UN UPDATE

• Dates for Barbados+10 Changed
• UNRWA Assesses Damages in Rafah
  
• Panel Reports on UN/Civil Society Relations
• SC Adopts Resolution on Iraq
• Morris: Death Spiral in Southern Africa
• 2005 Follow-up to Millennium Summit
• US Withdraws Resolution on ICC Immunity
• UN Financial Status “Good, But Only In Parts”
• OCHA: Shortfall in Humanitarian Aid
• UN Global Compact Adopts 10th Principle
• G-8: No Major Debt Relief
• A Democratic & Equitable International Order
• Controversy as Sudan is Elected to HRC
• S-G Establishes Panel for Oil-For-Food Probe
• Disarmament: Falling Short of Consensus
• World Economic Forum and the UN
• US Announces Countries for MCA
• Least Developed Countries Report 2004
• UNCTAD Survey Projects “Boom” In FDI
• FDI Declines in Latin America & the Caribbean
• UNESCAP Adopts Shanghai Declaration
• US Launches Nuclear Security Initiative
• ILO Report Notes Progress
• Global Commission on International Migration
• IFAD/IDB Sign MOU on Migrant Remittances
• Agreements Reached in Fight Against AIDS
• UNFPA: Culturally Sensitive Approaches
• World Youth Report 2003
• Combating Desertification & Drought
• UNEP Closes Clean-up Operations in Balkans

UN/NGO COOPERATION

• Mobilizing Youth in Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa
  

NGO UPDATE

• Guns or Growth?
  
• InterAction Forum 2004
  
• Fear and Want -- Obstacles to Human Security
  
• AI Reports on Trafficking in Kosovo
• African Women Launch Leadership Institute
• Decade of World’s Indigenous People
• Conservatives Gear Up Against NGOs in Australia
• BAN Warns About Toxic Mobile Waste

OTHER NEWS

• Modest Increase in Development Aid
• Global Integrity Report: Flawed Democracies
  
• 2004 Commitment to Development Index
• United Cities and Local Governments

FOCUS

• Addressing the Situation in the Occupied Palestine Territories
• UNEP/GMEF Meets in South Korea
• World Health Report 2004 - Changing History
• 57th Session of the World Health Assembly
• 37th Session of the Commission on Population and Development Meets
• Commission on Human Rights Concludes 60th Session
• 92nd International Labour Conference Meets
• The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-2004
• Reaffirming Commitment to Independence of the Media
• The Role of Business in Armed Conflicts
• The Role of Civil Society in Post-conflict Peace-building
• Education For All (EFA) Global Action Week
• 3rd Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
• UN System: The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
  

Guest Editorial

• Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General: Education for All

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 Dates for Barbados+10 Changed

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UNRWA Assesses Damages in Rafah

Since the start of the intifada, 1,354 buildings have been demolished in Rafah, affecting 13,175 people

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Panel Reports on UN/Civil Society Relations

On 21 June, the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations/Civil Society Relations launched its report entitled We the Peoples: Civil Society, the United Nations and Global Governance. Launched simultaneously in New York and Geneva via video link, the report provides 30 recommendations for strengthening UN-civil society engagement.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette opened the briefing, noting that while civic groups and NGOs had generally been associated with the Organization’s work, as that segment of the world community had grown and had become more vocal, the need to enhance and intensify the relationship had become more vital than ever.

Former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso served as Chairman of the Panel. Speaking of the growing influence civic networks and non-State actors now have on the international decision-making process, he said, “Global governance is no longer the sole domain of governments.” He noted civil society’s unique ability to spot emerging issues and threats and to hit upon innovative solutions. “So today, constructive engagement with civil society is not an option for the United Nations, but a necessity.”

He also pointed out that that enhanced engagement and interaction with civil society should not be seen as a “threat to governments of the United Nations system but as a powerful way to invigorate the multilateral process.” He stressed that governments and the UN must reach out and make full use of the expertise that NGOs, the private sector, parliamentarians and local authorities could offer. For more information on the Panel’s report, see NGLS Roundup 113.

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On 8 June, the Security Council unanimously adopted a comprehensive resolution on Iraq (resolution 1546), which endorses the formation of the interim government and the holding of democratic elections by January 2005, welcomes the end of occupation by 30 June, and determines the status of the multinational force and its relationship with the Iraqi Government, as well as the role of the United Nations in the political transition.

Among the several provisions concerning the multinational force, the Council decided that the force should have the authority to “take all necessary measures” to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq in accordance with the letters annexed to the resolution. Those letters, dated 5 June, are from the Prime Minister of the Interim Government Ayad Allawi and US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to the Council President.

The Council welcomed the letters stating that arrangements were being put in place to establish a “security partnership” between the sovereign Iraqi Government and the multinational force and to ensure coordination between the two. It also noted that the Government had authority to commit Iraqi security forces to the multinational force to engage in operations with it, and that the security structures described in the letters would serve as the forums for the Government and the multinational force to reach agreement on the full range of security and policy issues. The Council decided that the mandate for the multinational force should be reviewed at the request of the Iraqi Government or 12 months from the date of the 8 June resolution, and that the mandate should expire upon completion of the political process. It would terminate the mandate earlier if requested by the Government of Iraq.

The Council also decided that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), as requested by the Iraqi Government, should play a leading role in the electoral process, the development of effective civil and social services, and coordination and delivery of reconstruction, development, and humanitarian assistance.
All Council members explained their position following the vote, with many referring to the consensus adoption as a milestone for both Iraq and the Security Council. The United States’ representative, a lead sponsor, called the passage a vivid demonstration of broad international support for a unified Iraq. He said the resolution defined the key political task in which the United Nations should play a “leading and vital” role. It made clear that Iraq’s sovereignty would be “undiluted” and that its Government would have the final say on the presence of the multinational force.

Jean-Marc de la Sablière (France) said his country had approached the discussion on the resolution with three goals for the Iraqi people and the UN: first, to ensure that the Iraqi interim government would have all the attributes of sovereignty and complete authority to govern the country after 30 June, in spite of the need to maintain a very large foreign military presence; second, to give the Iraqi people credible assurances that the political process was continuing and that the presence of foreign troops was temporary and limited in time to clarify the political horizon of the Iraqi people and assure them that the coming transition period would end as soon as possible; and third, to entrust a mandate to the United Nations which guaranteed the credibility of the Organization and which was realistic in light of what it could do in the present circumstances in Iraq. Mr. de la Sablière, who pointed out that the unity of the international community was more necessary than ever, said the final text met his demands on many points, including that the Iraqi armed forces and security forces would not be part of the multinational force and that it would be up to the Iraqi Government solely to decide whether to commit them to multinational force operations.

Gunter Pleuger (Germany) said his country supported the resolution as an important step towards the restoration of full sovereignty of the Iraqi interim government in all relevant areas and towards Iraqi ownership.

Alexander Konuzin (Russian Federation) welcomed the inclusion of the provisions on incorporating opposition elements in the political process and on the need for all parties to comply with all international humanitarian norms. It was important to have a timeline for the political process and national elections in January 2005, leading to the formation of a transitional government. Russia, before adopting the resolution, had suggested an international conference with the parties of all influential Iraqi forces, as well as Iraq’s neighbours and members of the Security Council. He called on the Iraqi leadership to consider convening that type of meeting.

He also mentioned that as the issue of weapons of mass destruction was the cause of the war in Iraq, it could not be left unattended. He hoped that work could begin soon on adapting the mandate of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the new conditions in the country.

Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo (Spain) pointed out that he would have wanted the UN to assume military leadership in the transition phase, and that Spain had been defending a more ambitious role for the UN in Iraq. One essential element of the resolution related to the security structure. In that regard, he hoped that the security agreement concluded between the Government and the multinational force fully respected the sovereignty of Iraq and was a true reflection of the principle of authority that should preside over relations between the interim government and the force.

Lauro L. Baja, Jr. (Philippines), Council President, speaking in his national capacity, said that yesterday, the Council had been divided on Iraq; today it was united. That was a great day for Iraq, the United Nations, the Security Council and the international community. His delegation was pleased to have presided over action on that eloquent expression, which had validated his country’s position of unwavering support for a free, democratic and united Iraq.

The official handover of sovereignty occurred on 28 June, two days ahead of schedule, when former Coalition Civil Administrator Paul Bremer (US) gave interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a leather-bound transfer document. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the State of Iraq “back into the family of independent and sovereign nations.” He called upon all Iraqis “to come together in a spirit of national unity and reconciliation, through a process of open dialogue and consensus-building, to lay down secure foundations for the new Iraq.” Mr. Annan said their first duty was to assist their interim government to establish security for the population so that the difficult process of return toward normalcy could commence.

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Speaking in Johannesburg on 22 June after a seven-day interagency mission to Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Namibia, James T. Morris, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, said the region is being debilitated by the “death spiral” caused by the confluence of HIV, food insecurity, the burden on public administration and services, and most critically, the drain on human resources.

“The number of trained health practitioners, teachers, and other professionals that are succumbing to HIV/AIDS is causing a truly extraordinary human resources vacuum in societies across the region,” Mr. Morris stressed. “It’s a tragedy of unrivalled proportions that is destroying the ability of countries to effectively deal with the pandemic and food insecurity.”

Mr. Morris, who is also the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said that in all countries visited by the mission, factors such as already weakened infrastructure and services have also been exacerbated by increasing poverty, growing wealth disparity, failure of government priorities, and women’s lack of access to productive resources such as seeds, land, and fertilizer. These factors have also undermined people’s ability to cope with the crisis.

Southern Africa has the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. There are already 11 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa and the number is expected to reach more than 20 million by the end of the decade. Orphans generally lack basic social services such as health, nutritious food, education, safe water and sanitation.

“There are many factors at play here but the end result is that people are dying on a horrific scale and its victims are not getting the help they need,” Mr. Morris said. “It is encouraging that money from the Global Fund, the US PEPFAR programme, and the World Bank is arriving in the region. It is, however, a concern that it will take time before this money touches the lives of people. We need to be aware of this fact and continue to do what we can to save lives and livelihoods.”

The United Nations Consolidated Appeal for southern Africa remains seriously underfunded with only US$327 million (53%) in confirmed donations to date out of a requested US$615 million. In particular, funds for non-food items, such as medicines, healthcare, education, water and sanitation supplies, are desperately needed with only 16% of resources for these items having been raised.

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The 2005 event will review progress made in three areas: the fulfilment of all commitments contained in the Millennium Declaration; the fulfilment of the internationally agreed development goals and the global partnership required for their achievement; and the integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes and commitments of the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields. The GA has requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the next session of the GA (September 2004) on suggested modalities, format and organization of the 2005 event, while the President of the General Assembly is expected to carry out open-ended consultations in this regard.

A number of Member States took the floor before adopting this resolution, which has been the subject of intense negotiations for several months. The representative of New Zealand, on behalf of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, expressed concern that the event will not be able to reaffirm previously agreed outcomes. He emphasized that it was essential that the 2005 meeting focus squarely on the question of implementation, while taking into account the findings of the Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (see Go Between 100).

The representative of Ireland, on behalf of the European Union (EU), stated that the EU was ready to make a substantive contribution to the event that will conduct stocktaking of progress made in implementing the Millennium Declaration and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Drawing attention to the inadequate level of transparency involved in these months-long negotiations, Switzerland, Croatia and Norway urged that the process going forward should be truly open-ended to include all interested delegations. The Group of 77 and China, through the representative of Qatar, expressed support for the resolution, which they acknowledged had been difficult to negotiate.

While no schedule has been set, it is expected that the President of the General Assembly will begin related consultations in the near future.

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The Council was divided over the issue, with most members seeing the draft—and the two identical resolutions the Council adopted in the previous two years (1422 and 1487, see Go Betweens 92 & 98)—as an attack on the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Iraq and Afghanistan prisoner abuse scandals, in which US soldiers had allegedly tormented detainees in violation of the Geneva Conventions, intensified opposition to the measure.

Deputy Ambassador James Cunningham (US) said although he felt the draft fairly addressed the concerns of all Council members, “the United States has decided not to proceed further with consideration and action on the draft at this time in order in avoid a prolonged and divisive debate.” Mr. Cunningham hinted that the US would remember the forfeiture when it came to future votes on UN peacekeeping operations. “In the absence of a new resolution, the United States will need to take into account the risk of ICC review when determining contributions to UN-authorized or established [peacekeeping] operations,” he said.

“It is better not to present a draft resolution to a vote when the Council appears to be divided,” Ambassador Heraldo Munoz of Chile said. “This is better than voting on such an important issue and appear divided after the consensus and the unity we showed on Iraq,” (see article page 1).

Instead, the United States offered a compromise proposal that would make this year the last it seeks exemptions. “The United States is the biggest provider of global security and we have special concerns in this area,” Mr. Cunningham said. “We agreed to the change because members of the Council are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. We are willing to take this step to preserve Council support and to provide a year to phase out this arrangement.”

Earlier in the month, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had warned that the Council could undermine its authority by approving the US resolution. Mr. Annan said he thought the decision by the US on 23 June not to pursue its resolution would “help maintain the unity of the Security Council at a time when it faces difficult challenges.”

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Ms. Bertini said the UN missions to Kosovo and Western Sahara are still plagued by cash shortages, and debt owed to Member States is expected to increase. Furthermore, a substantial projected funding deficit could threaten the operation of the UN tribunals.

She stressed that UN Member States could help resolve the budget issue by fulfilling their financial obligations in full and on time, noting that a strong financial base was a prerequisite for the Organization in carrying out its many tasks.

Speaking on 18 May before the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the UN could face a budget shortfall of US$1 billion as it expands its peacekeeping commitments in Africa and other parts of the world. Mr. Annan told the Council that money was needed to help fund new missions planned for Burundi, Haiti and Sudan. The UN is also taking on expanded responsibilities in Ivory Coast.

More than 53,000 peacekeepers are serving in 15 UN missions across the world, the highest number since 1995.

“By the end of this year, to absorb the new and enhanced missions, we may need an extra US$1 billion for the UN peacekeeping budget, which is currently US$2.82 billion,” the Secretary-General said. “Our duty must be to meet this demand, to seize the opportunities to bring long-standing conflicts to an end,” he added.

On 3 June, the Fifth Committee approved some US$2.8 billion gross to finance 11 active peacekeeping missions for 2004-2005. Japan’s representative said the projection that the next peacekeeping operations budget could rise to US$4.5 billion was slowly becoming a reality. He questioned whether Member States had the capacity to pay for an increase of over 60% over the last budget, noting that the increase would consume resources that could have been used for humanitarian assistance or poverty reduction.

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“The humanitarian community faces a shortfall of US$2.25 billion for implementing its programmes for the rest of the year. The response so far is too little too late for millions of victims in forgotten emergencies. Timely and increased funding is essential for effective response,” said Jan Egeland, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator.

At the launch of the Consolidated Humanitarian Appeals in November 2003, UN humanitarian agencies and their NGO partners appealed for some US$2.95 billion to reach vulnerable populations around the world in 2004. To date, only US$696.8 million has been received.

Despite generous contributions from many donors, the financing of humanitarian aid remains inadequate and unpredictable for aid agencies. One hundred sixty-eight humanitarian organizations are working together to provide protection and assistance and their joint programmes are currently only 23.6% funded, much lower than at the same time in both 2003 and 2002, when humanitarian programmes were funded at approximately 33%.

Among the reasons for poor funding in 2004 might be that heavy donations in 2003 depleted the funds available for 2004 and that “lacklustre economic situations in industrial countries have reduced governments’ resources from which official humanitarian funds are allocated,” OCHA said.

The mid-year review of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) details the funding response to date to the 2004 CAP, showing the measures that have been taken over the past months to strengthen humanitarian action and to ensure that people in need receive on time the best protection and assistance.

