NO 94 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2002
| UN UPDATE | NGO NEWS | FOCUS |
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Addressing the Security Council on 4
October 2002 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Committee
on Counter-Terrorism, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan described terrorism
as a global threat with global impacts, whose consequences affect
every aspect of the UN agenda. Excerpts from his speech follow on
page two.
“Last autumn, to identify the long-term
implications and broad policy dimensions of terrorism for the United
Nations, I set up a Policy Working Group on the United Nations and
Terrorism. It combined the expertise of key agencies, programmes and
departments within the Organization with that of independent specialists.
On 28 June this year, the Group submitted a report, with recommendations
on steps that the United Nations can take.
“The report, which I made public
on 10 September, contains proposals for a strategic definition of
priorities to orient the Organization’s work in this complex
field. I endorse the three-pronged strategy suggested by the report.
“When approaching issues related
to terrorism, the United Nations will set itself three goals: dissuasion,
denial, and cooperation.
“First, we must dissuade the would-be
perpetrators of terror by setting effective norms and implementing
relevant legal instruments; by an active public information campaign;
and by rallying international consensus behind the fight against terrorism.
To achieve effective dissuasion, it is essential to remember that
the fight against terrorism is above all a fight to preserve fundamental
rights and sustain the rule of law.
“By their very nature, terrorist
acts are grave violations of human rights. Therefore, to pursue security
at the expense of human rights is short-sighted, self-contradictory,
and, in the long run, self-defeating. In places where human rights
and democratic values are lacking, disaffected groups are more likely
to opt for a path of violence, or to sympathize with those who do.
“Second, we must deny would-be
terrorists the opportunity to commit their dreadful acts. We can do
this by supporting the efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee
to monitor compliance with Security Council resolution 1373; by greater
efforts to achieve disarmament—especially through strengthening
global norms against the use or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;
and by giving technical support to States seeking to curb the flow
of arms, funds, and technology to terrorist cells.
“To be effective and sustainable,
a strategy of denial must be grounded in both international and domestic
law. It is not good enough to sign the key international instruments.
We must implement them as well.
“Given the levels of inhumanity
to which modern-day terrorists have descended, efforts to curb the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have assumed new urgency.
“Other legal instruments, such
as those that deal with transnational crime, narcotics, and money
laundering, are essential to denying sources of finance for terrorist
networks. States must ensure that these instruments are adopted and
effectively applied. Moreover, the struggle against terrorism demands
closer analysis of its links with crime, narcotics, and the illicit
trade in weapons….
“Third, we must sustain cooperation
in the struggle against terrorism on as broad a basis as possible,
while encouraging subregional, regional, and global organizations
to join forces in a common campaign. In overcoming as elusive a transnational
threat as terrorism, cooperation is essential. Fortunately, there
has been some progress. The United Nations is committed to working
with international partners in the fight against terrorism, and to
achieving unity of purpose and action.
“Just as terrorism must never be
excused, so must genuine grievances never be ignored simply because
terrorism is committed in their name. It does not take away from the
justice of a cause that a few wicked men or women commit murder in
its name. It only makes it more urgent that the cause is addressed,
the grievances heard, and the wrong put right. “As the United Nations unites
to defeat terrorism in the months and years ahead, we must act with
equal determination to solve the political disputes and long-standing
conflicts which generate support for terrorism. To do so is not
to reward terrorism or its perpetrators; it is to deny them the
opportunity to find refuge, in any cause, any country. Only then
can we truly say that the war on terrorism has been won.”
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The International Day for the Eradication
of Poverty was commemorated on 17 October. UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, in his message, calls upon “many actors” to work
together to defeat an “old enemy with many faces”—poverty.
Below are excerpts from his message.
“Two years ago, at the United Nations
Millennium Summit, world leaders recognized the global progress that
had been achieved in the struggle for human development, but also
identified some of the serious impediments and threats—such as
HIV/AIDS, conflict, and terrorism—that still stand between humanity
and the realization of its hopes for freedom from want and freedom
from fear. They responded by adopting the Millennium Declaration:
a clear statement of values and priorities for action in the new century.
“Among those priorities, none was
more important than the pledge they made ‘to spare no effort
to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing
conditions of extreme poverty.’ More specifically, they resolved
that by 2015 they would: halve the proportions of the world’s
people living in extreme poverty and hunger and without safe drinking
water; achieve universal access to primary schooling and gender equality
at all levels of education; reduce child mortality by two-thirds and
maternal mortality by three-quarters; halt the spread of HIV/AIDS
and reduce the incidence of other major diseases; integrate the principles
of sustainable development into their policies; and forge a global
partnership for development.
“This International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty is an occasion for us all to recommit ourselves
to these Millennium Development Goals, and reflect on the progress—or
lack of it—so far achieved.
“Overall, the world is not on track
to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. By the year 2000—the
latest for which data are available—we should have been 40% of
the way there. But for most of the Millennium Development Goals, the
global record shows that barely half that amount of progress had been
achieved.
“Each country must find the right
mix of policies—the one that suits its local conditions. And
the people of each country must insist that those policies be applied.
“Let no one think that this applies
only to developing countries. The developed countries, too, must ensure
that no part of their own population falls short. And they also have
a special global responsibility. They must deliver what they have
promised: to open their markets fully to the products of developing
countries; to let them compete in the global market on fair terms;
and to provide much more generous development assistance. Without
these things, many developing countries will be unable to reach the
Millennium Goals, however hard they try. “On this International Day for
the Eradication of Poverty, let us recognize that extreme poverty
anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere. Let us recall
that poverty is a denial of human rights. For the first time in
history, in this age of unprecedented wealth and technical prowess,
we have the power to save humanity from this shameful scourge. Let
us summon the will to do it.”
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Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
has warned that Ethiopia faces a massive food shortage caused by a
worsening drought, calling the number of people affected by the crisis
potentially three times greater than the number of those affected
in 1984, when nearly one million died. Officials say six million Ethiopians
are in need of food aid and millions more have barely recovered from
the last famine of a couple of years ago. Up to 15 million could face
starvation in early 2003.
According to estimates from the Disaster
Preparedness and Prevention Committee in Ethiopia, between 211,000
and 500,000 metric tonnes of food aid will be needed in the first
quarter of 2003. So far donors have pledged 120,000 metric tonnes. “Donor contributions have covered
the most acute needs over recent months, but by early next year
the number of drought affected Ethiopians will rise dramatically—the
food aid pledges received so far are nowhere near enough,”
said Georgia Shaver, World Food Programme (WFP)
Representative in Ethiopia.
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| UNAIDS/WHO Release AIDS Epidemic Update 2002 | |||
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According to a report issued by the
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
and the World Health Organization (WHO),
the HIV/AIDS epidemic is fuelling a widening and increasingly deadly
famine in Southern Africa. AIDS Epidemic Update 2002 says the African
famine is a clear example of how the impact of HIV/AIDS reaches beyond
the loss of life and health care costs traditionally associated with
the disease.
