive Economy

Speaker highlights: Robert Reich, member of President Obamas Economic Advisory Board and former U.S Secretary of Labor; Shawn Graham, Premier, Province of New Brunswick

NOTE: Robert Reich will participate in a 15-minute media question-and-answer session following the Luncheon.

Economic stability will largely depend on how the emergency support is withdrawn. Which exit strategies are less likely to hurt the private sectors innovative capacity? How can the West remain competitive next to the innovative, rapidly-growing and fast-learning countries of Asia?

3:00pm: SESSION 3 – What is the Future for the Banking Sector?

Speaker highlights: Gautier Dirckx, President and CEO, BNP Paribas Canada; Compton Bourne, President, Caribbean Development Bank

What have we learned from the economic crisis? Is the recent performance of the investment banks a sign of recovery or a symptom of another bubble? What are the possible consequences of the new regulatory requirements for the banking sector?

For a complete listing of Forum speakers and a detailed agenda, visit www.forumforglobalcities.com.

Media interested in attending Forum sessions must present official credentials at the Forums Media Desk.

PR News Aggregation

National & International Press Releases Distribution

Tag Archives: Secretary-General

Industrialization will help Africa fully join world economy, says Ban

Member States Consider Ways to Energize, Fully Engage Powers of General Assembly, Pledge to Restore Institutional Balance with Other United Nations Bodies

Senior UN peacekeeping official to visit China

UN ready to work with new Lebanese government, says Secretary-General

Lauding Japan’s decision to boost aid to Afghanistan, Ban hopes others will follow

Universality of global pact on mines and other explosive devices vital, Ban says

UN agency calls for global day-long fast as symbol of war on hunger

Council must do more to protect civilians in armed conflict – UN rights chief

Lebanon and Israel must do more to achieve permanent ceasefire – UN envoy

Ban urges more States to adhere to global pact on explosive remnants of war

Media Advisory – CTV news president Robert Hurst joins panel to discuss news blackouts in kidnapping cases at Nov. 17 event

UN ‘s Asia-Pacific gathering wraps up with call for better trade deal for poorer States

Little progress in overcoming deadlock in Nepal’s peace process, says UN envoy

Ban rejects reports of UN withdrawal from Afghanistan

UN official kicks off week-long event on trade and investment in Asia-Pacific region

Toronto Forum for Global Cities – November 9 and 10, 2009