The percentage of requirements funded in the 2004 CAP ranges from 49.5% to 1.7%. The lowest responses have been for Burundi with 14.9%, Sudan 14.9%, Zimbabwe 12.8%, Guinea 10.2%, Sierra Leone 9.9%, Côte d'Ivoire 6.3%, Indonesia 2.2%, and Madagascar 1.7%. The crises getting the best responses were located in Chechnya (49.5%), Iran (48.8%) and West Africa (43.6%).

OCHA manages the CAP, a UN-led mechanism created ten years ago by the General Assembly to ensure strategic and coordinated humanitarian response to crises.

Contact: Elizabeth Byrs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 2653, fax +41-22/917 0200, e-mail <byrs@un.org>, website (http://ochaonline.un.org).

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More than 400 representatives from business, government, the trade union community, civil society and UN agencies attended the one-day meeting that included a series of roundtables, dialogues and press conferences. Mr. Annan opened the Summit by asking business and labour leaders to cooperate with the UN in making the world a more equitable and stable place. “Perhaps no one has more at stake than the business community itself,” he said. “Our fragile global order stands in jeopardy today. Securing its future requires your resources and capacities, your advocacy and your leadership. It calls for the unique contributions that only private enterprise can make to the creation of public value, at home and abroad.”
A number of announcements on collective action were made during the Summit, including a new initiative called “Cotton Made in Africa,” whose goal is to establish cotton made in Africa as a quality label. In cooperation with cotton specialists, the initiative will seek to define criteria for the sustainable growth of high-quality cotton, in light of the depletion of water and soil resources in numerous countries.

Chuck Hardwick, Senior Vice-President of Pfizer, addressing the Compact’s new anti-corruption principle, noted that an estimated US$3 trillion in bribes were paid each year, constituting a devastating hidden tax. Noting that the new anti-corruption principle aimed to combat corruption in all its forms, he said that some 150 companies taking part in the Business Roundtable had put anti-corruption high on their agendas. The roundtable urged governments to better monitor and comply with existing conventions against corruption and bribery; for international organizations to encourage governments to promote greater transparency and work against bribery; for businesses to adopt best practices in combating corruption; and for governments to promote transparency.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Catherine Bertini said that she will work to integrate the principles of the Compact into the internal operations of the UN. “Although the United Nations does not knowingly contravene the Compact’s principles in its administrative practices, the Organization could and should be far more explicit in integrating the principles into its administrative processes,” she said.

At Mr. Annan’s request, Ms. Bertini said she is setting up specialized working groups to cover the areas of procurement, facilities management, investment management, human resources management and the Capital Master Plan, a programme for renovating the headquarters complex.

On the day before the Global Compact Summit, NGOs held a “counter-summit” to critique the Compact and propose alternatives for corporate accountability. Transparency International (TI), a Berlin-based NGO, said it welcomed the decision by UN Global Compact members to make anti-corruption a tenth principle, but called on corporations to put principle into action by adopting tough anti-corruption policies. NGOs have criticized the fact that anyone can sign on to the Compact’s principles, but there are no sanctions against companies that violate them. The NGO Alliance for a Corporate Free UN said the non-binding agreement gives corporations an excuse to avoid binding commitments to human rights and environmental protection.

On 23 June, the counter-summit released a joint NGO statement. “As representatives from a wide range of NGOs, we believe in a strong UN, fully funded by governments. We call on the UN to maintain the integrity of international environmental and social agreements and urge that it hold corporations accountable to these agreements in a legal framework,” the joint statement read.

“Legally binding instruments on corporate accountability should include the establishment and enforcement of key environmental, social, labour and human rights standards, requirements for corporations to report to and consult with affected communities, extended international corporate liability, and improved anti-monopoly and anti-trust regulations. In addition, governments should work together more effectively to reduce corporate influence on government and intergovernmental decision-making processes,” the statement said.

The NGO statement also made reference to the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights’ Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, released in August 2003 (see Go Between 99).

“The Norms represent a landmark step. They provide a succinct, but comprehensive restatement of international legal principles applicable to business concerning human rights, humanitarian law, international labour law, environmental law, consumer law and anti-corruption law. The Norms do not create any new legal obligations, but simply restate and distil existing obligations under international law as they apply to companies.”

The Norms were debated at the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights (see related NGLS Roundup online).

Contact: UN Global Compact, e-mail <globalcompact@un.org>, website (www.unglobalcompact.org).

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Prior to the meeting, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to G-8 leaders to incorporate the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and particularly Goal 8, as an explicit priority in their programmes and policies—through aid, debt relief and a fair and open international trade regime. He stressed the need for the G-8 countries to commit to specific timetables for achieving the official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7% gross national product.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called on G-8 leaders to remember the plight of children in many countries. “If we are to meet the Millennium Development Goal aiming to reduce child mortality by two-thirds, the world needs to action greater deliberation and urgency,” UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a statement. “The G-8 countries have the power to drive child mortality rates down. UNICEF urges them to use it.”

Over 1,500 groups of humanitarian and development NGOs from the G-8 nations issued a joint statement calling on the G-8 leaders to: formally place eradication of extreme poverty as the central agenda item of all G-8 meetings; recommit their governments, by specifying concrete strategies and plans, to the achievement of all the MDGs; and use and tailor all tools necessary for meeting the MDGs, including development assistance, trade policies, debt relief, technology transfer and private investment.

The Summit produced a number of outcomes, including an action plan to “apply the power of entrepreneurship and the private sector” toward poverty alleviation; taking all necessary steps to eradicate polio by the end of 2005; an initiative to help prevent famine by improving worldwide emergency assessment and response systems, raising agricultural productivity, and helping five million chronically food insecure people in Ethiopia attain food security by 2009; and taking new action against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including expanding the Proliferation Security Initiative, strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency, and refraining from new transfers of uranium enrichment and reprocessing technology (see related article page 12).

The G-8 endorsed the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a virtual consortium being established to accelerate the development of an HIV vaccine; however, it received no new funding, and was widely criticized by AIDS activists. ActionAid says inadequate funding by the G-8 nations is undermining the biggest-ever global initiative against AIDS. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (endorsed at the G-8 Summit held in Genoa in 2001 as an independent, public-private partnership designed to attract, manage, and disburse new resources) remains seriously under-funded, and less than 7% of the six million people in urgent need of treatment have gained access to essential medicines. According to ActionAid, of all the G-8 countries, only France is contributing its fair share to the Global Fund relative to the size of its economy, while the US has cut its pledge by 64%, from US$547 million in 2004 to US$200 million in 2005.

Anti-debt activists, including Jubilee USA Network and the 50 Years Is Enough Network, expressed disappointment at the failure of the G-8 leaders to support 100% multilateral debt cancellation for impoverished nations. Instead, the G-8 leaders announced a two-year extension of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative rather than a definitive commitment to full cancellation. “At this critical moment, when every minute another African child dies of AIDS, the global community needs 100% cancellation of multilateral debt without harmful conditions,” said Marie Clarke, National Coordinator of the Jubilee USA Network. “By failing to seize the opportunity, the G-8 has once again chosen baby steps over bold action.”

“Indebted countries need 100% debt cancellation without deadly conditions on the occasion of the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and World Bank’s 60th Anniversary year,” said Njoki Njehu, Director of the 50 Years is Enough Network. “Cancellation of impoverished country debt by the IMF and World Bank must be financed through their own resources.”

Contact: Jubilee USA Network, 222 East Capitol Street NE, Washington DC 20003, USA, telephone +1-202/783 3566, fax +1-202/546 4468, e-mail <coord@j2000usa.org>, website (www.jubileeusa.org).

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A Democratic & Equitable International Order

Paragraph 13 of the resolution “requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of Member States, United Nations organs, bodies and components, intergovernmental organizations, in particular the Bretton Woods institutions, and non-governmental organizations and to disseminate it on the widest possible basis.”

The text is available online (www.unhchr.ch). For more information on the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights, see Focus Page 32 and the online Roundup on the NGLS website
(www.un-ngls.org).

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At the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at UN headquarters in New York, where voting took place, the US delegation walked out following remarks by US Ambassador to ECOSOC Sichan Siv, who said that Sudan’s candidacy was “entirely inappropriate” given reports of “ethnic cleansing” in Sudan’s western Darfur region. Sudan’s presence on the Commission “threatens to undermine not only its work, but its very credibility,” he said.

Sudan’s Deputy Ambassador Omer Bashir Mohamed Manis said in response, “I will not respond to the overflow of exaggerations against my country.” He said there is a “humanitarian problem in Darfur” and his government “has called upon the international community to lend a helping hand to face this situation.”

Sudan has been accused by the US and the UN of aiding rebel militias who are destroying villages, executing civilians and carrying out rapes in Darfur. A Human Rights Commission resolution passed in April expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Darfur but stopped short of condemning Khartoum.

“A government that engages in the wholesale abuses of its citizens should not be eligible for a seat at the table, especially a country just criticized by the Commission,” said Joanna Weschler of Human Rights Watch.

Ten other countries were elected to the 14 total open spots—Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea were elected from the Asian group; Canada, Finland, and France were elected from the Western Europe and others group; Armenia and Romania were elected from the Eastern Europe group and Ecuador and Mexico were elected from the Latin America and Caribbean group.

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According to the terms of reference that will govern the independent inquiry, the panel will have the authority to:
- Investigate whether the procedures established by the United Nations for the administration and management of the programme were violated;
- Determine whether any UN officials, personnel, agents or contractors engaged in any illicit or corrupt activities in the carrying out of their respective roles in relation to the programme; and
- Determine whether the accounts of the programme were in order and were maintained in accordance with UN regulations and rules.

To ensure a thorough inquiry, the members of the independent panel will have the authority to access all relevant UN records and information, written or unwritten, and to interview all relevant UN officials and personnel. On 21 April, the Security Council adopted a resolution welcoming the appointment of the panel and calling upon the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Iraq and all other Member States—including their national regulatory authorities—to fully cooperate with the inquiry.

Within three months of the initiation of its work, the panel is expected to provide the Secretary-General with a status report. Speaking at a press briefing in New York on 20 May, Mr. Volcker said he believes the full investigation will take one year. He also stressed it was crucial for the panel to establish a degree of control over the records held in Iraq if its investigation was to be satisfactory. A team had been sent to Baghdad to make contact with the Bureau of the Supreme Auditor, which had responsibility for collecting and consolidating those records.

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Disarmament: Falling Short of Consensus

The Commission, a subsidiary body of the General Assembly established in 1952, decides each year, by consensus, to deal with two substantive items—one nuclear related topic and another on conventional disarmament—in the months leading up to the annual spring session. This year, the Commission started without an agreement as last year it was unable to agree on concrete proposals to advance either nuclear disarmament or confidence building in the field of conventional arms.

While Commission members could not rally behind a consensual substantive agenda, a draft report was adopted. The draft report, which will be forwarded to the General Assembly, recommended that the next substantive session be held for the usual period of three weeks, in March-April 2005, and that an organizational session be convened in November-December 2004.

Before adopting the report, India’s representative recalled the opening remarks of the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Nobuyasu Abe, in which he had cautioned the Commission members that a correct response to deal with the so-called crisis in the multilateral system of disarmament would lie in strengthening rather than discarding the system. Mr. Abe had implicitly warned that no institution working in that area, including the Disarmament Commission, could be complacent. Indeed, the erosion of the multilateral institutions would only create space for an exclusive approach, hastening the pace towards atrophying those bodies.

Contact: Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Room S-3170, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 1121, e-mail <ddaweb@un.org>, website (http://disarmament.un.org/undiscom.htm).

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World Economic Forum and the UN

The provisions within the memorandum signed on 10 May 2004 by José Antonio Ocampo—United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs—and Richard Samans—the World Economic Forum’s Managing Director of the Global Institute of Partnership and Governance—introduces a series of workshops which will welcome the participation of experts from the public, private and civil society sectors. The workshops are expected to take place from June 2004 to June 2005, and will tackle two issues: (1) the lack of investor interest in developing countries’ economies, despite their economic reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment, and (2) the development of a practical managerial framework for private-public partnerships.

This initiative builds on the financing for development (FFD) process which has emanated from the Monterrey Consensus and heeds to the request recently made at the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, held in October 2003, by the General Assembly, which had mandated the FFD secretariat to convene multi-stakeholder discussions on key development issues (see NGLS Roundup 107). A report on the outcome of these workshops will be presented to the General Assembly in late 2005.

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US Announces Countries for MCA

The 16 selected countries are: Armenia, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu. Funding is not automatically guaranteed as the countries must explain how they plan to address the needs of their people and increase economic growth with proposals that set clear goals and measurable benchmarks. Funding for the MCA will increase over three years to US$5 billion per year in FY2006. To qualify up to this point, the countries have had to meet standards for good governance and economic reform.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation, which administers the MCA, is chaired by the Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Other board members include Secretary John Snow, the Secretary of the Treasury; Ambassador Bob Zoellick, US Trade Representative; Andrew Natsios, the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development; and Paul Applegarth, who is the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

“The powerful combination of trade and open markets and good government is history’s proven method to defeat poverty on a large scale, to vastly improve health and education, to build a modern infrastructure while safeguarding the environment, and to spread the habits of liberty and enterprise,” President Bush said. “I urge all nations of the world to follow the progressive standards of governing justly, investing in people and encouraging economic freedom.” More information is available online (www.usaid.gov).

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Least Developed Countries Report 2004

“Their [LDCs’] development partners should not imagine that preferential market access or multilateral trade liberalization will substitute for international aid as a central mechanism for supporting poverty reduction,” the report says. The policies could be complementary, but the LDCs require more and better aid to build their productive capacities, it notes.
Trade liberalization, if implemented alone, can cause “de-industrialization, as import substitution industries have collapsed when they are exposed to international competition without adequate preparation,” the report finds. To avoid this problem, UNCTAD says policies to open markets should complement policies that boost national markets through investment in technology, commodity production and creation of jobs.

“The LDCs themselves can maximize the poverty-reducing effects of international trade by pursuing a development-led approach to trade rather than a trade-led approach to development,” UNCTAD says, noting that LDCs during the 1990s registered an average income per capita of 72 cents a day. Although those countries registered some economic growth later in the decade, “the overall incidence of extreme poverty for the group as a whole did not decline during that decade.”

“If these trends persist, it may be estimated that the number of people living in extreme poverty in the LDCs will increase from 334 million people in 2000 to 471 million in 2015. By that time, and assuming that the current progress in China and India continues, the LDCs will be the major locus of global poverty in 2015,” the report warns. Furthermore, mass poverty reinforces the tendency towards economic stagnation and vice versa: “Low income leads to low savings; low savings lead to low investment; low investment leads to low productivity and low incomes.”

The report finds countries that liberalized trade moderately in the 1990s achieved the best trade-to-poverty relationships and the growth rates of gross domestic product (GDP), exports and investment have been higher after liberalization than before. In any case, “imports have grown faster than exports after liberalization,” and “there has been a repeated tendency for aid inflows to peak during trade liberalization and then fall.”

According to UNCTAD, experience shows that a country must have a minimum production base, as well as supply capabilities, to take advantage of export market access preferences. LDCs equipped to take advantage of preferences provided by certain textile export arrangements achieved high and steady export growth, but the benefits of access are being reduced by limits on product insurance, restrictive rules of origin, problems with predictability and the adverse effects of such non-tariff barriers as bans, quotas and tough labelling requirements.

UNCTAD says action is required now on three fronts: a two-way mainstreaming of both trade and development within national poverty reduction strategies; increased and effective international financial and technical assistance for developing domestic production and trade capacities; and an enabling international trade regime, which includes phasing out by the Organisation of Economic and Co-operation Development (OECD) countries of agricultural support measures that adversely affect LDCs, new international policies to reduce vulnerability to negative commodity price shocks and to address the special challenges facing mineral economies, more effective market access preferences for the LDCs complemented by new supply-side preferences, and enhanced South-South cooperation in the field of trade and investment.