The report finds that AIDS-related deaths
in a farm household cause crop output to plummet—often by up
to 60%. A 2002 study in central Malawi shows that about 70% of surveyed
households have suffered labour losses due to sickness, and household
incomes also shrink, leaving people with less money to buy food. The
report indicates that seven million agricultural workers in 25 African
countries have died of AIDS since 1985. In 2001 alone, AIDS killed
nearly 500,000 people—most of who were in their productive prime—in
the six predominantly agricultural countries threatened with famine
(Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).
“The famine is a tragic example
of how this epidemic combines with other crises to create even greater
catastrophes,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot. “What
is happening today in Southern Africa illustrates that AIDS cannot
be addressed in isolation. Reponses to AIDS must take into account
that the epidemic has an impact in every economic and social sector.”
The report finds that the world's fastest
growing HIV/AIDS epidemic is currently found in Eastern Europe and
the Central Asian Republics. In 2002, there were an estimated 250,000
new infections, bringing the total for the region to 1.2 million people
living with HIV/AIDS. The report describes the epidemic’s growth
in some countries as “startling,” pointing to Uzbekistan
where there were almost as many new infections reported in the first
six months of 2002 as in the entire previous decade.
Several countries in Asia and the Pacific,
including China, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, may also face huge
growth in their epidemics. UNAIDS warns that 11 million more people
will acquire HIV in Asia by 2007 unless concerted and effective action
is taken to increase access to HIV prevention and care in the region,
where the epidemic is still in its early phases.
“We know there is a point in every
country’s AIDS crisis where the epidemic breaks out from especially
vulnerable groups into the wider population,” said Gro Harlem
Brundtland, WHO Director-General. “This is a critical moment
of opportunity and danger. Unless we see national prevention initiatives
championed by the highest level of government, the growth in infections
can be unstoppable. We are at this critical moment today in a number
of countries in Eastern Europe, central, south and eastern Asia.”
Globally, the report finds that 42 million
people are now living with HIV, 5 million were newly-infected in 2002,
and 3.1 million people were killed by AIDS this year. In sub-Saharan
Africa, the epidemic continues to expand. An estimated 3.5 million
new infections occurred in 2002, and 2.4 million Africans died of
the disease. In Asia, 7.2 million people are now living with HIV.
The report identifies injecting drug use as the main mode of HIV transmission
in Eastern Europe, and in several countries in Asia, the Middle East
and North Africa.
The report identifies several successes
in the fight against AIDS, noting that evidence from South Africa
and Ethiopia indicates that the awareness campaigns and prevention
programmes that have been launched in recent years are starting to
have an impact, particularly among young people. These trends follow
the reporting of similar findings in Zambia and Uganda.
UNAIDS calculates that effective prevention
and care programmes in low- and middle-in come countries will require
US$10.5 billion by 2005. Funding needs will then rise significantly
so that by 2007 some US$15 billion a year will be needed to successfully
combat AIDS—and that level would have to be maintained for at
least a decade thereafter, according to UNAIDS.
Contact: Dominique de Santis, Press
Officer, UNAIDS, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland,
telephone +41-22/791 4509, fax +41-22/791 4898, e-mail <desantisd@unaids.org>,
website (www.unaids.org). Chris Powell, Information Officer,
Family and Community Health, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva
27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/791 2888, e-mail <powellc@who.int>,
website (www.who.int/en).
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| WFP Launches Africa Hunger Crisis Campaign | |||
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In response to mounting concern among
the general public about the vast hunger crisis gripping the African
continent, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), on 21 November 2002,
announced a global campaign to assist the more than 38 million people
facing starvation.
The Africa Hunger Alert campaign was
created in reaction to spontaneous grassroots initiatives originating
among student communities in the United States and Canada, and which
now stretch from Europe to Hong Kong. WFP says the students and community
groups have committed themselves to help generate an international
response to the catastrophic conditions in Africa, caused primarily
by shifting weather patterns and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and, in some
countries, political instability and failed economic policies.
“By announcing the Africa Hunger
Alert campaign, WFP is signalling its commitment to link up with ordinary
citizens to alert the international community to the enormity of the
crisis faced by millions of innocent men, women and children who run
the very real risk of death by starvation,” said James T. Morris,
WFP Executive Director. “We appeal to governments, private charities,
non-governmental organizations, citizens’ groups and everyone
who cares about fundamental human decency to join this campaign. The
scope and depth of this crisis is unprecedented and it will require
an unprecedented and urgent response.” The hunger crisis in Africa has grown
particularly acute in the wake of two major emergencies this year—in
the Southern Africa region and in the Horn of Africa. In the six
countries of Southern Africa - Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho,
Swaziland and Mozambique - almost 15 million people are threatened
by starvation. In Ethiopia and Eritrea an additional 11-15 million
are at risk—and the number could go higher.
WFP is just one participant in the Africa
Hunger Alert campaign, formally launched on 16 December, and which
will run for at least three months. The WFP website (www.wfp.org/AfricaHungerAlert)
will provide information on the crisis that can be instrumental in
lobbying governments into action. Participating organizations will
be able to promote their activities and ideas on a bulletin board
on the website. The website will also give updates on how much money
has been raised from governments and individuals, and how it is being
used.
“Right now in Africa we are confronted
with a fundamental choice,” Mr. Morris said. “We no longer
have the luxury of making things better. The issue is whether we can
prevent the situation from getting worse. The stark fact is that 38
million human beings are threatened by starvation.” Contact: Caroline Hurford, Public
Affairs Officer, WFP, Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, I-00148 Rome,
Italy, telephone +39-06/6513 2330, fax + 39-09/6513 2840, e-mail
<caroline.hurford@wfp.org>,
website (www.wfp.org).
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| GA President Observes World AIDS Day | |||
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President of the fifty-seventh session
of the United Nations General Assembly, Jan Kavan (Czech Republic),
in his message observing World AIDS Day on 1 December, said that the
stigma and discrimination that accompany HIV/AIDS contributes to the
devastating epidemic. Below is his message.
“The HIV/AIDS epidemic is the most
devastating and challenging of epidemics faced by mankind. Its rapid
spread across the globe and the stigma and discrimination accompanying
the disease, has already taken a major toll in human lives. It is
the fourth largest global killer. Its impact on entire households,
on the economy, on health workers, on education, on enterprises and
development, is potentially catastrophic. It is not an epidemic that
seems to have a natural course of coming to an end. The Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
has categorized this status of the epidemic as an “early stage.”
We, therefore, need to work together globally at all levels and across
all sectors to control this epidemic and bring it to an end.
“The deep personal commitment of
the Secretary-General, and the UN General Assembly in engaging the
world leaders and society at the Special Session on HIV/AIDS last
year, has focused the world’s attention to HIV/AIDS and generated
a global resolve to effectively fight this epidemic. Many countries
that were previously in denial that this epidemic existed in their
territories, have now openly acknowledged the problem and are joining
the world community to arrest its spread.
“There are over 42 million adults
and children living with AIDS, of which some 14 million are orphaned
children. The current projections estimate that an additional 45 million
persons could become infected with HIV in the next eight years if
the pandemic is unchecked. These horrific statistics speak for themselves.