Health issues were also a problem for LDCs, the report says, quoting estimates by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), showing that in 2001 LDCs experienced 37% of worldwide AIDS deaths, although they had only 11% of the global population. Forty-six percent of all children infected with HIV lived in LDCs.

Besides health concerns, rising debt burden, declining and unstable commodity prices (primary commodities constitute 67% of total LDC merchandise exports and are the major source of export earnings in 31 of these countries), the erosion of trade preferences, and civil conflict (between 1990-2001, 60% of them experienced civil conflicts of varying intensity and duration, and in most cases these conflicts erupted after a period of economic stagnation and regress) have taken their toll on LDCs as well.

Countries are designated as “least developed” on the basis of their very low per capita incomes, weak human resources and high economic vulnerability to shocks. The latest to have joined the group is East Timor.

Contact: Charles Gore, Special Programme for Least Developed, Landlocked and Island Developing Countries, UNCTAD, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 5944, e-mail <charles.gore@unctad.org>, website (www.unctad.org).

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UNCTAD Survey Projects “Boom” In FDI

Production, logistics and other support services, as well as distribution and sales, are the foremost types of activities that IPAs expect transnational corporations (TNCs) to relocate abroad. Half of the responding IPAs expect FDI to enter through greenfield investments, while 27% expect mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to be the preferred mode of entry. On the policy side, the UNCTAD survey finds that IPAs are intensifying their efforts to attract FDI using targeting, in particular, and are not shying away from offering additional incentives.

The respondents were optimistic about FDI prospects in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, both for the short- and medium-term. In Africa’s retail and wholesale sector, all respondents said they expect an increase in FDI, while 95% said the same about Africa’s tourism sector.

Prospects for Latin America and the Caribbean, however, were not as bright, especially for the period 2004-2005. Lack of optimism for the region was related to slow economic recovery in some countries, the survey found.

The survey is available online (www.unctad.org /sections/dite_dir/docs/survey02_FDI.pdf).

Contact: James Zhan, UNCTAD, Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development, Investment Agreements, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 5797, e-mail <james.zhan@uncatd.org>, website (www.unctad.org).

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FDI Declines in Latin America & the Caribbean

Foreign Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2003 finds that foreign firms are investing less in the region although their presence in those nations continues to be essential for economic growth. The report also points out that the automotive industry is largely responsible for attracting FDI in Latin America, with six of the region’s main transnational companies belonging to this industry—General Motors, Delphi, Volkswagen, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and Nissan.

However, the report warns, unless more is done to attract new leading companies in the automobile sector, FDI will decline even more.

“Technological progress is rapidly changing the world car industry and companies such as Toyota and Honda are gaining market share at the expense of their European and American competitors, but these companies have little presence in Latin America,” says ECLAC. “Mexico and Brazil should adopt a new strategy to attract the leading companies that are changing the industry and thereby gain access to new comparative advantages.”

Contact: Michael Mortimore, Investment and Corporate Strategies Unit Chief, ECLAC, Casilla 179-D, Santiago, Chile, telephone +56-2/210 2458, e-mail <mmortimore@eclac.cl>, website (www.eclac.cl).

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UNESCAP Adopts Shanghai Declaration

“The Declaration also reaffirms that the United Nations has a central role in promoting international cooperation for development and in promoting policy coherence on global development issues, including in the context of globalization and interdependence,” said UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su.

Asia and Pacific ministers also adopted six resolutions, covering a wide range of strategies to combat economic and social problems in the region, including a call for action to enhance capacity building in public health; implementing ESCAP technical projects; the intergovernmental agreement on the Asian Highway Network; the Centre for Alleviating Poverty through secondary crops development; and revitalization of the UNESCAP Pacific Operation Centre and Pacific Urban Agenda.

During the session, the Asian Highway Agreement was signed by 25 countries, which aims to open opportunities for trade and tourism. The Highway is a multi-pronged 140,000 kilometre highway corridor connecting 32 countries and linking Europe to Asia. The completed highway will further facilitate border-crossing for people, vehicles and goods, and provide benefits to landlocked countries.

The Asia Business Forum and UNESCAP Business Advisory Group also held their inaugural sessions to discuss emerging trade and investment opportunities in the region. A knowledge-based economy and disaster preparedness was another key area discussed. UNESCAP will try now to help in capacity building and make sure the digital divide becomes a “dividend.”

Contact: David Lazarus, Chief, UN Information Services, UNESCAP, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, telephone +66-02/288 1864, fax +66-02/288 1052, e-mail <unisbkk.unescap@un.org>, website (www.unescap.org).

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US Launches Nuclear Security Initiative

“We will do this by the securing, removing, relocating or disposing of these materials and equipment—whatever the most appropriate circumstance may be—as quickly and expeditiously as possible,” Mr. Abraham said.
Welcoming the US proposal, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said security issues have become a global priority in the past several years, with nuclear weapons related know-how spreading extensively, which makes the control of nuclear material that could be used for nuclear weapons extremely critical. “The proposal is a continuation and extension of initiatives that the IAEA, the USA and others have been working on for many years, and with renewed intensity in the past couple of years, to address nuclear security around the world,” Dr. ElBaradei said.

Activities under the GTRI initiative include:
- Partnering with Russia to repatriate all Russian-origin fresh highly enriched uranium fuel by the end of 2005 and accelerate and complete the return of all Russian-origin spent fuel by 2010.
- Accelerating and completing the repatriation of all US-origin research reactor spent fuel under an existing US programme from locations around the world within a decade.
- Working to convert the cores of civilian research reactors that use highly enriched uranium to instead use low-enriched uranium fuel, both in the US and worldwide.
- Identifying other nuclear and radiological materials and related equipment not yet covered by existing threat reduction efforts.
- Addressing the most vulnerable facilities first, filling any gaps that would allow a terrorist to acquire such materials.

The US will establish a single organization within the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to focus exclusively on these efforts, and plans to dedicate more than US$450 million to them.

International and global cooperation will be an integral part of the GTRI initiative, with Mr. Abraham proposing that IAEA and the international community join in holding a GTRI Partners’ Conference later this year that would examine how to address material collection and security in places where a broader international effort is required. It would also focus on material collection and security of other proliferation-attractive materials, such as those located at conversion facilities, reprocessing plants, and industrial sites, as well as the funding of such work.

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ILO Report Notes Progress

There is also growing recognition that freedom of association and collective bargaining have played “an important part in sound economic development (by) ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared, and promoting productivity, adjustment measures and industrial peace,” the report finds.

“The right to organize is one of the most powerful tools we have for promoting decent work and sustainable poverty-reducing development,” said ILO Director General Juan Somavia.

Progress is being made to protect vulnerable groups such as public sector workers, migrants and employees in agriculture, export processing zones, domestic work and the informal economy.

The study found that violations of freedom of association of both employers and workers remain, however, and that workers may be subject to murder, detention and other punishments.

“People continue to lose their lives and their freedom for attempting to organize and defend their fundamental rights collectively,” said the report.

Contact: ILO Department of Communication, 4 route de Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7916, fax +41-22/799 8577, e-mail <communication@ilo.org>, website (www.ilo.org).

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Global Commission on International Migration

Presenting the priority areas the Commission would be looking into, Mr. Jenny said the first area was migrants in the labour market, including such issues as the demographic implications of migration and the impact of trade policies on migration pressures. The second area would cover migration, economic growth, development and poverty reduction. Within that context, the Commission would look into migrant remittances—the money migrants sent back to their countries of origin—and the impact on those countries.

The third area, he said, related to irregular migratory movements, also covering topics such as human trafficking and border control measures. The fourth area was how well migrants could integrate into society, which would cover issues such as how they are received and treated, and their impact on the culture, religion and economy of host countries. The Commission would also examine the need for a global normative framework. The last area related to institutional activities, and whether the system (both within and outside the UN) today was providing what was needed at the global level to deal with migration issues.

As to whether the Commission would address possible institutional changes in the UN system to better respond to migration issues, Mr. Karlsson said that one of the focus points would be to examine, through regional consultations, how present institutions were responding. Based on these consultations, the Commission would then decide whether to recommend major institutional changes or not.

Five regional consultation meetings have been planned, and the first of these meetings was held in Manila in May. The consultation process will bring together stakeholders who share an important responsibility in reporting about migration; these will include not only governments, but also non-governmental bodies, experts and the media. The co-Chairs of the Commission also underscored their willingness to work in conjunction with the Geneva Migration Group, which involves the International Labour Organization, the International Organization on Migration, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (see Go Between 101).

Contact: Alessandra Roversi, GCIM Secretariat, 1 rue Richard-Wagner, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/748 4850, fax +41-22/748 4851, e-mail <info@gcim.org>, website (www.gcim.org).

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IFAD/IDB Sign MOU on Migrant Remittances

The memorandum of understanding signed by IDB President Enrique Iglesias and IFAD President Lennart Båge seeks to make remittances a “true tool for development,” by reducing the cost of wire transfers and other methods of sending remittances and by helping expatriate groups gain access to investment resources.

“Remittances are private resources that belong to very hard working people,” Mr. Båge said. “But remittances are also an important source of income for millions of poor people around the world, and provide valuable foreign exchange to developing countries. We do not want to discourage consumption, but remittances can create opportunities for saving and investments in rural areas and help people overcome poverty.”

Building on IFAD’s experience linking migrants with their original rural communities, the joint programme will also work with expatriate groups to help provide access to investment resources, advanced technologies, and new markets in their host countries.

“Making migrants our partners in development is one of the most innovative aspects of this programme,” Mr. Båge added.

The Multilateral Investment Fund, an IDB affiliate, will contribute up to US$4 million to the programme. IFAD will contribute up to US$2 million and local organizations are expected to commit US$1.6 million to fund various projects.

Contact: Sappho Haralambous, IFAD, 107 via del Serafico, 00142 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06/5459 2238, fax +39-06/5459 2034, e-mail <ifad@ifad.org>, website (www.ifad.org).

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Agreements Reached in Fight Against AIDS

Known as the “Three Ones,” the principles are:
- One agreed HIV/AIDS action framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners;
- One national AIDS coordinating authority, with a broad based multi-sector mandate; and
- One agreed country-level monitoring and evaluation system.

Built on lessons learned from over two decades, the Three Ones will help improve the ability of donors and developing countries to work more effectively together, on a country-by-country basis. The three principles were first identified through a preparatory process at global and country levels, initiated by UNAIDS in cooperation with the World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The first meeting to review these principles was held during the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA) in Nairobi (Kenya), in September 2003 (see NGLS Roundup 108).

Also agreed was a Global Initiative on HIV/AIDS signed by UNAIDS and the heads of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development on 7 May 2004 in Geneva. The Initiative would scale up the AIDS response in 14 targeted countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and the Caribbean. It will receive a US$4 million grant from the OPEC Fund, and UNAIDS will match the amount through in-kind contributions.

The two-year initiative aims to mobilize greater political commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, focusing on women and HIV/AIDS, national capacities and leadership as well as partnership with the public and private sectors and civil society. The initiative will also address sub-regional challenges that increase the risk of HIV spread, such as migration and regional conflict.

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).

According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), development efforts stand greater chances of succeeding when they are presented to beneficiaries in a culturally sensitive manner and are built on open dialogue and community involvement.

The report, Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming, highlights approaches and partnerships with local figures and institutions in nine countries. These initiatives illustrate how working from within complex cultural systems can help achieve goals that benefit communities and respect individual rights. Recognizing local social and cultural realities and actively supporting a process of local ownership of programmes creates an environment that makes them more readily acceptable and sustainable, the report concludes.
“Social and cultural realities present challenges, as well as opportunities for advancing development goals and human rights,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. “This is particularly true when dealing with the issues of gender equality, HIV/AIDS, female genital cutting, violence against women, maternal health and family planning.”

In Guatemala, for example, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Latin America, UNFPA played a leading a role in the passage of legislation promoting better health for women and their families. By finding common ground among various groups, including the Catholic Church, various evangelical denominations, professional associations, trade unions and business leaders, the Fund was able to facilitate an alliance that pushed for the adoption of the new law.

Other examples in the report are drawn from case studies in Brazil, Cambodia, Ghana, India, Iran, Malawi, Uganda and Yemen. Working from Within was released in time for the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, observed on 21 May. The Day stresses the need to enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.

Contact: Kristin Hetle, Chief, Media Services Branch, UNFPA, 220 East 42nd Street, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/297 5020, fax +1-212/557 6416, e-mail <hetle@unfpa.org>, website (www.unfpa.org).

The World Youth Report also addresses new issues that were later identified as additional priorities for youth, as agreed by the Economic and Social Council in 2003. These include globalization, information and communications technology (ICT), HIV/AIDS, conflict prevention and intergenerational relations.

Recognizing young people as partners in development, the report states that they need to be given the right opportunities in order to be effective agents of social change. Worldwide, of the almost 1.1 billion young people between the ages of 15-24, nearly nine out of ten live in developing countries. In 2000, nearly a quarter (22.5%) survived on less than one dollar a day. As such, the report calls for further research on the youth dimensions of poverty. Up to 110 million youth are estimated to be malnourished and up to 7,000 become infected with HIV daily.

The report also finds that armed conflicts have taken a huge toll on young people: two million children were killed and six million more were left disabled as a result of wars during the last decade. In addition, a total of 12 million were made homeless and more than one million were orphaned or separated from their parents; more than ten million remain psychologically traumatized.

Contact: Joop Theunissen, Youth Unit, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Room DC2-1308, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 7763, fax +1-212/963 0111, e-mail <youth@un.org>, website (www.un.org/youth).

According to UNCCD, desertification is brought about by human-induced factors (such as over-cultivation, deforestation and poor irrigation practices) and climate change, occurring slowly as different areas of degraded land spread and merge together, rather than through advancing desert. One-third of the earth’s surface is threatened by desertification—adding up to an area of over four billion hectares of the planet—and one-fifth of the world’s population is menaced by its impacts.

Fertile topsoil takes centuries to form, but can be washed or blown away in a few seasons. Arable land per person is shrinking throughout the world, threatening food security, particularly in poor rural areas, and triggering humanitarian and economic crises. Since 1990, it is estimated that some six million hectares of productive land have been lost every year due to land degradation, causing income losses worldwide of US$42 billion per year. Yet, the costs associated with inaction in regards to desertification are estimated at 1%-3% of developing countries’ gross domestic product. In most cases, investment in combating desertification is one order of magnitude below this amount, UNCCD says.

Desertification and drought force people to leave their home in search of a better life, and an estimated 135 million people—the combined populations of France and Germany—are at risk of being displaced by desertification. The problem appears to be most severe in sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Some 60 million are estimated to eventually move from the desertified areas of sub-Saharan Africa towards Northern Africa and Europe by the year 2020.

Two-thirds of the world’s hungry people live in rural areas of developing countries, and, according to the 2003 Human Development Report, about half live in farm households on marginal lands where environmental degradation threatens agricultural production. Forced to take as much as they can from the land for food, energy, housing and income, the poor are both the causes and the victims of desertification, UNCCD points out.

Without access to sustainable land use practices, institutional services, credit and technology, many poor farmers are forced to cultivate degraded land that is unable to meet their needs. This constant pressure on the land causes a decline in food production that further aggravates poverty.

UNCCD says eradicating rural poverty is one of the first steps in fighting desertification.

Contact: UNCCD Secretariat, PO Box 260129, Haus Carstanjen, D-53153 Bonn, Germany, telephone +49-228/815 2800, fax +49-228/815 2898, e-mail <secretariat@unccd.int>, website (www.unccd.int).

As a result, fresh drinking water has been secured for thousands of people, tons of hazardous waste has been taken away for treatment and environmental management capacities have been strengthened. UNEP’s Post-Conflict Assessment Unit, established in the aftermath of the Kosovo war, has identified, assessed and completed the first UN-led clean-up of environmental threats as a result of armed conflict.

UNEP’s report, Assessment of Environmental Hot-spots Serbia and Montenegro April 2004, says that the conflict-related environmental consequences at Kragujevac and Bor have been largely dealt with. It also says that in Novi Sad, the risk of serious contamination affecting drinking-water supplies has been substantially reduced and conflict-related environmental impacts are being systematically monitored. At Pancevo, the place that suffered the most damage during the war, conflict-related concerns have been significantly reduced, but important “pre-war” environmental problems have yet to be addressed.
At most locations the conflict-related impacts represented only a part of the environmental and health challenges present, as serious contamination also pre-dated the Kosovo conflict, and there were long-term deficiencies in the storage and treatment of hazardous waste. In 2001, UNEP discovered depleted uranium contamination in four sites. The areas had been targeted with weapons containing the material during the conflict. The substance can pose significant danger, particularly for children, through contaminated soil and water supplies.

Contact: UNEP, Post-Conflict Assessment Unit, Chemin des Anémones 15, 1219
Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland,
telephone +41-22/917 8530,
fax +41-22/917 8064,
e-mail <postconflict@unep.ch>, website (http://postconflict.unep.ch).

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The Pan-African Youth Forum on HIV/AIDS: A Matter of Education aimed at mobilizing young, national-level activists in fighting HIV/AIDS across Africa. Participants included some 300 youth representatives from the seven largest youth movements on the continent. Collectively known as the Big 7, these movements are represented in all 51 African countries, and together represent more than 100 million young people worldwide, of whom over 20 million are members in Africa. They include the World Organization of the Scouts Movement, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, the World Alliance of YMCA, World YWCA, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Award Association, and the International Youth Foundation.

According to Forum organizers, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the worst humankind has experienced, continues to be the most important challenge facing Africa. “AIDS is more than a public health problem; it is a crisis in education, economics, civic, social and security systems. Young people are at the heart of the pandemic, with an estimated 8.5 million young people, ages 15-25 living with AIDS in Africa,” organizers stated. “To stem the further rise in infection rates, prevention, care, access to treatment, support and advocacy strategies that are strategically focused on youth, combined with interventions aimed at the communities in which they live, offer an effective way of mitigating the impact of the disease.”

With technical support from experts at UN agencies, Forum participants conceived, developed and established a joint contribution by their organizations to the national AIDS prevention plans in their respective countries. The goal of the Empowering Africa’s Young People Initiative is to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission among young people, ages 10-25, over a period of five to fifteen years in selected sub-Saharan African countries. The initiative will work at two levels. It will expand programmes and services for youth, and it will strengthen the capacity of the national affiliates to deliver these scaled up programmes. For youth, interventions will be age-appropriate, and targeted. The multiple needs of the growing numbers of AIDS orphans and child-heads of households will also be addressed by engaging them in ongoing programmes that accommodate their needs, rather than in discrete programmes to minimize the risk of stigma. The overall desired outcome is a decrease in the prevalence rates among young people. Specific measurable outcomes will be established for each country.

Forum participants now face the challenge of raising the funding required to implement their plans. A follow-up Forum to analyze their successes and obstacles is planned in three years’ time.

Contact: World Organization of the Scout Movement, Box 241, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/705 1010, fax +41-22/705 1020, e-mail <worldbureau@world.scout.org>, website (www.scout.org/wse/dakar.shtml).

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Guns or Growth? shows how governments can assess the impact of arms sales on poverty, arguing that ultimately governments must agree to an international Arms Trade Treaty to control the arms trade and safeguard sustainable development and human rights.

“Government failure to stick to their own promises on arms exports means that children are denied an education, AIDS sufferers are not getting treatment and thousands are dying needlessly,” said Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam.

The report, written by Oxfam for the Control Arms campaign with research by Project Ploughshares and Saferworld, surveyed seventeen of the world’s main arms exporting countries. All of these countries had previously signed agreements promising to take account of the impact on poverty of arms deals before agreeing to export arms.

Despite their promises:

Nearly 90% of governments have no policy of consulting the government department of development in the export decision-making process (only the Netherlands and the UK do).

Only four countries had ever denied a sale on the grounds of sustainable development.

Only ten countries would even consider doing so—despite all 17 being signatories to agreements obliging them to do so.

“Governments should be ashamed at their broken promises. Inappropriate arms sales are responsible for entrenching and exacerbating poverty. Despite assurances, most governments are still only playing lip service to assessing arms sales against their impact on poverty. To ensure we have strict international controls we need an Arms Trade Treaty,” said Paul Eavis, Director of Saferworld.

The report reveals the impact that arms sales can have on poverty:
- Six developing countries (Oman, Syria, Burma, Pakistan, Eritrea, Burundi) spend more on arms than they do on health and education combined.
- In 2002, arms delivered to Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa constituted over two thirds of the value of all arms deliveries worldwide.
- An average US$22 billion is spent on arms by countries in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa every year. This sum would have enabled those countries to put every child in school and to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015 (fulfilling two of the Millennium Development Goals).
- In 2002, 90% of all arms deliveries to Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa came from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, military expenditure rose by 47% during the late 1990’s while life expectancy has fallen to just 46 years.
- In 2002, Pakistan’s total defence expenditure consumed half of its gross domestic product (GDP, this includes the amount spent on servicing the interest on loans for previous arms deals).
- The world currently spends between US$50-US$60 billion on aid and US$900 billion on defence.
- In 1999, South Africa agreed to purchase armaments, including frigates, submarines, aircraft and helicopters. The six billion dollars spent could have purchased treatment with combination therapy for all five million South African AIDS sufferers for two years.
- In 2001, Tanzania spent US$40 million on the military Watchman radar system—according to experts, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), this was vastly too expensive and inappropriate for its use. US$40 million could have provided healthcare for 3.5 million people in Tanzania.
- In 2004, India signed a contract to buy the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier from Russia at a cost of US$1.5 billion. This money could have provided basic survival income for one year for 1.1 million families.

“The countries of Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East account for two-thirds of all arms imports. This is a massive sum of money that could be used to make real progress in the fight against poverty,” said Ernie Regehr, Director of Project Ploughshares. “From Birmingham to Bogota the global arms trade is out of control,” Richard Stanforth from Oxfam said, “There are more regulations on the music industry than on arms traders."

BBC defence correspondent Paul Adams pointed out that the “world is awash with arms, with hundreds of millions of weapons scattered around the globe, killing, stifling development, and spreading poverty and disease.” And, in spite of UN programmes, regional codes of conduct and domestic legislation, far too many weapons end up in places where for reasons of embargos or human rights they should not, he added.

Contact: Brendan Cox, Oxfam Press Office, 274 Banbury Rd, Oxford OX2 7DZ, UK, telephone +44-1865/312 498, e-mail <bcox@oxfam.org.uk>, website (www.oxfam.co.uk).

Amnesty International USA, 322 Eighth Avenue, New York NY 10001, USA, telephone +1-212/807 8400, fax +1-212/627 1451, website (www.amnestyusa.org/arms_trade/gunsorgrowth.pdf).

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Security concerns were at the top of the agenda as a string of fatal attacks on relief workers in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the deadly bombings of the UN and Red Cross headquarters in Baghdad, has prompted many aid agencies to drastically scale down operations or withdraw altogether.

In his keynote address, Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) acknowledged that terrorism was a real problem, but warned that aid agencies had been as badly damaged by the concept of the “Manichean vision of the world as split between the good and the evil.” “Like others,” he said, “we are paying the price for this. For we have come to be seen as part of a supposed Western crusade against the world of Islam.” Emphasizing that the ability of aid workers to operate in insecure situations depended largely on the extent to which they were accepted by local communities, Mr. Lubbers noted, “We in the United Nations cannot operate from fortresses.”

Also delivering a keynote address was US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who emphasized the need to find a balance between the security of aid workers and their sense of independence. In response to an enquiry from the audience questioning whether Afghanistan and Iraq were going to be precedents or anomalies in terms of perceived US Government efforts to tie NGOs more closely with military undertakings, Mr. Powell said that the two situations were unique. “We have to make sure that in our discussions with our military colleagues in the Pentagon… that while they have a responsibility for American citizens and NGOs in providing a security environment, they have to do it in away that does not stomp on your independence or in any way suggest that you are agents of the US Government or beholden to the US Government…. That would undercut your effort, as you say, and make you less effective. And we don’t want you to be less effective. We want you to be more effective.”

Some aid workers attending the Forum felt that the humanitarian community should stop expecting—or even hoping— to be seen as neutral players in conflict situations, arguing that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have hopelessly blurred the boundaries between military and humanitarian intervention.

Some relief workers emphasized that such perceptions have not come from thin air, pointing to what they say is an increasing tendency in Washington to try to tie humanitarian and development aid to foreign policy and defense. “If you centralize aid strategy in the Department of Defense, the White House and the State Department, you more closely tie international development to security issues,” a policy advisor with a large US NGO who requested not to be identified, told AlertNet. “It’s all related to the war on terror.”

While many in the non-profit sector see their independence as an increasingly fragile commodity, some NGOs say they have thwarted attempts by Washington to attach strings to money and contracts handed out to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). “I think the American NGOs that have entered into cooperative agreements with USAID in Iraq are very proud that they would not take the terms and conditions that were laid down at the beginning,” said Randy Martin of Mercy Corps. “There is a lot of concern that we adhere to conventions of impartiality and independence, that we not let Iraq and Afghanistan decide what our futures are going to be.”

“The reality of the human condition is that money is power,” said John Schenk of World Vision International. “Any time anybody gives you money they have the right to some power or influence over you, and you have to struggle with that. You have to accept that that’s the reality and you have to fight it.”

Contact: InterAction, 1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 701, Washington DC 20036, USA, telephone +1-202/667 8227, fax +1-202/667 8236, e-mail <ia@interaction.org>, website (www.interaction.org).

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Each year the report tracks progress made and regression in the path towards eradicating poverty and achieving gender equity, promises made by governments at the United Nations in 1995 and reaffirmed at the Millennium Summit in 2000.

A distinct feature of this year’s report is trying to understand the link between human security and development issues. Human security, the report suggests, is an inclusive and people-centered concept that goes beyond the traditional areas of national security, which focus on territorial defense and military power. It is predicated on the notion of personal security, on the understanding that not only the State, but also non-State actors and human beings are responsible for development and must become involved in promoting policies and actions that will strengthen people’s security and development. Karyn Batthyany, one of the report’s contributors, underscores that the major obstacles facing human security are of an economic nature and include recession, weak growth, economic crises, and deterioration in the quality and conditions of people’s lives.

The report highlights the rise in military expenditures around the world and contrasts this with the insufficient resources dedicated to development. Necessary increases in aid have been too little and too slow, the international trade system is still biased against the poor farmers that constitute a majority of the people living in poverty and world finances have not been reformed in a way that might help poor countries overcome chronic indebtedness that takes away their scarce resources.

Contributors to the Social Watch Report 2004 include organizations from both the richest and the poorest countries in the world. Armed conflict and high crime rates are perceived as major threats by citizens in many of them, but poverty and declining coverage of social services are feared the most by citizens in many others. Corruption, lack of responsiveness by governments to the concerns of their subjects, gender and ethnic discrimination are identified as contributing factors with local authorities, international institutions and large corporations.

Social Watch, an international network informed by national citizens’ groups, was built around the idea that unless citizens monitor governments and their performance, they will not meet their international commitments.

Contact: Jorge Suarez, Social Watch Headquarters, Casilla de Correo 1539, Montevideo 11000, Uruguay, telephone +598-2/419 6192, fax +598-2/411 9222, e-mail <socwatch@socialwatch.org>, website (www.socwatch.org).

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The report, Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro) “So does it mean that we have the rights?” Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo, says: “Women and girls are sold into slavery.... They are threatened, beaten, raped and effectively imprisoned by their owners…. With clients including international police and troops, the girls and women are often too afraid to escape and the authorities are failing to help them.”

According to Amnesty, many women were arrested themselves if they escaped, or were given no protection if they chose to testify in court. The report said women were trafficked into Kosovo predominantly from Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, the majority of them via Serbia and often on promises of work in European Union member states. At the same time, increasing numbers of local women and girls were being coerced into the sex trade, or trafficked out of Kosovo to EU countries including Britain, Italy and the Netherlands.

In an official statement released on 7 May, UNMIK said it considered the Amnesty International report outdated and “highly unbalanced and considers that it does not properly address the real and tragic situation facing the victims of trafficking in the Balkans region.”

It also said the report contained many generalizations, but “misses these essential points: criminal gangs are exploiting vulnerable people, while law enforcement authorities in Kosovo are addressing the problem and making some progress, and much greater regional cooperation is needed to save the victims and punish the criminals.” Their statement also points out that Amnesty’s report draws heavily on conditions existing in 1999-2001, when UNMIK “was as the incipient stage and when scarce resources were available to address serious crime.”

Kosovo has been under UN administration since June 1999. Since then, the number of establishments in Kosovo where trafficked women and girls are exploited has soared from 18 to more than 200, according to Amnesty, who also notes that the illegal, organized and clandestine nature of trafficking, along with the silencing of trafficked women through coercion, violence and fear, make it impossible to accurately estimate the full extent of the trafficking industry in Kosovo.

Contact: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, London, WC1X 0DW, UK, telephone +44-20/7413 5500, +44-20/795 61157, website (http://news.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR700102004?open&of=ENG-YUG).

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Participants at the meeting brainstormed feasible and sustainable leadership models for African women, examining a range of factors affecting women’s access to and occupation of leadership roles, from macro-economic and political reforms, to the role of international organizations and gender relations at the family and community levels. Violet Esi Awotwi, Executive Director of WISE, and founder of the new initiative, said the Institute would accomplish its mission through leadership development, mentoring, networking, advocacy, research and transformative service to society.

The diverse WIELD Advisory Committee includes representatives from six West African nations, two countries in Southern Africa, two East African nations and two countries in the African Diaspora. The Institute will also identify and recruit a team of women and girls from Africa and the African Diaspora to serve as junior and senior fellows in the WIELD programme. “Our goal is to foster a cadre of women and girl leaders from Africa and the African Diaspora empowered to positively transform their societies,” affirmed Ms. Awotwi.

Contact: WISE, PO Box CT 5604, Cantonments - Accra, Ghana, telephone +233-21/781 003, fax +233-21/775 998, website (www.wise-up.org).

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For example, no attention was given during the Human Rights Commission’s session to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Decade. The Programme specifically calls upon States, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to develop national plans of action to achieve the goals of the Decade, and to establish national panels for organization and implementation of the plans. States are urged to provide Indigenous Peoples with greater means for the control of their own affairs and with an effective voice to make their decisions. Importantly, States were asked to contribute resources towards activities for the Decade.

According to Mr. Malezer, in 2004 a number of States have been campaigning to end the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP), arguing that the WGIP is no longer required as it duplicates the work of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. However, he stresses that termination of the WGIP will have a detrimental effect for Indigenous Peoples, calling attention to the fact that the Permanent Forum has no formal relationship with the Commission and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

He pointed out that the Permanent Forum does consider human rights, but under its adopted procedure, allowing only six hours per session, whereas the WGIP accommodates up to 30 hours per session. This allows the WGIP to hear from more delegates, to develop specialist reports and studies, to engage with academic and human rights institutions, and to directly contribute to, and respond to, the work of the Sub-Commission and the Commission.

During the Decade, Indigenous Peoples have sought to establish a permanent delegation in Geneva to facilitate their human rights programme. Mr. Malezer says indigenous delegations will continue to focus on Geneva-based actions, targeting not only the Commission and Sub-Commission but also the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, the human rights treaty bodies, and international agencies like the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The establishment of the Indigenous Permanent Delegation in Geneva is an urgent imperative, he stressed.