The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS and the discrimination against those
suffering from the disease, are still keeping many nations and communities
in denial of acknowledging this epidemic in their midst, contributing
to its spread and further loss of life. The disavowal of HIV/AIDS
victims by society in these communities, ranges from refusal of health
care services to eviction from their homes. The World Aids Day campaign
aims to focus on all elements that play a part in effective prevention
and care to arrest the spread of the disease. “The Declaration of Commitment
that emanated from the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS,
provides specific guidelines for governments to follow and act upon.
There is a determined commitment amongst the UN family, including
through the work of UNAIDS, to enhance coordination and transparency
and mobilize the world community to this challenge.”
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| FAO, WFP Commemorates World Food Day | |||
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16 October 2002, some 150 countries around the world observed World
Food Day, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
on that day in 1945. This year’s theme was “Water: Source
of Food Security”. During a ceremony at FAO headquarters in Rome,
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
both stressed the importance of water in achieving sustainable food
production.
Dr. Diouf pointed out that “careful
water management will be crucial to grow the food we all need to lead
productive and healthy lives,” while noting that world population
is expected to rise to eight billion in 30 years. “The combined
vicious impact of poverty, rising demand for food and insufficient
availability of water poses a serious challenge for world food security
and universal access to clean water,” he stressed.
In his address, President Chávez condemned
what he called “wild capitalism and immorality,” saying
that “the root of poverty, hunger, water pollution is the economic
model imposed on the world.” He deplored “the absence of
an ethical approach” and the fact that “rich countries are
imposing standards and norms on poor countries” while maintaining
subsidies to farmers in industrialized countries.
Commenting on the outcomes of the Johannesburg
Summit on sustainable development and other major world gatherings,
the Venezuelan President said: “We are miles away from the goals
we set to ourselves. If we simply make speeches and produce documents
we are not acknowledging reality.” He also made reference to
his proposal to establish an international humanitarian fund to relieve
the debt burden of developing countries and devote significant funding
to urgent food and water development programmes.
Also on World Food Day, the UN World
Food Programme expressed deep concern about its inability to respond
fully to ever-mounting hunger crises, despite the generosity of donor
countries and efforts by relief workers.
“This disturbing new phenomenon
is not simply a lack of cash, though funding for humanitarian emergencies
is never easy to secure,” said WFP Executive Director James Morris.
“The main challenge comes from a surge in new needs, driven primarily
by weather-related disasters and by HIV/AIDS.”
WFP says extreme weather has intensified
its role in current crises: in Southern Africa, drought is the prime
cause of hunger, which is now threatening an estimated 14.4 million
people, according to a recent assessment. At the same time, another
serious drought is looming over the Horn of Africa where the figure
of those at risk in Ethiopia alone has unexpectedly jumped to between
10-14 million.
WFP says that civil unrest in the Ivory
Coast could affect up to four million people unless a peaceful solution
is found, while in Mauritania, drought is already causing serious
hardship and is spreading to five neighbouring countries, affecting
up to 1.5 million people.
In Central America, over 1.5 million
people have seen their food supplies wither because of drought, while
Asia is battling with floods. In Afghanistan, four years of drought
and conflict are still wreaking havoc on the lives of almost ten million
people.
WFP also warns that its operation in
North Korea to reach 6.4 million people, where agricultural production
is limited not only by unfavourable weather but also by adverse policies,
is under funded, leading to reduced rations for three million hungry
women, children and elderly people, with a further 1.5 million people
likely to be cut off in January 2003.
“The combined needs of roughly
50 million people cannot be shrugged off. Nor can the needs of 300
million hungry children, who either go to school and don’t get
a meal or don't go to school at all,” Mr. Morris said.
Contact: John Riddle, Information
Officer, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy,
telephone +39-06/5705, fax +39-06/5705 3699, e-mail <john.riddle@fao.org>,
website (www.fao.org).
Caroline Hurford, Public Affairs
Officer, WFP, Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, I-00148 Rome, Italy, telephone
+39-06/6513 2330, fax + 39-09/6513 2840, e-mail <caroline.hurford@wfp.org>,
website (www.wfp.org).
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| WHO Releases Study on GM Foods | |||
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The World Health Organization (WHO)
has released a document, entitled 20 Questions on Genetically Modified
Foods, which addresses key concerns over genetically modified (GM)
foods and crops, in response to requests from Southern African Governments
for further information on the safety of GM food, in light of the
region’s food crisis and the issue of GM food aid (see Go
Between 93).
“Persistent concerns have been
raised over the safety of GM maize, and this has seriously jeopardized
the delivery of food aid to vulnerable people that require it urgently
across Southern Africa,” Ana Dias Lourenco, Angola’s Planning
Minister, said. Meeting in early October in Angola for the Summit
of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), ministers from the six affected countries—Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland—failed to agree
on the issue of genetically modified foods.
However, the Summit’s outcome notes
“Member States are at liberty to take a position to accept or
reject GMO [genetically modified organism] grain coming as food aid.
In the event that a Member State accepts this grain, it should undertake
awareness campaigns to ensure that GMO maize is not planted and also
ensure that all GMO maize is milled into flour before any distribution
to beneficiaries. As a long-term measure, Member States should develop
capacity to deal with GMO issues particularly for testing and monitoring.”
20 Questions points out that individual
GM foods and their safety must be assessed on a case-by-case basis,
making general statements on the safety of all GM foods “impossible.”
According to WHO, GM foods on the international market have passed
risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health,
and “no effects on human health have been shown as a result of
the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries
where they have been approved.”
The document lists three main concerns
about modifications to crop genes: the possibility that such food
could cause allergic reactions in some people, the transfer of modified
genes to those eating the food, and the possibility that modified
genes could be spread to unmodified crops “in the wild.”
WHO said that these concerns can vary widely from place to place:
“Depending on the region of the world, people often have different
attitudes to food. In addition to nutritional value, food often has
societal and historical connotations, and in some instances may have
religious importance.”
The safety assessment of GM foods generally
investigates: direct health effects (toxicity); tendencies to provoke
allergic reaction; specific components thought to have nutritional
or toxic properties; the stability of the inserted gene; nutritional
effects associated with genetic modification; and any unintended effects
which could result from the gene insertion.
Issues of concern for the environment
include: the capability of the GMO to escape and potentially introduce
the engineered genes into wild populations; the persistence of the
gene after the GMO has been harvested; the susceptibility of non-target
organisms (e.g. insects which are not pests) to the gene product;
the stability of the gene; the reduction in the spectrum of other
plants, including loss of biodiversity; and increased use of chemicals
in agriculture. WHO says the environmental safety aspects of GM crops
vary considerably according to local conditions.
On the positive side, WHO reports that
GM foods could help improve food security through better protection
from pests and drought, produce vaccines, and increase nutrient levels
of foods, and has announced that it plans to conduct a broader evaluation
of GM foods, including a joint report with the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
to be released in January 2003.
20 Questions is available online (www.who.int/
fsf/Gmfood/q&a.pdf). Contact: Jørgen Schlundt, Coordinator,
Food Safety, WHO, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland,
telephone +41-22/791 3445,fax +41-22/791 4807, e-mail <schlundtj@who.int>,
website (www.who.int).
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| BWC Ends Fifth Review Conference | |||
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The Fifth Review Conference of the States
Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production
and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons
and on Their Destruction met in Geneva from 11-15 November 2002. It
concluded with the adoption of a Final Report outlining a new approach
to combat the deliberate use of disease as a weapon, marking the end
of a year-long series of informal negotiations led by Conference President
Tibor Tóth (Hungary).
Last year, the Conference was suspended
in the final hours of its last day (7 December 2001) after the US
proposed the termination of the Ad Hoc Group (AHG) in charge of negotiating
a verification Protocol to the Convention. States Parties hurriedly
agreed to adjourn the Conference until November 2002. Over the last
several months, Western European States had been pushing for continued,
regular talks on measures to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention
(BWC). The US, however, had said in September 2002 that BWC States
Parties should meet for less than a day for the sole purpose of agreeing
to reconvene in four years for another review.
Under the new agreement, adopted on
14 November 2002, States Parties to the BWC are to meet for three
annual week-long meetings, beginning in 2003, to promote “common
understanding and effective action” in five areas:
—the adoption of national measures
to implement the prohibitions set forth in the Convention, including
the enactment of penal legislation;
Opinions on the decisions carried in
the work plan were split. A number of countries expressed disappointment
over what they called the proposed Protocol's “inability”
to strengthen the BWC. Some criticized it for its lack of compliance
measures, while others felt the decision carefully balanced the views
of all States Parties. Non-governmental arms control organizations
gave the decision a mixed review. Oliver Meier of the Washington-based
Arms Control Association said, “The process outlined by Ambassador
Tóth would limit further international discussions to national and
voluntary measures on bioweapons and would not allow for the development
of new, legally binding measures to prevent the development and production
of biological weapons.”
A new NGO initiative, entitled the BioWeapons
Prevention Project (BWPP), was launched during the Conference. Jayantha
Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, welcomed
the initiative. Aimed at strengthening the norm against using disease
as a weapon, BWPP will work to establish a global monitoring network.
Project activities are to include monitoring implementation by governments
of their legal and political obligations related to biological weapons,
as well as other developments, publishing findings to increase openness
and transparency, and building a global network of civil society organizations
concerned with the threat of biological weapons.
Contact: Richard Lennane, Secretary
of the Fifth Review Conference of the BWC, Department for Disarmament
Affairs, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone
+41-22/917 2298, fax +41-22/917 0034, e-mail <rlennane@unog.ch>,
website (http://disarmament.un.org/wmd/bwc/index.html). Ditta Ciganikova, BWPP Project
Coordinator, telephone +41-22/917 2699, e-mail <bwcmonitor@hotmail.com>,
website (www.bwpp.org ). |
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| Climate Change: COP-8 Meets in New Dehli | |||
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The eighth Conference of the Parties
(COP-8) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) was held in New Delhi (India)
from 23 October-1 November 2002. It brought together over 4,300 participants
from 167 States Parties, three observer States, 213 intergovernmental,
non-governmental and other observer organizations, and adopted a number
of decisions on the procedures of the Kyoto Protocol, expected to
enter into force in early 2003. The Protocol commits developed countries
to reduce their overall emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gases (GHG) during the period 2008-2012.
Throughout the meeting, Parties convened
in negotiating groups, informal consultations, plenary sessions and
three high-level roundtables. COP-8 adopted decisions and conclusions
on improved guidelines for non-Annex I countries (which refers to
developing countries) national communications; issues under the financial
mechanism; “good practices” in policies and measures; research
and systematic observation; cooperation with relevant international
organizations; and methodological issues.
Negotiation of the Delhi Declaration
proved difficult and intense given the difference between the positions
of developing and most developed countries on GHG reductions, and
the initial draft of the Declaration did not contain a single reference
to the Kyoto Protocol. Much of the debate focused on the need for
“further action” on combating climate change, in particular
after the first commitment period ending in 2012, including the role
that developing countries should play in addressing climate change
and what commitments they should accept. In the end, a debate on post-2012
action was postponed and the Declaration did not call for follow-up
action, instead emphasizing the need for adaptation measures, sustainable
development and technology transfer.
Three ministerial high-level round table
discussions were held from 30-31 October, bringing together some 65
ministers. Speaking at one of the high-level segments, Indian Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said that while developing countries
produce only a fraction of the greenhouse gases that cause global
warming, they will disproportionately bear the burden of the adverse
impacts of climate change. He said India and other developing countries
have been demanding adaptation measures to tackle the problem rather
than make commitments on climate change mitigation beyond that included
in the Convention. Steen Gade, Director General of the Danish Environment
Protection Agency and head of the European Union delegation, said
that what was important was that developing countries begin discussing
mitigating measures before 2005 as agreed under the Kyoto Protocol.
On 1 November, Parties adopted the Delhi
Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The US
was the only industrialized country that expressed satisfaction with
the final declaration, saying it was a “balanced document for
future course of action to deal with climate change.” Many delegations
were puzzled by the US’s volte-face concerning the commitments
of non-Annex 1 countries. Indeed, one of the reasons the Bush administration
had pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol in March 2001 was that developing
countries did not have set targets for reducing GHG emissions. In
its policy reversal, the US said it stressed economic growth as the
key to environmental progress, and cautioned against burdensome targets
for developing countries. Nigeria noted that the Declaration recognized
the needs of the developing world and pointed the way to new avenues
of cooperation between the North and South.
The EU, however, submitted a statement
of concern, calling on all countries to engage in a common dialogue
with a view to further action consistent with the UNFCCC’s ultimate
objective. EU negotiators had hoped for a stronger Delhi Declaration
that would incorporate commitments to reduce global warming beyond
2012 by all Parties, whether developing or developed countries.
The Declaration reaffirms development
and poverty eradication as overriding priorities in developing countries
and implementation of UNFCCC commitments according to Parties’
common but differentiated responsibilities, development priorities
and circumstances. It promotes less polluting energy and other innovative
technologies while urging governments to promote technological advances,
substantially increase renewable energy resources, and promote the
transfer of technologies that can help reduce GHG emissions in major
economic sectors. It also calls for early ratification of the Kyoto
Protocol.
The Declaration makes the Protocol’s
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) fully operational. The CDM will
channel private-sector investment into emissions-reduction projects
in developing countries, promoting sustainable development in these
countries while offering industrialized governments credits against
their Kyoto targets. The first projects may be approved during the
first quarter of 2003.
“The New Delhi conference has achieved
its main goals of further strengthening international collaboration
on climate change while meeting the requirements of sustainable development,”
said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Joke Waller-Hunter. “Now the
spotlight must focus on action to accelerate the transition to climate-friendly
economies. Industrialized countries have only ten years to meet their
Kyoto emissions targets—and the evidence today is that most of
them still have a great deal of work to do to reduce their greenhouse
gases,” she said.
Italy will host COP-9 from 1-12 December
2003. Contact: Climate Change Secretariat,
UNFCCC, PO Box 260 124, D-53153 Bonn, Germany, telephone +49-228/815
1005, fax +49-228/815 1999, e-mail <press@unfccc.int>,
website (http://unfccc.int/cop8/).