Les Maelzer, Chairperson, Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA), PO Box 8402, Woolloongabba, Q4102, Australia, telephone +61-7/33914677, fax +61-7/3391 4551, website (www.faira.org.au).

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The report is the culmination of a campaign by Mr. Johns and other IPA staff, who are vocal critics of human rights, Aboriginal, environmental and development organizations.

Non-profit groups have dismissed suggestions that a major shake-up is required of how the Australian Government deals with NGOs, however. The chair of the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations, Robert Fitzgerald, argued that IPA is merely determined to reduce the role of non-profit advocacy groups in society. “This has been a three-year campaign which had its genesis in America where this is a strong anti-NGO sentiment because they believe NGO activity has undermined the Bush administration’s foreign policy,” he asserted. “That is an ideological position. What the IPA has done is to take the US views and apply it in Australia, not only about domestic activities, but about international activities as well.”

Mr. Johns, who was a Member of Parliament from 1987-1996 and now heads the IPA Non-Government Organisation Project, insists that NGOs that gain tax benefits or funding from government need to be subjected to more scrutiny: “It is the relationship with government that generates the government’s need to disclose information to the public.” Mr. Johns does not see the disclosure requirement applying to the IPA, however, arguing that the report, which was commissioned by the Australian Government, represents the first time IPA had accepted direct government funding.

Contact: Institute of Public Affairs, Level 2, 410 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia, telephone +61-03/96004 744, fax +61-03/9602 4989, website (www.ipa.org.au).

National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations, c/o Philanthropy Australia, Level 10, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia, telephone +61-03/9612 9021, fax +61-03/9620 0199, website (www.philanthrop.org.au).

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Despite their relatively small size, cell phones are experiencing an unprecedented rate of increased usage worldwide. BAN says that fact, combined with the rapid obsolescence due either to malfunction or to rapid development of new, desired features, will create significant volumes of wastes, posing a very serious global pollution concern both from the standpoint of disposal and recycling as well as from the possibility of transboundary movements of such wastes.

“Mobile phones that have us addicted by their convenience while in hand, are, once discarded, soon transformed into a very inconvenient societal burden of poison and disease,” said Jim Puckett of BAN. “The implications for exportation of these old mobile phones to developing countries for recycling or re-use can equate to an immediate or delayed toxic time bomb.”

Two years ago, BAN released a report, entitled Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia, which revealed that 80% of electronic wastes collected for recycling were actually exported to countries like Pakistan, India and China where they were subjected to primitive and highly polluting recycling operations which contaminated Asian communities and impacted the health of workers.

Under the terms of the Basel Convention, movements of hazardous wastes of all kinds are meant to be defined and controlled, or prohibited. While the Basel Convention has launched the Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative with the top ten manufacturers of mobile phones, BAN says the mobile phone working group claims an investigation into the toxicity of the cell phones and the legal implications of their disposal is outside the Convention’s mandate.

“Remarkably, the one treaty charged with controlling the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes has abdicated its responsibility to take steps to manage this potential new tidal wave of toxic waste,” Mr. Puckett said. In the United States alone, experts estimate that 130 million cell phones will be discarded by the year 2005, resulting in 65,000 tons of cell phone waste.

Contact: Jim Puckett, Coordinator of BAN, c/o Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange, 1305 Fourth Avenue, Suite 606, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA, telephone +1-206/652 5555, fax +1-206/652 5750, e- mail <info@ban.org>, website (www.ban.org).

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According to preliminary data, total DAC ODA in 2003 reached US$68.5 billion, the highest level ever, both in nominal and real terms. This total represented 0.25% of DAC members’ combined gross national income (GNI), up from 0.23% in 2002 and 0.22% in 2001. OECD says the three main factors behind the US$2.3 billion rise, in real terms, in 2003 were:

- continuing growth in general bilateral grants (US$2 billion),
- the start of reconstruction aid to Iraq (US$2 billion),
- offset by a cyclical fall of contributions to multilateral concessional funds (-US$1.2 billion) and a small decrease in net lending (-US$0.5 billion).

The United States remains the world’s largest aid donor in volume terms, followed by Japan, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are still the only countries to meet the United Nations ODA target of 0.7% of GNI. Three other countries have given a firm date to reach the 0.7% target: Belgium by 2010; Ireland by 2007; and France to reach 0.5% by 2007 and 0.7% by 2012.

Twelve of the twenty-two DAC member countries reported an increase in ODA in real terms. EU countries increased their ODA in 2003 by 2.2% in real terms, representing 0.35% of their combined GNI. Prior to Monterrey, EU Members committed to increase their ODA by 2006 collectively to 0.39% of GNI, and individually to a minimum of 0.33% of GNI. Features of EU aid included:
- ODA rose substantially in Belgium to 0.61% of its GNI; in France to 0.41% of GNI reflecting its debt relief efforts under the HIPC initiative; and in the UK to 0.34% of GNI.
- ODA also rose in Germany (3.9% in real terms), Greece (4% in real terms), Ireland (5.1% in real terms) and Luxembourg (5.6% in real terms).
- Small falls in ODA in real terms were registered in Finland (-0.2%), the Netherlands (-1.3%) and Spain (-4.6%).
- Larger falls in ODA in real terms occurred in Austria (-20.7%), Denmark (-12.8%), Italy (-16.7%), Portugal (-24.8%) and Sweden (-14.1%).
Among the non-DAC donors, Korea’s ODA rose in current dollars from US$279 million in 2002 to US$334 million in 2003.

Contact: OECD, 2, rue André Pascal, F-75775 Paris Cedex 16, France, telephone +33-1/45 24 82 00, website (www.oecd.org).

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No single country achieved a “very strong” ranking on the Public Integrity Index, a measure of the existence and effectiveness of laws and institutions that promote public accountability and limit corruption, and the access that citizens have to information with which they can hold their governments accountable. Of the 25 countries, just six ranked “strong:” the United States, which finished first, followed by Portugal, Australia, Italy, Germany and South Africa. Seven countries—the Philippines, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Venezuela and Ghana—received “moderate” rankings while Nigeria, Panama, Nicaragua, Ukraine, India, Indonesia, Namibia, Turkey, Russia, and Kenya received “weak” scores. Guatemala and Zimbabwe, the other two countries surveyed, finished in the “very weak” category.

For the study, more than 150 social scientists, journalists and analysts collected or reviewed data on 80 Integrity Indicators—measures of the presence and effectiveness of anti-corruption mechanisms—divided across six broad categories: civil society, public information and media; electoral and political processes; branches of government; administration and civil service; oversight and regulatory mechanisms; and anti-corruption mechanisms and rule of law. The indicators allowed the researchers to quantify each country’s response to controlling corruption.

In 15 of the countries, journalists investigating corruption had been imprisoned, injured or killed, and in three countries—Guatemala, Mexico and Zimbabwe—both journalists and judges had been physically harmed in the past year. In 18 of the countries, there were no laws to protect whistleblowers, and in practice, Portugal was the only country where civil servants who reported corruption are “often” protected from recrimination or other negative consequences. The Head of State in 14 of the nations studied cannot be prosecuted for corruption.

Contact: The Center for Public Integrity, 910 17th Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington DC 20006, USA, telephone +1-202/466 1300, website (www.publicintegrity.org).

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The Index ranks 21 of the world’s richest countries on their dedication to policies that benefit five billion people living in poor nations. The Index moves beyond basic comparisons of foreign aid to factor in countries’ openness to exports from developing countries as well as their performance in security, investment, migration, technology and environmental policies. It rewards generous and selective aid giving, tax breaks for private giving, contributions to global security, hospitable immigration policies, foreign direct investment (FDI) incentives and support for technological development and research.

The United Kingdom placed fourth and outranked the other Group of Seven nations, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Canada. Canada trailed the United Kingdom at sixth place, thanks largely to its friendly migration policies.

While the United States took the top spot for its trade policy, it came in 19th in aid effort and seventh in the overall Index, because it contributes little foreign aid in relation to the size of its economy and has a poor environmental record. Germany and France joined the United States in ranking seventh in the overall Index. Japan, the second-largest foreign aid contributor, finished last after scoring poorly on its trade and migration policies, making it the least development-friendly nation.

The Index builds upon contributions from scholars at the Center for Global Development, the Brookings Institution, Georgetown University, and the Migration Policy Institute, and benefits from the support of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Contact: Center for Global Development, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036, USA, telephone +1-202/416 0700, fax +1-202/416 0750, website (www.cgdev.org/rankingtherich).

Foreign Policy Magazine, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA, telephone +1-202/939 2230, fax +1-202/483 4430, website (www.foreignpolicy.com).

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In a statement read by Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), at the opening of the meeting, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the new organization can be an effective instrument to improve the lives of more than 100 million slum dwellers in the coming decades. “Urban populations in developing countries will double over the next 30 years. The number of people living in slums and squatter settlements may also rise if local authorities do not take determined and concerted action to address the needs of the urban poor and the challenge of good urban governance,” Mr. Annan said.

According to UCLG, more than half of the world’s population—more than three billion people—currently live in cities. Each year, the population living in urban centres increases by 77 million.

“Unemployment, violence, lack of housing and social exclusion are problems that affect most cities today,” said Marta Suplicy, Sao Paulo’s Mayor. City governments are the most capable of solving those problems because they are the most in touch with the local population, she added.

During the opening of the UCLG meeting, UN-HABITAT and Transparency International released a new guide on how policy-makers and civil society can fight corruption and inefficiency in local governments. Tools to Support Transparency in Local Governance is the second publication of the Urban Governance Toolkit Series, which is part of UN-HABITAT’s Global Campaign on Urban Governance.

On 23 June, Mayors of the world issued a press release welcoming the Cardoso Panel’s Report on strengthening UN-Civil Society relations (see NGLS Roundup 113). The High-Level Panel endorses a proposal from its consultation with Mayors: “The General Assembly should debate a resolution affirming and respecting local autonomy as a universal principle,” something for which Mayors accross the world have been lobbying for many year, their press release said.

Contact: Sarah O'Brien, Executive Officer, United Cities and Local Governments, Carrer Avinyó, 15, 08002 Barcelona, Spain, telephone +34-933/428750, fax +34-933/428760, e-mail <s.obrien@cities-localgovernments.org>, website (www.cities-localgovernments.org).

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A number of meetings, seminars and workshops held recently have discussed the current spate of violence in the occupied Palestine territories—in particular in the Rafah refugee camp—and have attempted to identify possible solutions to some of the most urgent problems refugees are encountering. On 28 May, two Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights issued a joint statement calling on the Government of Israel to respect UN Security Council resolution 1544.

A two-day conference, co-hosted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Swiss Government, was held in Geneva from 7-8 June to increase international support for the humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees. The meeting included four workshops covering the wellbeing of refugee children; housing, infrastructure and the environment in Palestine refugee camps; the socio-economic development of the refugees; and the management and mobilization of resources on behalf of the refugees.

Peter Hansen, UNRWA Commissioner General, pointed out that UNRWA was originally created as a temporary programme to deal with refugees who had lost their homes and/or livelihoods in that part of Mandatory Palestine, which became the State of Israel. Some 55 years later, he said, UNRWA was still working with a mandate to provide “relief” and “works” assistance and support to a Palestinian refugee population which had grown to four million registered refugees.

The conference focused on the need for the respect of international humanitarian law, freedom of movement of refugees, emergency re-housing, and improved efforts on community development and access to employment. Employment creation and income generation, as well as access to micro finance and credit were identified as tools and pre-requisites for addressing economic hardships and for enhancing a developmental approach to socio-economic challenges. The need for detailed information about the present protection needs of vulnerable groups, in particular children, was highlighted. Education was considered key for ensuring a better future for Palestinian refugee children and youth, as some 500,000 children attend schools administered by UNRWA. Participants stressed the need to improve the physical infrastructure of schools, the learning conditions for children, and working conditions for UNRWA teachers.

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People met in New York on 9 June, with the Permanent Observer of Palestine, Nasser Al-Kidwa, pointing out that the situation on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, was very bleak, and the overall political situation was very volatile. Discussion revolved around the non-implementation of the Road Map (see Go Between 97). Mr. Al-Kidwa said he felt the Road Map should be revived and the UN Security Council should be engaged, including with the possibility of the adoption of a comprehensive resolution.

Meeting in Beijing from 16-17 June, the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Chinese Foreign Ministry hosted an International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East that brought together international experts and senior journalists from around the world to stimulate public debate and keep dialogue open. A number of participants stressed during the opening session that amid a lack of tangible progress in the formal implementation of the Road Map, civil society initiatives had kept alive the hope of ordinary people for a durable peace in the Middle East. The media, in particular, had the capacity to sensitize public opinion, making certain that the issue stayed on the front burner pending a fair and just solution.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement read on his behalf, called on civil society on both sides of the conflict to focus particular energy on countering the view that there were no serious partners for peace on either side. To the contrary, polls, media accounts and other reports showed continually solid majorities on each side exhausted by conflict, ready to compromise on even the most sensitive issues, and willing to embark on a new era in their relations. Those voices must not only be heard; those voices must also be targeted at the leadership on both sides, he stressed.

On 28 May, the Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights on adequate housing (Miloon Kothari) and on the right to food (Jean Ziegler ) issued a joint statement calling on the Government of Israel to respect UN Security Council resolution 1544 and bring a permanent halt to the massive military operation by Israeli occupying forces in the Rafah refugee camp. “[T]hese practices exacerbate the tremendous difficulties already being faced by the Palestinian people, and have a disproportionate effect on women and on children and the elderly. These practices breach international human rights law, by which the Government of Israel is bound, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights—particularly its provisions related to the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food and housing (article 11).

“The United Nations Charter entrusted the Security Council with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, acting in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations, which include promoting and encouraging respect for human rights. In consistently failing to protect Palestinians from the violation of their human rights, including to adequate housing and food, we are failing to stand up to our responsibilities under the United Nations Charter,” the Special Rapporteurs’ statement concluded.

Contact: UNRWA, HQ Gaza, PO Box 140157, Amman 11814, Jordan, telephone +972-8/677 7333 or +972-08/282 4508, fax +972-8/677 7555, website (www.un.org/unrwa).

Matthias Burchard, Chief, UNRWA Liaison Office, Geneva, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 1166, fax +41-22/917 0656, e-mail <mburchard@unog.ch>.

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The eighth Special Session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GCSS-8/GMEF) was held from 29-31 March in Jeju (Republic of Korea). It was preceded by the 5th Global Civil Society Forum, held from 27-28 March, also in Jeju. The meetings examined water shortages, inadequate sanitation, and growing problems in habitation, including air pollution in so-called mega cities. Also discussed were environmental threats to small island developing States (SIDS).

The meeting, which brought together delegates from 158 countries, including 90 environment ministers, focussed on the theme of water, sanitation and human settlements, the cluster theme of the 12th meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-12, see NGLS Roundup 114). South Korea’s Environment Minister Gwak Gyul-ho noted that the 8th Special Session was aimed at identifying “[a] specific framework to supply enough water for ten billion people worldwide suffering from lack of water and provide 25 billion people with upgraded sanitary services.”

Also discussed at the forum were the threats related to handling solid wastes from industry, households and tourism, as well as the vulnerability of small island States across the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the Pacific. UNEP studies indicate that along with issues including rising sea levels, overfishing, water shortages and inadequate sanitation services, waste is fast becoming another key problem. Since the early 1990s, the levels of plastic wastes on SIDS have increased fivefold. During the meeting, Jagdish Koonjul, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said, “We urgently need access to effective and affordable technologies including recycling equipment before this issue of wastes becomes critical. It is a cry for technology transfer.” These issues will also be discussed in Mauritius at the Ten-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action (see Go Between 99).