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| GA Considers Cloning Convention | |||
| In
December 2001, the General Assembly (GA) established an Ad Hoc Committee
on an International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of
Human Beings (see Go Between 90). A working group (WG) of the GA’s
Sixth Committee (Legal) met from 23-27 September 2002, and issued
a report (A/C.6/57/L.4) summarizing deliberations on the elaboration
of a mandate for negotiating the international convention. The WG
has now begun the process of identifying the legal issues involved.
According to Peter Tomka (Slovakia),
Chair of both the Ad Hoc Committee and the Sixth Committee WG, there
is firm opposition to the reproductive cloning of human beings and
general agreement that it should be banned. Views differ, however,
on the scope of the ban.
France and Germany, with the support
of many delegations, issued a proposal favouring a convention banning
reproductive cloning, sending a clear message that such cloning is
“unethical, intolerable and illegal.” These countries favour
a pragmatic and principled step-by-step approach, first to address
reproductive cloning, and then to address the issue of therapeutic
cloning. Delegations supporting this approach said that it recognized
the concerns, complex issues and conflicting views about both therapeutic
and experimental cloning, while still reflecting the consensus that
reproductive cloning was morally unacceptable. Germany further emphasized
that since work on human cloning was already taking place, it was
crucial to elaborate a convention against it immediately, before a
cloned baby could be brought to life. An “all-out approach,”
Germany argued, would not likely be acceptable to all delegations,
and would result in delays that would benefit only “irresponsible
researchers, fraudulent doctors and obscure religious sects.”
An initiative led by Spain and the United
States, among others, favoured a convention calling for a comprehensive
ban on both reproductive human cloning and on cloning for therapeutic
and experimental purposes. Since the technology for both is the same,
these delegations maintained that a partial ban would be ineffective
and would send the wrong signal by implicitly authorizing the creation
and destruction of human embryos for experimentation. A partial ban
on cloning, they said, would create legal uncertainty. Chile and the
Holy See Observer further emphasized that the distinction between
reproductive and other cloning masked the reality that a human being
was being created for the purpose of destroying it to produce embryonic
stem cell lines or to carry out other experiments—techniques
that they said raised profound ethical and moral questions.
Regardless of the purpose, Mr. Tomka
said, it had been pointed out during negotiations that human embryonic
cloning conflicted with international legal norms protecting human
dignity. It had equally been pointed out that no avenues of medical
benefit should be hastily cut off before there was a proper understanding
of them. It was unclear, for example, whether other cloning techniques,
such as adult stem cell research (which would not be covered by a
ban), yielded the same benefits for medical science as embryonic cells.
Alternative approaches included a moratorium
pending entry into force of a convention; a permanent ban on reproductive
cloning and a temporary one on therapeutic cloning to buy time for
study; and a two-tiered approaching focusing on reproductive cloning
and containing provisions on other cloning activities that Contracting
Parties to the convention could opt in and out of.
On 7 November the Sixth Committee agreed
through its draft decision (A/C.6//57/L.24) to convene a working group
from 29 September-3 October 2003 in order to continue the work of
the Ad Hoc Committee on an international convention against the reproductive
cloning of human beings begun this year. Contact: Office of Legal Affairs,
Room S-3460, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963
1963, website (www.un.org/law/cloning).
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|
The UN General Assembly, through its
Second Committee (Economic and Financial), took up the agenda item
of high-level intergovernmental consideration of financing for development
(FFD) on 8 November 2002 to explore ways forward in following up the
International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey
in March 2002.
Delegations put forward a number of
recommendations dealing with the two principal arenas for follow-up,
namely the annual “High-Level Dialogue between the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC)
and the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs),” scheduled for April
2003, and the General Assembly (GA) “High-Level Dialogue on strengthening
international economic cooperation for development through partnership,”
scheduled for the second half of 2003. Delegations also discussed
UN secretariat support for FFD.
While delegates agreed on the importance
of the two meetings and follow-up in general, a range of views was
offered regarding the purposes they might serve. For example, the
European Union (EU), and Norway suggested that FFD and the GA High-Level
Dialogue should be approached in a holistic manner to be considered
by an ad hoc working group on integrated conference follow-up along
with the Millennium Summit and the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD, see NGLS Roundup 96). According to the representative of Denmark,
speaking on behalf of the EU, the GA High-Level dialogue should focus
on implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and related issues, whereas
the ECOSOC and the ECOSOC-BWI meeting should address coherence, coordination
and cooperation. The EU also suggested that inputs from the major
stakeholders should be part of the preparation for these meetings.
The Ambassador of Venezuela, speaking
on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China (G-77/China)
emphasized that follow-up on Financing for Development, while coordinated
with the follow-up of other conferences’ outcomes, should not
be “distracted” and should remain focused on FFD itself.
To this end, he said the G-77/China was presenting three draft resolutions
to the GA: one dealing with the follow-up in all its aspects, according
to decisions in the Monterrey Consensus; the second focusing on the
High-Level Dialogue established to review fulfillment of commitments;
and the third to address secretariat support.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) offered
a number of suggestions regarding the role of the GA High-Level Dialogue,
which included establishing a working group to oversee the implementation
of specific proposals in the Monterrey Consensus. The representative
of Saint Lucia, on behalf of CARICOM, suggested the following issues
to be taken up by the working group: formulating internationally agreed
codes of conduct and rules to regulate international financial markets
and the consideration of a world Financial Authority; monitoring official
development assistance (ODA) contributions; establishing an independent
debt arbitration mechanism involving creditors, debtors, and independent
experts to adjudicate and pass judgement on debt reduction options;
formulating an institutional framework with timetable commitments
aimed at increasing the level of cooperation on tax matters; formulating
proposals for the full and effective participation of developing countries
in global economic decision making; formulating an intergovernmental
framework for the conduct and monitoring of partnerships; and formulating
proposals for addressing the declining terms of trade and instability
of commodity prices. Contact: Oscar de Rojas, Executive
Coordinator, Financing for Development Secretariat, UN DESA, 2 UN
Plaza, Room DC 2386, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963
2587, fax +1-212/963 0443, e-mail <ffd2003@un.org>,
website (www.un.org/ffd).
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| UNCTAD Releases World Investment Report 2002 | |||
|
The World Investment Report 2002 (WIR02), published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), looks at emerging trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) and focuses on the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in the export competitiveness of developing countries. Taking into consideration aspects such as FDI stock and flows, sales, value added, employment, profits, and research and development, the report also benchmarks the FDI performance and potential of host countries and looks at the largest TNCs.
WIR02 notes that developed countries
have borne the brunt of declining FDI (59%), but developing countries
have also suffered with a decline of 14%. At the same time, developing
countries and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) economies are garnering
a rising share of FDI overall. While saying that the fall in FDI is
likely to continue for most countries in 2002, the report anticipates
that “over the longer term, international production—production
under the common governance of transnational corporations (TNCs)—seems
set to raise its share of global economic activity.”
WIR02 introduces two new indices which
have been calculated for 1988-1990 and 1998-2000: the Inward FDI Performance
Index (the ratio of a country’s share in global FDI flows to
its share in global gross domestic product to measure performance),
and the Inward FDI Potential Index (which uses a set of economic and
policy factors of importance to foreign investors to calculate potential).
UNCTAD says that when taken together, the two indices show how countries
are performing relative to their potential.
TNCs are playing a pervasive role in
the exports of developing countries, UNCTAD finds, and, in a number
of countries, they account for a substantial share of all exports,
and this is especially true of “winner countries”—those
boasting the largest gains in market share over the past decades.
Their export growth is directly or indirectly linked to the expansion
of TNCs’ international production systems. But although more
and more countries are targeting export-oriented FDI, high shares
in exports are not enough, with the report saying that “exports
must also be upgraded and involve local value added if this investment
is to yield longer-term development gains.”
The report finds that several concurrent
trends are responsible for the transformation of international production
systems and networks, including globalization, liberalization and
technological innovation. These trends have intensified competitive
pressures, forcing corporations to become more efficient and to internationalize
their operations, posing both opportunities and challenges for developing
countries. Contact: Erica Meltzer, Press
Officer, Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development,
UNCTAD, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone
+41-22/907 5365, fax +41-22/907 0194, e-mail <WIRteam@unctad.org>,
website (www.unctad.org).
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| WIDER-UN Report Calls for Reform | |||
|
A two-year study led by the World Institute
for Development Economics Research (WIDER)
of the United Nations University (UNU),
entitled Governing Globalization: Issues and Institutions, finds that
there is an “urgent need” to reform the United Nations system
and the Bretton Woods institutions, and also to create institutions
that are “missing.”
Suggesting that “crises are the
catalysts for change,” and citing the creation of both the UN
and the Bretton Woods institutions in the aftermath of a world war
and a worldwide economic depression as an example, Governing Globalization
says the governance needs in terms of institutions and rules have
changed as old problems persist while new problems, such as globalization,
have surfaced. The policy brief also finds that changes in the world,
particularly during the past decade, “have eroded the legitimacy,
the effectiveness and the credibility of the United Nations.”
Pointing to an increase in the number
of humanitarian crises, the report finds that the response of the
international community and of the UN system—in peace keeping,
helping refugees, clearing land mines, or supporting reconstruction—has
been “ad hoc, inadequate, or simply not forthcoming,” adding
that there is no system in place to take care of or prevent complex
humanitarian emergencies. The report also says it is essential to
increase the membership of the Security Council and to circumscribe
its veto powers, and that it is necessary to explore possibilities
of independent financing. It calls for the establishment of a volunteer
peace force to provide a prompt, collective security response whenever
emergencies arise.
The report finds that globalization
has reduced the power of national governments in economics and politics
without a corresponding increase in effective international cooperation,
and calls for the creation of an Economic Security Council to govern
globalization and to act as an international regulatory authority
as necessary. The report finds that without effective international
coordination, “international public bads (such as international
crime, or international trade in drugs, arms, organs and people) are
bound to increase while international public goods (such as world
peace and sustainable development) are most likely to decrease,”
and calls for an international mechanism for cooperation between States
that would facilitate coordinated action and cooperative behaviour.
The study also finds that there are
two fundamental flaws in the performance of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank:
Deepak Nayyar, editor and co-author
of the study, says it is time to “reform the reformers,”
and that there is a strong need to re-think conditionality which is
often counter-productive, and to dispense of the standardized package
of policies “simply because one size does not fit all.”
The study also suggests that a Global
Peoples Assembly, modelled after the European Parliament, should run
parallel to the UN General Assembly to allow civil society to have
a wider voice. Contact: Ara Kazandjian, Media and Public Relations, World Institute
for Development Economics Research (WIDER)
of the United Nations University, Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, 00160
Helsinki, Finland, telephone +358-961/599210, fax +358-961/599333,
e-mail <ara@wider.unu.edu>,
website (www.wider.unu.edu).
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|
The United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs (DESA) has released an update to the World Economic
and Social Survey 2002, its annual analysis of developments in the
world economy and emerging policy issues. It contains forecasts of
short-term global and regional economic trends, reviews major developments
in international trade, and discusses the net transfer of financial
resources of developing countries. The Survey also provides statistical
tables, giving standardized data on macro-economic, international
trade and finance.
Part One of this year’s Survey
revolves mainly around the origin, depth, strength and sustainability
of the economic recovery under way in some major developed market
economies and in some developing countries. It also examines the question
of symmetry, namely whether any upturn in developed market economies
will have similar repercussions on developing countries in 2002-2003.
Part One also assesses the global economic situation shaping up and
its possible impact on international trade and finance, including
commodity prices.
Part Two looks at public-private cooperation
and examines the role governments now play as the public sector gradually
retreats from the direct production of goods and social services in
competitive markets, while the private sector expands its activity
into areas that were widely considered the State’s responsibility.
Chapter V deals with the privatization
process as a tool to forge changes in the relation between the State
and the market, and describes changes in the focus and nature of research
and development (R&D) due to privatization. Chapter VI analyzes
the shifts in the agricultural sector as the share of private investment
in R&D increases, and notes changes in the utilities sector, becoming
more and more often the target for privatization programmes throughout
the world. Chapter VII describes how increased competition coupled
with an effective regulatory scheme as part of a wider liberalization
process could lead to increased efficiency, better quality and a significant
fall in the real price of electricity.
Chapters VIII and IX focus on the private
sector's involvement in human resources development in education and
health. They conclude that in both sectors, private participation
has been essential in complementing the public provision of these
services. The Survey suggests that the public sector should take steps
to enhance its dual role as both an important provider and also an
efficient regulator to assure equal access, allocation and quality. Contact: Development Policy Analysis
Division, DESA, Room DC2-2170, United Nations, New York NY 10017,
USA, telephone +1-212/963 4838, fax +1-212/963 1061, website (www.un.org/esa/analysis/ddpa.htm).
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|
Meeting in their annual session from
28-29 September 2002 in Washington DC, the Boards of Governors of
the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)
discussed implementation of the strategies and decisions agreed at
the International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD) in
Monterrey and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) recently
concluded in Johannesburg, as well as the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and issues around a debt restructuring mechanism.
A topic high on the agenda of the International
Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)
meeting was approaches to restructuring unsustainable sovereign debts
of developing countries. Just prior to the Annual Meetings, Jack Boorman,
Special Advisor to the Managing Director of the IMF, laid out the
current status of the debate on this issue. He said that over the
last year, since IMF Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger proposed
the establishment of a Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism (SDRM),
attention to the issue has grown as has clarity around its potential
application for emerging market borrowers rather than poorer countries.
He said that there is now far wider understanding of the relevant
issues in areas including legal, behavioural, institutional, and political,
among others.
Mr. Boorman outlined the four current
proposals being discussed: statutory approach to establish a universal
legal framework to facilitate negotiations between creditors and debtors;
broadening of collective action clauses (agreements whereby the majority
of creditors can agree to debt cancellation on behalf of others),
possibly to include bank loans; a two-step process involving exchanging
outstanding debt for claims which include collective action clauses,
which would then be used to facilitate a restructuring agreement;
and leaving the current system as it is.