On the first day of the meeting, UNEP released its Global Environment Outlook Year Book 2003, which says that damage from natural disasters around the world, including from sand and dust storms, cost US$60 billion last year, with around 80% of those disasters occurring in Asia. Dust and sandstorms cause livestock and crop loss and respiratory problems in the region. In addition to affecting Northeast Asia, sand and dust, along with airborne pollutants coming from wood and charcoal burning and the combustion of fossil fuels and industrial processes, are threatening other densely populated regions in the world. “We are worried about the creep of environmental problems—their disrespect of political boundaries—and the way they threaten to compound and disrupt the functioning of major natural systems,” UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer said, adding that these phenomena are part of a trend of increasing natural disasters worldwide.

Ministerial consultations took place from 29-31 March, addressing the follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, see NGLS Roundup 96) and UNEP’s contribution to CSD-12. During the three days, over 200 interventions from 48 countries were made, showcasing national and regional examples of good water management initiatives. Delegates deliberated issues regarding integrated water resource management (IWRM), governance, institutions, finance, capacity building, and practical actions to be taken.

Børge Brende, Norway’s Minister of Environment and Chair of CSD-12, underscored the need to place IWRM strategies on the national level agenda of all countries and for them to regard IWRM as a priority expenditure area. He stressed that IWRM plans should be prepared and owned by governments, include all stakeholders, especially women, and that water policy should be integrated into national development strategies. Mr. Töpfer called attention to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, which addresses the need to ensure environmental sustainability, and emphasized that IWRM provides good backing for this work.

On 31 March, the Chair’s Summary of the consultations (UNEP/GCSS.VII/L.1), the “Jeju Initiative,” was adopted, emphasizing that IWRM should incorporate an ecosystem approach as the basis for achieving the MDGs and WSSD targets. This would require involvement of regional and local authorities, the private sector, civil society and local communities, especially women; active support by the international community for capacity building, technology transfer and international financing; and cooperation with all relevant partners.

On water and sanitation, ministers reiterated the need for adopting an environmentally sound approach to the WSSD target on sanitation, noting that water supply and sanitation should not be addressed in isolation. When applying the holistic approach to sanitation, ministers urged national governments and local communities to: pay greater attention to eco-technology; stimulate local demand for environmentally sustainable sanitation services; and include monitoring mechanisms.

On water, poverty, health and human settlements, ministers underscored the need to address water and sanitation issues in poverty reduction including enhancing stakeholder consultation in policy making and implementation; conducting appropriate scientific research; and encouraging efficient use of cleaner production technology.

On the role of UNEP and other UN agencies in achieving water and sanitation-related targets, the Jeju Initiative requests UNEP to assist countries in the integration of environmental sustainability issues; incorporate water, sanitation and human settlements in post-conflict environmental assessments; ensure that environmental dimensions are introduced in poverty eradication strategies; and cooperate with international financial institutions.

From 27-28 March, the 5th Global Civil Society Forum was held, allowing civil society organizations (CSOs) to exchange their views and develop a civil society platform of action. Their resulting statement, the Jeju Statement, provides the backdrop to the issues, reiterates the goals and targets and sets out the obstacles and challenges to implementation of global commitments. It also outlines the main principles upon which civil society positions and priorities are based and offers specific action proposals and strategies. Their statement can be found on the NGLS website (www.un-ngls.org/Jeju%20Statement.doc).

Contact: Eric Falt, Spokesperson and Director of UNEP’s Division of Communications and Public Information, PO Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/623292, e-mail <eric.falt@unep.org>, website (www.unep.org).

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According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual report, now is a critical moment in the history of HIV/AIDS. The report finds there is more money, more political will and more attention being paid to the disease than ever before, and yet, more people than ever are dying of AIDS and becoming infected with HIV.

The World Health Report 2004 - Changing History chronicles the global spread of HIV/AIDS over the last quarter of a century, while tracing the efforts of advocacy groups, civil society organizations, community health care workers, researchers and many others to control it and to combat its many side-effects, including stigma and discrimination. Despite these efforts, more than 20 million people have died from HIV/AIDS and an estimated 34-46 million others are now infected with the virus, for which there is as yet no vaccine and no cure. In 2003, three million people died and five million others became infected.

The report argues that a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy linking prevention, treatment, care and support for people living with the virus could save the lives of millions of people in poor and middle-income countries. According to the WHO, until now, treatment has been the most neglected element in most developing countries. Yet among all possible HIV-related interventions, the report says it is treatment that can most effectively boost prevention efforts and in turn drive the strengthening of health systems and enable poor countries to protect people from a wide range of health threats.

At present, the report finds that almost six million people in developing countries need treatment, but in 2003, only 400,000 received it. The report argues that a treatment gap of such dimensions is indefensible and that narrowing it is both an ethical obligation and a public health necessity.

“At long last, global investment in health—and particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS—is on the rise. The challenge now is to coordinate all our efforts and to ensure that this money benefits the people who need it most,” said WHO Director-General Jong-wook Lee.

Speaking of the resources that have now been pledged—including more than US$20 billion from donor countries and through multilateral funding agencies, including the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the US President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief and the World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP)—Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Executive Director Peter Piot said, “We must invest these additional resources in strengthening comprehensive prevention and care strategies that build on twenty years experience of what we know works.”

The report says these funds must now be used swiftly and in a coordinated way to prolong the lives of millions of children, women and men who will otherwise soon die. Adequate technical support for HIV/AIDS programmes must be mobilized to ensure that the new investments have the greatest possible long-term impact on the health of people in poor countries. The report says the delivery of AIDS treatment and prevention also offers the chance to build up health systems in the poorest countries, providing health benefits for all.

In September 2003, WHO, UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria declared lack of access to treatment with antiretroviral medicines a global health emergency. In response, these organizations and their partners launched an effort to provide three million people in developing countries with antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2005—the “3 by 5” initiative (see NGLS Roundup 109).

By March 2004, 48 of the countries with the highest burden of HIV/AIDS had expressed their commitment to rapid treatment expansion and requested technical cooperation in designing and implementing scale-up programmes.

WHO is working closely with national health officials, treatment providers, community organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS and other stakeholders to design national treatment scale-up plans and begin their implementation. WHO says that political commitment and national ownership of programmes are essential, while noting that the streamlined funding mechanisms developed by the Global Fund are enabling many countries to access funding and expand AIDS treatment and prevention programmes faster than ever before.

The report finds that scaling up treatment can support and strengthen prevention programmes: where treatment has been made available, there have been overwhelming demands for testing and counselling. Good counselling and HIV education leads to more effective prevention in those who are uninfected, and significantly reduces the potential for infection transmission in those who have HIV.

The report says that the global HIV/AIDS treatment gap reflects wider patterns of inequality in health and is a test of the international community’s commitment to tackle these inequalities. “Beyond 2005 lies the challenge of extending treatment to many more millions of people, and of maintaining it for the rest of their lives, while simultaneously building and sustaining the health infrastructures to make that huge task possible. The success of this action cannot be guaranteed. But inaction will not be forgiven. It will be judged by those who suffer and die needlessly today, and by the historians of tomorrow. They will have a right to ask why, if we let the chance of changing history slip through our fingers, we did not act in time,” the World Health Report 2004 concludes.

Contact: Iain Simpson, World Health Organization, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/791 3215, fax +41-22/791 4858, e-mail <simpsoni@who.int>, website (www.who.int/whr).

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The World Health Assembly (WHA), the annual meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO), met in Geneva from 17-22 May 2004 bringing together over 2,000 delegates from the WHO’s 192 Member States to debate policy and make decisions on WHO’s future public health work. This year’s session looked at ways to prevent death and illness resulting from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and road safety. Also at the forefront was the WHO’s “3 by 5” initiative, aimed at ensuring that three million people infected with HIV/AIDS receive life-saving treatment by the end of 2005.

Invited speakers at the 57th session included former Presidents and Nobel Peace Prize winners Kim Dae-jung (Republic of Korea) and Jimmy Carter (US), who both spoke about the challenges presented by the growing gap between the world’s rich and poor. Anastasia Karmylk (Belarus) spoke about the need to do more to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, including overcoming the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with the HIV/AIDS.

Taiwan failed for the eighth time in its bid to become an observer to the proceedings when the Assembly’s governing committee recommended that the issue of Taiwan not be included on the agenda. In making its bid, Taiwan warned that its exclusion would be detrimental to the prevention of new fatal disease outbreaks. Taiwan had 37 of the 800 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) deaths worldwide.

In his closing remarks, WHO Director-General Jong-wook Lee said, “This World Health Assembly clearly raised the bar for improving public health of all people. The Assembly agreed to tackle diseases which can spread from the environment, or from person to person, and also those linked to the foods we eat, the amount we exercise and the safety of our roads. I also welcome the resolve to take action to improve the reproductive health of women and men,” he said.

WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

The WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health addresses two of the major risk factors responsible for the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for some 60% of global deaths and almost half (47%) of the global burden of disease. NCDs include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and obesity-related conditions. The strategy, developed over the past two years through a series of consultations with stakeholders including Member States, other UN agencies, civil society, NGOs and the private sector, emphasizes the need to limit the consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty acids, salt and sugars, and to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables and levels of physical activity (see Go Between 101). It also addresses the role of prevention in health services; food and agriculture policies; fiscal policies; surveillance systems; regulatory policies; consumer education and communication including marketing, health claims and nutrition labelling; and school policies as they affect food and physical activity choices.

Following extensive debate on the strategy during the Assembly, a drafting group met for two days to agree upon amendments to the resolution adopting the strategy. These included the addition of paragraphs to address concerns expressed by some Member States that nothing in the strategy should be construed as justification for the adoption of trade-restrictive or trade distorting practices; to reaffirm that the strategy complements WHO’s strong commitment to addressing malnutrition, and to reaffirm that appropriate levels of intakes for energy, nutrients and foods should be determined in accordance with national guidelines and dietary habits and practices.

The WHA also adopted a resolution encouraging all Member States to strengthen existing policies and programmes related to health promotion and healthy lifestyles, calling for countries to give high priority to promoting healthy lifestyles for children and young people, to focus on poor and marginalized groups, and to give attention to the prevention of alcohol-related harm.

Reproductive Health

The Assembly adopted the WHO’s first strategy on reproductive health, intended to help countries stem the repercussions of reproductive and sexual ill-health, which account for 20% of the global burden of ill-health for women, and 14% for men. The strategy targets five priority aspects of reproductive and sexual health: improving antenatal, delivery, postpartum and newborn care; providing high-quality services for family planning; and promoting sexual health.

The strategy comes in response to a 55th WHA resolution requesting WHO to develop a strategy for accelerating progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other international goals and targets relating to improving reproductive health, notably those from the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994, and its five-year follow-up (ICPD+5). Three of the eight MDGs are directly related to reproductive and sexual health, namely, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

“The strong endorsement of this strategy by the WHA represents an unequivocal message that countries are committed to do all they can to achieve the goals and targets of the ICPD Programme of Action adopted in 1994,” said Paul Van Look, Director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research. “The Strategy gives our Member States and the Organization itself a clear roadmap on how we can work together in the coming years to achieve the ICPD goals,” (see next Focus page).

“3 by 5” Initiative

The Assembly welcomed the Director-General’s “3 by 5 strategy” to support developing countries in their response to HIV/AIDS by increasing access to prevention, care and treatment and securing access to antiretroviral treatment for three million people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2005. The Assembly confirmed the WHO’s role in supporting countries in delivering prevention, care, support and treatment for HIV/AIDS within strengthened national health systems. Member States urged the Director-General to improve the access of developing countries to antiretroviral medicines and other products used in the diagnosis, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS.

The resolution also encouraged countries entering into bilateral trade agreements to take into account the flexibilities relating to public health as laid down in the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) agreement of the World Trade Organization and the Doha Ministerial Declaration on the TRIPs Agreement and Public Health.

ActionAid welcomed the 3 by 5 initiative and called on the G-8 meeting (see article page 7) to make sure that the resources needed are available. Simon Wright of ActionAid said: “We welcome the recommitment to this ambitious target. G-8 countries must set out what they will do to make sure this important challenge does not fail. This must include proper resources for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria and explicit backing for the use of cheap generics.”

Road Safety and Health

The 57th WHA also unanimously approved a resolution on road safety and health. The resolution seeks to address the lack of safety on the world’s roads, responsible for 1.2 million deaths and as many as 50 million injuries annually. This year’s World Health Day 2004, observed on 7 April, was dedicated to road safety. The UN General Assembly, during a plenary session on the topic on 14 April 2004, adopted a resolution on improving global road safety, inviting the WHO to serve as coordinator on road safety issues within the United Nations system.

Fighting Disease

In a bid to complete polio eradication, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution urging endemic countries to intensify eradication efforts and for the global community to continue its commitment, collaboration and cooperation to assure resources are mobilized for these efforts. African Union Ministers reported their alarm that in 2004 the number of cases in west and central Africa was already five times that for the same period in 2003, due to the continuing outbreak originating from Kano (Nigeria). WHO announced that it would launch an emergency appeal for resources for a massive immunization campaign across west and central Africa. Dracunculiasis, or guinea-worm disease, remains endemic in 12 countries, all in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Assembly adopted a resolution on increasing surveillance and control of Buruli ulcer, a disease that can severely affect the skin and cause serious disabilities. The resolution urges all Member States to intensify research to develop tools to diagnose, treat and prevent the disease and encourages active participation in WHO’s Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative.

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as “sleeping sickness,” remains a major public health problem, due to its epidemic potential and its 100% fatality rate if untreated. Delegates unanimously adopted a resolution to make the control of this disease a priority, and to direct more resources to endemic areas.

Outstanding progress in reducing measles deaths was reported to Assembly delegates. Global measles mortality decreased by an estimated 30% between 1999 and 2002, with an even greater reduction (35%) in Africa. Continued implementation of the WHO/UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) comprehensive strategy can keep Member States on track to achieve the 2005 target of reducing measles deaths by half from 1999 levels.

Genomics and World Health

Noting that there have been remarkable advances in the science of genomics, or the study of genes, their functions and related techniques, the Assembly adopted a resolution to address concerns about the safety as well as ethical, legal and economic implications. The Assembly also adopted a resolution on human organ and tissue transplantation to encourage the development of recommendations and guidelines to harmonize global practices and ensure the ethical practice of organ and tissue transplant. Delegates agreed to take measures to protect the poorest and vulnerable groups from “transplant tourism” and the sale or trafficking of tissues and organs. The resolution also addresses the practice of transplanting animal tissue or organs to humans and the need for clear national regulations on the practice and for surveillance of potential infections caused by these transplants.

Health Conditions of, and Assistance to, the Arab Population in the Occupied Territories, including Palestine

The Assembly adopted a resolution addressing concerns about the deterioration of health conditions and the humanitarian crises resulting from military activities in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine. The resolution calls for Israel to immediately halt activities that affect the health conditions of civilians under occupation and also urges the WHO Director-General to dispatch a fact-finding team to the occupied territories and to continue providing technical assistance for improving health.

Other Issues

A detailed progress report was presented on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (see Go Between 98). So far, 114 countries and the European Community have signed, and 16 countries have ratified the Convention. The Assembly also received and debated reports from WHO on progress made on a number of health issues, including: research on the variola virus that causes smallpox; the recently established Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health, which will now present its report to the Executive Board in January 2006; the quality and safety of medicines and blood products, on the follow-up to the SARS outbreaks in 2003 and 2004; on measures to protect the safety of patients; and on the importance of strengthening health systems, including primary health care.

Next year’s World Health Assembly will be held from 16-25 May 2005.

Contact: Iain Simpson, Director-General’s Office/ Media and Communications, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 6960, e-mail <simpsoni@who.int>, website (www.who.int).