The IMFC has asked the Fund to consider
these issues further and develop, for consideration at the Spring
Meeting in 2003, a concrete proposal for a statutory SDRM. Other issues
taken up by the IMFC included: IMF reform; strengthening corporate
governance, accounting and auditing; implementation of the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); private sector involvement
in crisis resolution; and the IMF’s new guidelines on conditionality.
In its communiqué, the Development Committee
said it would use its future meetings to review, on a regular basis,
progress of implementation of strategies and partnerships related
to FFD and WSSD through clear and measurable indicators. In this connection,
the Committee also said that it intended to have further discussions
on global public goods. The Development Committee requested work in
other areas as well including trade, as it urged “intensified
efforts” to mainstream trade in the development dialogue with
the World Bank’s members. The Committee said that it was essential
for developed countries to do more to open their markets and to eliminate
trade-distorting subsidies for products that represent major potential
exports for developing countries, such as agriculture, textiles and
clothing. It also stressed the importance of continued efforts toward
trade liberalization in developing countries and the minimization
of adjustment burdens on the poor.
The Committee expressed its commitment
to working on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
and said a clear framework was needed to identify responsibilities
and accountability by which progress can be regularly measured. While
acknowledging the role of the United Nations in monitoring the MDGs,
the Committee requested the Bank and the Fund to develop their own
proposals on policies, actions and outcomes needed to achieve the
MDGs, which would be presented at the Spring Meetings of 2003.
Recalling the FFD, in which governments
stressed the importance of greater coherence, coordination and cooperation
among multilateral organizations and the need to broaden and strengthen
participation of developing countries and countries in transition
in international decision making and norm-setting, the Committee requested
the Bank and the Fund to prepare a background document for consideration
at the Spring Meeting. Contact: World Bank, 1818 H Street
NW, Washington DC 20433, USA, telephone +1-202/473 1000, fax +1-202/477
6391, website (www.worldbank.org).
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According to the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the amount of
toxic waste stemming from obsolete pesticides in Africa is higher
than previously estimated.
“Every African country has stockpiles
of obsolete pesticides and associated waste such as heavily contaminated
soils and millions of containers. FAO estimates that the toxic waste
in Africa alone amounts to around 120,000 tonnes, with more than 500,000
tonnes worldwide,” said Alemayehu Wodageneh, FAO expert on obsolete
pesticides, during an expert meeting held in Rome in September. FAO
says it previously estimated the amount of obsolete pesticides in
Africa at around 50,000 tonnes.
“These pesticides seriously threaten
the health of both rural and urban populations, especially the poorest
of the poor, and contribute to land degradation and water pollution,”
Mr. Wodageneh said, and an estimated 30% of the waste is believed
to be persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
In nearly a decade, less than 5% of
the estimated stockpiles have been disposed of, and FAO, in collaboration
with bilateral partners, says it has disposed of close to 3,000 tonnes
in more than ten countries in Africa and the Near East. FAO’s
biggest clean-up project, in Ethiopia, currently aims at the removal
of over 3,000 tonnes.
Despite the committed efforts of FAO
and others to address the problem, obsolete pesticides continue to
accumulate. “In some countries we have been very successful in
linking the removal of pesticide waste with the improvement of pesticide
controls and the promotion of sustainable pest management alternatives.
Unfortunately, on a regional or global level, it is probable that
stockpiles of obsolete pesticides are growing more quickly than they
are being alleviated,” Mr. Wodageneh warned.
A lack of resources, weak import controls,
poor storage and stock management, and a lack of training in appropriate
pesticide use has added to the problem. FAO says that since no adequate
hazardous waste destruction facilities exist in Africa, waste has
so far been shipped to a developed country for high-temperature incineration
at an average cost of US$3,500 per tonne of waste.
The
Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP), launched in August 2002, and
which hopes to be functional during 2003, aims to clear all obsolete
pesticides and contaminated waste in Africa in the next 10-15 years
and to promote prevention measures and capacity building. Total funds
needed to cover the ASP costs are expected to be US$200-250 million.
Partners of the initiative so far include: the African Development
Bank, the chemical industry, FAO, the Global Environment Facility,
Pesticide Action Network, the United Nations Environment Programme,
United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the World Bank,
World Wildlife Fund. FAO is slotted to play a key role in the technical
aspects of the clean-up operations.
In related news, the FAO Council, during
its 123rd Session held from 28 October-2 November 2002 in Rome, revised
its International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides.
The Code promotes practices that minimize potential health and environmental
risks associated with pesticides, and addresses the life-cycle of
pesticides: from their development, regulation, production, management,
packaging and labelling, to their distribution, application, use and
control and disposal.
The revised Code calls upon industry
“to supply only pesticides of adequate quality, and to pay special
attention to the choice of pesticide formulations and to the presentation,
packaging and labelling in order to reduce risks to users and minimize
adverse effects on the environment.”
The voluntary Code also promotes Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) strategies that reduce the reliance on pesticides.
IPM emphasizes the growth of healthy crops and encourages natural
pest control systems. It also urges countries to prevent the accumulation
of obsolete pesticides and used pesticide containers, calling on the
pesticide industry to assist in the disposal of toxic pesticide waste
in an environmentally sound manner.
Contact: Alemayehu Wodageneh, Plant
Protection Service, Pesticide Management Unit, FAO, Viale delle Terme
di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy, e-mail <Alemayehu.Wodageneh@FAO.Org>,
website (www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/index_en.htm). Africa Stockpiles Programme website
(www.africastockpiles.org/index.html).
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Stalled global disarmament efforts and
heightened fears of terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
provided the backdrop for a series of roundtable discussions convened
by the Department of Disarmament Affairs (DDA)
from 1-16 October 2002 at UN headquarters in New York.
Designed to complement the general debate
and thematic discussions of the General Assembly’s First Committee
(Disarmament and International Security), the roundtables offered
a comprehensive and in-depth look at issues such as: disarmament in
conflict prevention; the impact of the 11 September 2001 terrorist
attacks on the United States on disarmament efforts; disarmament and
non-proliferation education; the weaponization of outer space; efforts
to address the problem of conventional arms; and the experience of
Hiroshima as it relates to our common future.
A roundtable on Strategies for the Implementation
of the Recommendations of the UN Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Education, hosted by DDA, the Government of Mexico and the Hague Appeal
for Peace Global Campaign for Education, began with the launch of
the study itself, which was prepared by a group of governmental experts
appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The study was introduced
by the Chair of the Group, Miguel Marín Bosch, Under-Secretary of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, who said he hoped it would
serve to heighten the UN’s coordinating role in promoting disarmament
education, and would prompt governments to designate focal points
to galvanize input of all players.
The study builds upon and seeks to revitalize
efforts at disarmament education, which it considers an integral part
of peace education. It tackles new elements such as the growth in
the significance of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
and small arms, as well as gender perspectives on security issues.
Its main contribution is the 34 recommendations for action to be undertaken
by governments, regional organizations, the UN and other international
organizations, as well as municipal and religious leaders, ranging
from the creation of education modules, resource guides and online
programmes, to the establishment of peace museums and peace parks.
The study also seeks to establish close collaboration between the
experts and civil society, and educators and academic institutions
mainly at the secondary and tertiary levels of education.
During the discussion, Jayantha Dhanapala,
UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, underscored the
importance of education as a gradual and powerful “force of change,”
highlighting four areas for emphasis: new aspects of multilateral
disarmament, WMD and small arms; small arms and post-conflict situations;
gender dimensions of disarmament, and the importance of women to education
(as they make up the majority of teachers); and energizing academic
efforts for the study of peace and non-violence.
James Tanis, Vice President of the Bougainville
Peoples Congress, a former combatant himself in a large-scale rebellion
that began literally with a box of matches, emphasized that “the
psychology of someone with a box of matches, a box cutter or a nuclear
weapon is the same.” He underscored the need to look to elements
for peace-making in every culture, not just war-making, and to make
use of those in order to get past hatred. “Successful disarmament
does not come from imposing one on the other,” he said, “but
rather by cooperation.”
William Potter of the Monterey Institute
of International Studies noted that “we are addicted to quick-fix
responses to crisis situations” and emphasized the critical role
of education in changing this. He emphasized the need to develop critical
thinking, as well as empathy through simulation exercises, so that
“we begin to see the world through the eyes of others.”
He suggested this as an exercise for world leaders and concluded by
quoting the Secretary-General: “Education is the most effective
form of defense spending.” Contact: Department for Disarmament
Affairs, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963
7714, fax +1-212/963 1121, website (www.disarmament.un.org/dda).
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The First Committee (Disarmament and
International Security) met from 30 September-1 November 2002 at UN
headquarters in New York with much of its focus centred on how to
pursue multilateralism in disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations.
The Committee also continued discussions on: nuclear weapons; conventional
weapons; disarmament machinery; related matters of disarmament and
international security; and international security.
The Chair of the Committee, Matia Mulumba
Semakul Kiwanuka (Uganda), in his opening statement, said the international
security challenges on the agenda were “both wide and deep-wide,
in encompassing issues of global scope, and deep, in touching upon
matters that affect human security at is very roots.” He called
on the Committee to “rekindle the spirit of multilateralism”
that he said was vital in order to address global threats.
In his opening remarks, Jayantha Dhanapala,
Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, said it was “sobering
to consider the amount of work that remains to be done, especially
with respect to a longstanding agenda item in this Committee—the
relationship between disarmament and development,” and cited
the recent World Summit in Johannesburg on Sustainable Development
as a missed opportunity to address the issue. “Though the Summit’s
Implementation Plan referred to peace and security as ‘essential’
for sustainable development, it took no account of this year’s
global military expenditure, now estimated at over US$850 billion.
Yet according to the [United Nations Development Programme] UNDP’s
latest Human Development Report, all of the Millennium Development
Goals could be met if official development assistance were increased
by about US$50 billion—just a fraction of current military spending—and
sustained at that level.”
Mr. Dhanapala continued, “Speaking
before the States Parties attending the 2000 NPT [Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty] Review Conference, the Secretary-General warned of the accumulation
of ‘rust’ in the multilateral disarmament machinery. In
an ominous response to this warning, the United Nations Disarmament
Commission failed to meet this year, the year it was to have commemorated
its 50th anniversary—while the Conference on Disarmament has
just concluded its fourth successive session without any consensus
on a programme of work….Will this year 2002 be best remembered
for merely being the 50th anniversary of the birth of the hydrogen
bomb, or for achieving something more positive for international peace
and security? The answer is, to a significant extent, in your hands,”
the Under-Secretary-General concluded.
The Committee spent several days debating
and voting on resolutions concerning nuclear, chemical and biological
weapons disarmament, small arms, the Register of Conventional Weapons,
missiles and the work of the Conference on Disarmament, with the subject
of nuclear disarmament dominating the debate.
A draft resolution, sponsored by India,
calling for global efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons
of mass destruction and their delivery means was approved by the Committee
while a draft resolution submitted by Iraq on the effects of depleted
uranium in armaments, which would have requested the UN Secretary-General
to seek the views of States and relevant organizations on all aspects
of its use and report to the Assembly at its next session, was defeated.
The New Agenda Coalition (NAC)—comprising
Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden—introduced
a resolution calling for a nuclear-weapon-free world. The text calls
“upon nuclear-weapon States to undertake the necessary steps
towards the seamless integration of all five nuclear-weapon States
into a process leading to the total elimination of nuclear weapons,”
and was approved by the Committee.
The only resolution on nuclear disarmament
to be adopted by consensus was one put forth by the US and the Russian
Federation welcoming their bilateral nuclear agreement, the Strategic
Offensive Reduction Treaty, although some of the countries that joined
the consensus expressed serious reservations about the resolution.
“Reductions in deployment and operational status cannot substitute
for irreversible cuts in, and the total elimination of, nuclear weapons,”
the New Agenda Coalition cautioned.
A draft on preventing terrorists from
acquiring weapons of mass destruction, put forth by India, also achieved
consensus. It “urges all Member States to undertake and strengthen
national measures, as appropriate, to prevent terrorists from acquiring
weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and materials
and technologies related to their manufacture, and invites them to
inform the Secretary-General, on a voluntary basis, of the measures
taken in this regard.”
The Disarmament Commission adopted a
provisional agenda for its spring 2003 meeting, when it will consider
two main topics: ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament; and
practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional
arms. More information can be found
online (www.un.org/ga/57/first/index.html).
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On 23 October the United Nations announced
that the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)
will formally withdraw its peacekeeping mission from Bosnia-Herzegovina
by the end of the year, and the
European Union Police Mission (EUPM) will then take its place.
On 12 July 2002, the UN Security Council had approved the extension
of UNMIBH’s mandate until 31 December 2002.
Jacques Paul Klein, Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council that the draw
down of the
UN International Police Task Force (IPTF) and the gradual build-up
of the EUPM had been carefully coordinated, and was the largest police
reform and restructuring operation in UN history. He also welcomed
the fact that the EUPM had agreed to give priority to the State Border
Service, the State Information and Protection Agency, and the maintenance
of effective counter-trafficking measures, and that it intended to
take a “robust approach” to organized crime.
Referring to the 5 October 2002 general
and presidential elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina as an “unqualified
success,” Mr. Klein stressed “this is not a time for either
pessimism or complacency,” adding that the “parties’
strong showing does not mean the peace process will stop, but will
present a more challenging political environment that will require
strong intervention and continued commitment by the international
community.”
Mr. Klein said UNMIBH’s mission
had reaffirmed three fundamental points: the introduction of the rule
of law in a post-conflict situation was the foundation for democracy,
economic progress, and an exit strategy for peacekeepers; reconciliation
and healing were impossible if notorious war criminals were not brought
to justice; and unstable, dysfunctional societies and the detritus
of war could not be allowed to fester unattended, or to be abandoned
in midstream. Two-hundred and seventy-two UN personnel lost their
lives during the decade-long mission. More information can be found on
the UNMIBH website (www.unmibh.org/index.asp).
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| States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Landmine Convention) held their fourth annual meeting in | |||