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The Thirty-seventh session of the Commission on Population and Development was held in New York from 22-26 March 2004, working under the theme of “Review and appraisal of the progress made in achieving the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action (PoA) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).” Unable to finish its work, the Commission met again in May.

José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in his opening speech, recalled the goals and principles of the ICPD Programme of Action (PoA), adopted in Cairo in 1994 (see Go Between 101). “Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development…People are the most important and valuable resource of any nation.” (Principle 2, Ch. II). He also pointed out that the PoA—which includes attention to issues that are now receiving heightened international attention, including international migration, population ageing, and HIV/AIDS—identified qualitative and quantitative goals in a number of key areas, while directing attention to the resources that would be required to meet these goals.

Pointing to the many changes since 1994 in population trends and in the social, economic and political situations with which those population trends are linked, he said that progress has been made towards meeting many of the ICPD objectives—but that progress has been very uneven. He noted that the population in 2004 is nearly 800 million larger than in 1994; however, 95% of that population increase occurred in less developed regions.

Joseph Chamie, Director of the Population Division, in his address, pointed out ten major trends for the future:
- World population will be larger: According to the medium variant projection, world population will reach nearly 9 billion by mid-century.
- World population growth will be slower: By mid-century the world is expected to be adding 29 million annually, or about a third of today’s increase.
- More of the world’s population will be concentrated in less developed countries: By 2050, nearly 90% of world population is expected to be living in less developed nations versus 80% today.
- Fertility levels will be lower and family sizes smaller: By mid-century, the global fertility average is anticipated to be close to replacement levels of around two children per couple.
- The populations of many nations will be smaller: By mid-century the populations of one country out of five are expected to be smaller than today. Prominent among these countries is the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Japan and Italy.
- Life expectancy will be higher in most countries: By mid-century, global life expectancy is projected to be about ten years more than today, i.e., reaching 76 years, and the number of people aged 100 years or older will likely be in excess of 3 million, which is a twenty-fold increase over the number today.
- The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is expected to worsen in certain regions: At least for the next several decades, the epidemic will lead to increased morbidity, mortality and population loss for the currently most affected countries.
- World population will be older: The percentage of population age 65 years or older is expected to more than double over the next five decades, increasing from 7% to 16%.
- The world will be more urbanized: Within just a few years, the majority of the world will no longer be rural dwellers, as has been the case throughout human history, but will be urban dwellers. Within 25 years, urban areas in less developed regions are expected to double in size, growing from 1.9 billion today to 3.9 billion by 2030.
- International migration will increase both in volume and impact: The more developed regions are expected to continue being net receivers of international migration. Today, the populations of many developed countries already rely on international migration for their modest growth.

Mr. Chamie stressed that bold vision and strong leadership from the Commission, coupled with international cooperation and commitment, would greatly enhance the ability of the UN to contribute to making the world in the 21st century a better place.

“Migration is here to stay and is indeed an integral feature of modern life,” Brunson McKinley, Director-General of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), stressed in his address on 23 March. He discussed migration management in the context of the Commission’s review of the implementation of the PoA, noting that there are currently an estimated 175 million international migrants, or nearly 3% of the world’s population.

Ten years after Cairo, migration had become the concern of all, Mr. McKinley said, but the debate over whether or not to have migration was sterile and must be stopped. A more sophisticated discussion of the topic was needed, he said, which should identify, define and address the fundamental policy issues, such as sovereignty, security, economic integration, national identity, social change, and the rights and responsibilities of migrants. Comprehensive approaches to all those questions were essential. Fortunately, public attention of a more positive nature was increasingly common, and collaborative efforts among international agencies had been growing.

In her address on 24 March, Barbara Crossette, former UN Bureau Chief of the New York Times, pointed out that as a journalist, she had covered the ICPD in September 1994, and had indeed felt the “energy and exhilaration in Cairo, generated by the very uncertainty of outcomes. People who are good at calculations noticed that going into Cairo, more than a third of the final document was still in dispute.”

“Cairo set goals of its own in a programme of action,” Ms. Crossette said. “Many advocates of that programme would like to mesh its guidelines with those of the Millennium Development Goals, since they go so sensibly together in many ways. That could be a struggle.

“It sometimes appears that the United Nations spawns too many lists of aims and targets to be achieved. If targets are missed, the UN, not its Members, is declared a failure. In the United States, furthermore, the UN has been accused of holding too many conferences. But what a lot of Americans do not understand is how important action plans—even unreasonably optimistic ones—can be to people in other, smaller nations. I would argue that no set of priorities is as important to half the world’s population—its women—as the legacy of Cairo. Goals have a way of keeping momentum going.”

Speaking of the stocktaking that is now going on around the world as the September anniversary approaches, she said the same wide range of people and opinions heard in Cairo nearly ten years ago were beginning to be heard again now. “Battle lines are again being drawn. For some, there will be a call to roll back the gains of Cairo—material and psychological. For others, there will be a concerted effort to keep that from happening. Some inside the United Nations system fear that a lobby led by an unlikely combination of conservative Middle Eastern nations, the United States and the Vatican—represented at the UN as the territory known as the Holy See—will mount a major drive to dilute or undo the language, meaning and impact of the policies adopted at Cairo, and reinforced at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing the following year.”

Concluding, she said, “In this anniversary year, the time seems right to shift the emphasis of Cairo’s legacy away from what threats traditional social structures could face if women’s lives are improved to the threats that the world at large may confront if they are not.

“The Cairo consensus certainly has cracks. Its shell was always fragile. But its health cannot be judged by the deadlocks over words like gender.

“Under the surface, however, the meaning and momentum of Cairo run strong, reaching down to the grassroots, where the spirit of consensus resonates even among those many, many people who wouldn’t know what or where Cairo is,” Ms. Crossette closed.

Mr. Chamie introduced the Secretary-General’s report on Programme implementation and progress of work in the field of population in 2003: Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (E/CN.9/2004/5), and a note by the Secretary-General on the Proposed strategic framework for the period 2006-2007 (E/CN.9/2004/6). He also highlighted activities of the Population Division, including production of a document on world population policies, a report on urbanization and two wall charts—one on urban agglomerations and one on urban/rural movements. A chart on world contraceptive use was also available, he said, as well as an extensive database on trends in marriage since 1960.

On 24 March, the Population Division issued its World Population Policies, which provides an overview of population policies for every country as of 2003, and at mid-decade for the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s—at the time of the UN international population conferences in Bucharest, Mexico City and Cairo.

The study, which provides information on national population policies in relation to population growth, population age structure, fertility, mortality, etc., finds that high mortality is the most significant population concern for developing countries. The most significant demographic concern of developed countries relates to low fertility and its consequences, including population ageing and the shrinking of the working-age population. The report finds that concern about HIV/AIDS is now universal, with approximately 90% of countries in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean considering it to be a major concern.

From 22-26 March, the Commission assessed the implementation of the recommendations of ICPD, and held a general debate on national experiences in implementing the Programme of Action. Unable to conclude its work as scheduled on the last day, the Commission met on 5 May, concluding its 37th session with the adoption of a draft resolution calling on the international community to continue to provide, both bilaterally and multilaterally, support and assistance for population and development activities in developing countries.

Draft resolution E/CN.9/2004/L.6 on follow-up to the PoA of the ICPD, recognizing that the effective implementation of the Programme would require an increased commitment of financial resources, both domestically and externally, urges donor countries to fulfil their commitments regarding their official development assistance (ODA) for population assistance.

In the draft resolution entitled “Work programme in the field of population,” the Commission emphasized that the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social affairs should continue basic work on population estimates, projections and patterns; analysis of international migration; ageing of populations; change in fertility and mortality rates; interrelations among population, resources, the environment and development; and the evolution of population policies, applying a gender perspective in that regard.

The Commission also requested the Population Division to continue assessing progress made toward the implementation of the PoA, and to continue its work on the impact of HIV/AIDS on population and development, in collaboration with relevant entities. It encouraged the Division to build demographic capacity in developing countries, and it emphasized the need for it to enhance collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose role it called crucial in meeting the goal of the PoA.

The Commission decided that the theme for its thirty-ninth session in 2006 would be “International migration and development.” Reaffirming that the special theme for its thirty-eighth session in 2005 would be “Population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty,” the Commission adopted an orally revised decision (E/CN.9/2004/L.5) that in 2005 it should also consider the contribution of the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration.

The thirty-eighth session will be held from 4-8 April 2005.

Contact: Jospeh Chamie, Director, Population Division, UN, 2 UN Plaza, DC2-1950, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3179, fax +1-212/963 2147, website (www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/comm2004.htm).

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Meeting from 15 March - 23 April in Geneva, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) worked its way through a broad agenda, covering such topics as human rights violations around the world; racism; the rights of minorities, migrant workers, and indigenous peoples; the rights of women and the prevention of violence against women; the rights of children; the prevention of torture, disappearances, and summary executions; efforts to end religious intolerance; and the promotion of economic, social and cultural rights.

Before the 60th session concluded, the Commission adopted 88 resolutions, 28 decisions, and five Chairman’s statements. It decided to appoint Special Rapporteurs on situations in Belarus and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as a Special Rapporteur whose mandate will focus on the human rights aspects of trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The Commission also expressed its concern about the human rights situation in Sudan, and in particular in Darfur, western Sudan. The Commission appointed an Independent Expert for a period of one year, and called upon the parties to the conflict to observe the humanitarian ceasefire and to grant immediate, full, safe and unhindered access to Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan aimed at delivering humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need.

A number of issues surfaced repeatedly during the session, including: the situation in Iraq; the situation in the occupied Arab territories; the challenges posed to human rights both by terrorism and by government measures to prevent terrorism; the continuing threat of genocide around the world—a topic given a special meeting on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide; and trafficking in women and children.

Special Rapporteurs Highlight Concerns

During the 60th session, the different Special Rapporteurs called attention to a number of issues of growing concern. Miloon Kothari, Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, said that in spite of recognition that forced evictions are gross violations of human rights—especially the right to adequate housing—the phenomenon is continuing with full force.

John Dugard, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said among other things that living conditions for Palestinians had deteriorated significantly over the past year and the Israeli construction of a massive security wall raised a real prospect that life would become so intolerable for those villagers living in the subsequent “Closed Zone” that they would abandon their homes and migrate.

Katarina Tomasevski, Special Rapporteur on the right to education, said worldwide not even half of the governments ensure free primary education, mainly due to the higher importance placed by countries upon military and defence spending. Ms. Tomasevski said it was a concern that Commission resolutions on the right to education repeatedly failed to mention human rights. In an unexpected move, she said that she would not seek renewal of her mandate. However, at the end of the 60th session, the mandate on the right to education was renewed for a period of three years.

Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said that she had recently seen a disturbing trend towards the arbitrary use of force on all continents, and she was deeply concerned that there had been no improvement in the situation with regard to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur on the right to food, said that it was time to recognize that hunger was not a question of fate, but the result of human inaction or action, he said. He called for “food sovereignty,” which treats trade as a means to an end and gives primacy to food security and the right to food.

Thematic Mandates

The Commission established posts for Independent Experts to update existing principles for combating impunity; and to assist the High Commissioner in tasks related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. In a resolution on human rights and terrorism, the Commission reaffirmed that everyone has a right to protection from terrorism and strongly condemned such violations of the right to life, liberty and security.

In a resolution on the situation in occupied Palestine, the Commission reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including their right to establish their sovereign and independent Palestinian State. On 15 April, the Commission adopted three resolutions criticizing Israel for violating human rights in the occupied Arab territories, for its settlements in the territories and for imposing its law, jurisdiction, and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The Commission adopted several measures on enhancing the human rights of women. Besides appointing a Special Rapporteur for a period of three years on the human rights aspects of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, it also adopted a resolution on the elimination of violence against women in which it strongly condemned physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family. A resolution on violence against women migrant workers was also adopted.

A resolution adopted on the abduction of children in Africa condemns the practice of abduction of children; demands the immediate demobilization and disarmament of all child soldiers; and calls upon African States to take extra measures to protect refugee children and internally displaced children, particularly girls, from being abducted by guerrilla groups. In a resolution on internally displaced persons, the Commission expressed concern at the persistent problems of large numbers of internally displaced persons worldwide; and expressed particular concern at the grave problems faced by many internally displaced women and children.

Human Rights Norms for Businesses

One of the most debated topics at this year’s Commission was the future of the proposed UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights (see Go Between 99). The Norms encourage the development of stable environments for investment and business, regulated by the rule of law, and where business enterprises, both foreign and domestic, have clearly defined rights and responsibilities. Although the Norms do not have the status of a formal UN treaty, the proposal includes the creation of a new enforcement mechanism for implementation, causing outrage among business lobby groups.

In the run-up to the Commission, a number of corporate lobby groups, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), launched a counter-campaign to persuade governments not to endorse the proposed Norms. The US Council for International Business (USCIB) claims that the Norms would amount to “privatizing the enforcement of human rights law,” transferring the responsibility for protecting human rights from governments to businesses. Human rights experts who have analyzed the Norms reject such claims: the Norms would only require businesses “within their sphere of influence and activity” to comply with existing international declarations.

On 20 April, in a consensus resolution negotiated by the UK, the Commission asked the Office of the High Commissioner to compile a report setting out the scope and legal status of existing initiatives and standards relating to corporate human rights responsibilities, in consultation with “all relevant stakeholders.” The resolution further states that the Commission will “identify options for strengthening standards” on corporate human rights responsibilities at its annual session next year.

The sixty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights will take place in Geneva from 14 March - 22 April 2005.

NGO Participation

Over 230 NGOs were accredited to the 60th session of the Commission on Human Rights. They submitted 468 individual statements and 55 joint statements, representing one-third of the general debate. They also organized 140 parallel events, often featuring victims and witnesses and field-based reports.

On 23 April, the last day of the 60th session, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO) held a final de-briefing with NGOs, with CONGO President Renate Bloem presiding. Raj Kumar (Pax Romana) said that those who speak out about human rights abuses have become “security risks.” He drew attention to the fact that this year’s Commission had been driven by politicians back home—an argument supported by the empirical evidence that many governments’ delegates had come directly from capitals. He said NGOs at this year’s session had not suffered from the clustering of items (like the past ones), but from the time limit of three minutes imposed upon NGOs in their delivery of statements.

Rachel Brett, from the Quaker UN Office, said that the Commission is only “one of our tools and it’s a tool, not an end,” particularly for engaging in discussions with governments and fellow NGOs representatives. She cited the Resolution on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism (E/CN.4/2004/L.106, adopted by consensus), “a success for Mexico but also for NGOs.” The adoption of such a resolution would have been impossible last year, but not this year, precisely because of the persuasive lobbying and advocacy activities of NGOs, she said.

Contact: Laura Dolci-Kanaan, NGO Liaison Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais Wilson, Room 2-080, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 9656, fax +41-22/917 9012, e-mail <ldolci-kanaan@ohchr.org>, website (www.unhchr.ch).

Meeting from 1-17 June, the 92nd International Labour Conference opened in Geneva, bringing together approximately 3,000 participants, including Heads of State and Government, ministers of labour, and senior representatives of workers and employers to shape the future role of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Conference’s main theme was promoting fair globalization policies. It also examined migration and working conditions in the fishing sector, and reviewed the state of fundamental rights of workers and employers.

Opening the Conference on 1 June, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia noted that the ILO was marking its 85th anniversary as well as the 35th anniversary of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He also pointed out that the ILO’s search for a new role in shaping a fair and equitable globalization for all is “a new opportunity to be meaningful,” adding, “We should seize it.”

A number of Heads of State and Government addressed the Conference, including the Presidents of Bulgaria, Finland, Spain, and Tanzania, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand. During its meeting, the Conference considered a wide range of issues and adopted a number of resolutions, including on gender equality, pay equity and maternity protection. It also reviewed the state of fundamental rights of workers and employers in a discussion on this year’s global report on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, and discussed the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories, forced labour in Myanmar and rights at work in other countries. Below are some of the highlights of the Conference.

A Fair Globalization

Addressing the Conference on 7 June, Mr. Somavia said the ILO faces a defining moment: making globalization fair, creating jobs as a means of reducing poverty and promoting development through providing decent work are the foundations for global stability. He proposed four clear challenges for the ILO to help create a fair globalization and to make a contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing poverty by half: making decent work a global goal, making the ILO a global player in shaping globalization, mobilizing tripartism (governments, employers and workers) for global action and making the Organization as a whole a “truly global team.”

A special session held earlier in the day had considered the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization (see NGLS Roundup 112), as Heads of State and Government and nearly 300 speakers from Member State delegations endorsed its conclusions. Mr. Somavia said the work of the World Commission had helped to address the issue of globalization by closing “the dialogue divide” and proposing initiatives for policy coherence nationally and internationally, backed by advocacy at all levels. “In the midst of the opportunities and imbalances of globalization described by the Commission report, we are again challenged to look ahead…” Mr. Somavia said. “There are precious moments in history when opportunities come and go. Seizing them requires vision to chart our actions, commitment to face the obstacles and courage to take decisions.”

ILO is conducting a global debate on the outcomes of the report. An ILO report written as follow-up, entitled A Fair Globalization-The Role of the ILO, was presented to the Conference. It offers proposals for making decent work a global goal, creating national policies to address globalization and establishing decent work in production systems. The report also discusses dialogue and global policy coherence for growth, investment and employment, globalization and the cross-border movement of people, strengthening the international labour standards system and the role of the ILO in mobilizing action for change.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Somavia welcomed the broad support for the ILO’s follow-up to the Commission report. The Director-General said the ILO needed to be “judiciously ambitious” in meeting the challenges posed by the Commission, adding that the Conference had produced a blueprint for future ILO actions on globalization, including the establishment of “priorities, strategizing about where we fit into the emerging global governance structures, refreshing our international standards and tackling the central issue of our generation: how to shape a fair globalization.” Mr. Somavia also acknowledged that many speakers had said globalization needed a strong social dimension and that the ILO role in making it fair should be based on universal values and should be beneficial for every country, without exception.

Child Labour

To coincide with the World Day Against Child Labour, commemorated on 12 June, ILO launched a report entitled Helping Hands or Shackled Lives? Understanding Child Domestic Labour and Responses to It. The report explains that most children employed in other people’s homes are grossly exploited and abused. “It is vital that child domestic labour, so often neglected because exploitation and abuse takes place behind closed doors, receives attention,” said June Kane, the report’s author. “We have to remind ourselves that children are not just doing ‘odd jobs;’ they are in a workplace—even if it is someone else’s home,” she said.

Child domestic labour is a widespread and growing global phenomenon that traps as many as ten million children or more—mostly girls—in hidden forms of exploitation, often involving abuse, health risks and violence. While acknowledging the difficulty of providing precise figures for the number of domestic child labourers worldwide, the report says that they comprise a substantial portion of the more than 200 million children working in the world today. The report cites numerous country estimates, including studies showing that 700,000 children are to be found in domestic labour in Indonesia, 559,000 in Brazil, 250,000 in Haiti, 264,000 in Pakistan, 200,000 in Kenya and 100,000 in Sri Lanka.

According to the report, the status of women and girls, family and child poverty, ignorance of the risks of domestic service, the increasing number of AIDS orphans and the persistence of traditional hierarchies all contribute to pushing children into domestic labour. Factors on the “pull-side” are the perception of domestic service as preparation for marriage, the increasing affluence of parts of the population that reinforce hierarchies, and the need to pay off debt. Also, employers are often seen as benefactors or as an extended family.

“Child domestic labour is a waste of human talent and potential. With the help of constructive and sustainable solutions from the ILO technical cooperation programme, governments, employers and workers worldwide stand ready to put an end to this abuse,” Frans Röselaers, Director of the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), said.

A number of activities were held throughout the world to mark the Day, including a rap music performance by children in Niger, a special march in Brazil, and the launch of a major social mobilization campaign in Nepal to change general perceptions about child labour.

Migration

Another topic in the spotlight was the issue of global migration as the number of migrants crossing borders in search of employment and human security—some 86 million adults today—is expected to increase rapidly. A general discussion was held, based on an ILO report entitled ILO Migration Survey 2003: Country Summaries. The Survey provides the latest information on trends in migration and conditions of migrant workers, the state of law and practice, impact of migration, and the experience with structures and policies for regulating migration and employment of migrant workers.

“In practically every region the rising mobility of people in search of decent work and human security has been commanding the attention of policy makers,” said Manolo Abella, Chief of the ILO’s International Migration Programme. “Migration is driven by differences and imbalances among countries, and these differences have grown and not shrunk with globalization.” The report notes that if all international migrants were to form a single political entity, they would represent the world’s fifth most populous country.

The Conference adopted a new plan of action designed to ensure that migrant workers are covered by the provisions of international labour standards, while benefiting from applicable national labour and social laws. The plan of action calls for the development of a non-binding multilateral framework for a rights-based approach to labour migration and the establishment of an ILO dialogue on migration in partnership with international and multilateral organizations.
The framework will comprise international guidelines on such aspects as agreements between host countries and countries of origin addressing different aspects of migration, promoting decent work for migrant workers, licensing and supervision of recruitment and contracting agencies for migrant workers, preventing abusive practices, migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, protecting their human rights and preventing and combating irregular labour migration.

The plan also addresses specific risks for all migrant workers—men and women—in certain occupations and sectors with particular emphasis on dirty, demeaning and dangerous jobs, and on women in domestic service and the informal economy. It also seeks to improve labour inspection, create channels for migrant workers to lodge complaints and deals with policies to encourage return migration, reintegration into the country of origin and transfer of capital and technology by migrants.

Fishing Industry

The Conference worked towards improving the safety and working conditions of some 35 million people who work in the global fishing sector, one of the world’s most dangerous sectors. The ILO Committee on Work in the Fishing Sector established new international legal instruments revising existing ILO standards (five Conventions and two Recommendations) adopted between 1920 and 1966. If adopted following further discussions next year, the new standards would reflect changes in the fishing sector that have taken place over the past decades, which have seen rising consumption of fish as an animal protein source. Fishing contributes some US$50 billion a year to international trade in fishery commodities.

The new labour standards under consideration would extend the coverage of ILO standards to more than 90% of the world’s fishermen. Currently, the existing Conventions cover only about 10%. The new standards would provide broad coverage for all those working in the fishing sector, including the self-employed and those paid on the basis of the share of the catch; have the flexibility to ensure wide-scale ratification and implementation; and include new provisions on safety and health to reduce the high rate of accidents and fatalities highlighted in earlier ILO reports.

“It is clearly important that no fisher slips inadvertently through the protective net of the Convention,” Mr. Somavia said. “For the 35 million fishers in the world—most of whom are now excluded from coverage by existing labour standards—it will mean conditions of work that will enable them to continue to earn a living in decent conditions and in safety.” More information on ILO activities in the fishing sector can be found online (www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/sectors/mariti/fishing-iloact.htm).

The 93rd International Labour Conference will be held from 31 May-16 June 2005 in Geneva.

Contact: Department of Communication, ILO, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7940, fax +41-22/799 8577, e-mail <press@ilo.org>, website (www.ilo.org).

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According to The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04 (SOFA 2004), biotechnology holds “great promise” for agriculture in developing countries, with the report pointing out that agriculture will have to sustain an additional two billion people over the next 30 years from an increasingly fragile natural resource base.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04, Agricultural Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of the Poor? says the effective transfer of existing technologies to poor rural communities and the development of new and safe biotechnologies can greatly enhance the prospects for sustainably improving agricultural productivity. However, it also notes that technology alone cannot solve the problems of the poor and some aspects of biotechnology, particularly the socio-economic impacts and the food safety and environmental implications, need to be carefully assessed.

The report rejects as “too extreme” the position of many environmental and advocacy groups that have called for bans on genetic engineering of plants and animals. Prabhu Pingali, Director of Agricultural and Development Economics for the FAO, told reporters at the release of the report in Washington DC, “It is not appropriate to be either for or against biotechnology. Biotechnology is a tool, nothing more and nothing less. The impact depends on how it is used.”

Harwig de Haen, assistant Director-General of FAO’s economic and social department, said that biotechnology isn’t a panacea to fight world hunger, but that it can help in three major ways: by raising farmers’ production and incomes, by increasing food supplies and thus reducing prices, and by contributing to the nutritional quality of crops. However, he said greater regulation was needed and that governments, not just private corporations, must be more involved in the research and development of new seeds to ensure the poor benefit.

FAO says the challenge is to develop technologies that combine several objectives—such as increasing yields and reducing costs, protecting the environment, addressing consumer concerns for food safety and quality, and enhancing rural livelihoods and food security. Furthermore, biotechnology should complement—not replace—conventional agricultural technologies, the report stresses.

SOFA 2004 notes that while public- and private-sector biotech research and development are being carried out on more than 40 crops worldwide, there are few major public- or private-sector biotech programmes addressing the problems of small farmers in poor countries. Currently, basic food crops of the poor (such as cassava, potato, rice and wheat), as well as biotech plants with traits of interest to the poor (drought and salinity tolerance, disease resistance, or enhanced nutrition) are receiving little attention by scientists. The report also points out that poor farmers can only benefit from biotechnology products if they “have access to them on profitable terms.” So far, these conditions are only being met in a handful of developing countries. “Other barriers that prevent the poor from accessing and fully benefiting from modern biotechnology include inadequate regulatory procedures, complex intellectual property issues, poorly functioning markets and seed delivery systems, and weak domestic plant breeding capacity,” said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.

On the other hand, cautions FAO, the scientific assessment of the environmental and health impacts of genetic engineering of crop plants is still at an early stage and should be made on a case-by-case basis. “There is less scientific agreement on the environmental impacts of transgenic crops. The legitimate concerns for the safety of each transgenic product must be addressed prior to its release. Careful monitoring of the post-release effects of these products is essential,” Dr. Diouf said.

NGOs reacted strongly to the report, pointing out that hunger in African countries highlights some of the developing country obstacles that biotechnology can’t solve: farm policy, natural disasters, poor food distribution and war. “The answer is not a technological fix,” said Anuradha Mittal, Director of The Oakland Institute, a policy think tank that works with African countries to resist biotech food. “Where farmers’ rights to seeds, to water and land are under threat, you will not see an end to hunger,” she cautioned.

“We urge the FAO and governments to realize the principles of food sovereignty, which gives rights to farmers and communities to produce their own food and make decisions on food and agriculture,” said Irene Fernandez of Tenaganita, “The Green Revolution experience shows that the problems in food and agriculture do not require technological solution but systemic social and political transformation that directly addresses the unequal distribution of the world’s resources,” she concluded.

On 1 June 2004, FAO released new guidelines to help countries assess the risks of living modified organisms and determine whether some should be considered as weeds or other organisms that damage plants.

Contact: Erwin Northoff, Information Officer, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-6/5705 3105, fax +39-6/5705 4975, e-mail <Erwin.northoff@fao.org>, website (www.fao.org).

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Each year on the 3rd of May, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated with the goal of engaging with the media in bringing attention to critical issues surrounding the fundamental principles of press freedom. The Day also provides an opportunity to evaluate press freedom around the globe, to defend the media from attacks on their independence, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, speaking at the annual session of the Committee on Information on 3 May at UN headquarters in New York, said World Press Freedom Day was an opportunity to consider some of the wider issues facing the profession, such as the contentious issue of what was reported and what was not. “We should not, by our action or inaction, by what we report or do not, send a message—especially to those countries and people in need who struggle along in good faith—that only widespread bloodshed or total dysfunction will get them attention and help.”

A panel discussion—held under the theme Reporting and Under-reporting: Who Decides?—brought together representatives of the media, NGOs and development agencies. Discussions focused on the role and responsibilities of the world media in covering global issues and examining whether it was perceptions of audience interest, commercial considerations, lack of resources or other reasons that determined the editorial choices and the extent of news coverage. Many forces decided what stories were reported, underreported, or were not reported at all, the panellists pointed out. The most powerful public influence on what top ten issues were reported or covered up, said James Ottaway, Chairman of the World Press Freedom Committee, were governments, particularly the 60% of UN Member States that allowed little or no press freedom, ignored their own constitutional guarantees of press freedom, and forgot they had signed international agreements requiring freedom of information.

On 2 May, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) launched a new initiative, entitled Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About (www.un.org/events/tenstories), which aims to draw attention to some of the important international issues and developments that often do not get sufficient media attention. DPI says the initiative will help assist journalists in covering the stories, by providing contact information about UN focal points and by arranging interviews with UN officials prepared to speak on the issues.

In their observance of the Day, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) organized a two-day regional conference for media professionals in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and Montenegro. The conference was held under the theme “Support to Media in Violent Conflict and in Countries in Transition.” At the end of the conference, about 150 participants—journalists from all parts of the world and representatives of international and regional professional and press freedom organizations—adopted the Belgrade Declaration, which stresses that independent local news media are essential to provide trustworthy information that is vital for peace and reconciliation efforts. It also calls on the authorities to respect the freedom of media outlets in the zones they administer, including in times of conflict.

In his message, UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said, “In times of upheaval, disorder and uncertainty, people’s need for reliable information is especially great—their ability to access provisions, and sometimes their personal safety and very survival, may depend on it. However, they tend to regard much of the information available to them through the media as propaganda. For these reasons, independent and pluralistic media are particularly important in times of war and they remain at least as crucial in the post-conflict phase.”

Inaugurating the World Press Photo Exhibition 2004 in Washington DC, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi drew attention to a form of media control: the consolidation of media companies in the hands of a few. The Nobel Prize laureate suggested that the stifling of competition, which governments do not attempt to control, is in itself a violation of rights that leads to the more fundamental violation of press freedom. “Independent media, the media that is unattached [to conglomerates], becomes so restricted in its operations that it can in no way compete with the bigger group. That is to say, the possibility of free competition is taken away from the people and the unattached media groups. And at times we see that news is published in ways that are incompatible with the truth, and you see the same news published throughout the media,” she said.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) marked the Day with the release of its annual report detailing what the organization called a “black year” for journalists around the globe. With 42 journalists killed on the job or “for their opinions,” RSF said, 2003 saw more reporter deaths than any other year since 1995. According to the 2003 Global Press Freedom World Tour, 766 reporters were arrested, 1,460 were physically attacked or threatened and 120 languished in prison—among them 30 in Cuba, 27 in China, 14 in Eritrea and 13 in Myanmar. RSF said North Africa and the Middle East had the worst record for press freedom last year, as 17 reporters died and self-censorship pervaded media culture. Iran alone imprisoned 40 reporters, including Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi, who died after being beaten by her jailers.

Contact: UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 PARIS 07 SP, France, telephone +33-1/45 68 17 44, fax +33-1/45 68 56 52, website (www.unesco.org).

Reporters Without Borders, 5 rue Geoffroy-Marie, 75009 Paris, France, telephone +33-1/44 83 84 84, fax +33-1/45 23 11 51, e-mail <presse@rsf.org>, website (www.rsf.org website).

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The role of business in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and post-conflict peace-building was taken up by the Security Council in an open debate held on 15 April 2004. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council that the bottom lines of private corporations could no longer be separated from key goals of the United Nations such as peace, development and equity.

The meeting brought Council members together with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, James Wolfensohn (President of the World Bank), Henrich Von Pierer (Chief Executive Officer of Siemens), Ambassador Marjatta Rasi (Economic and Social Council President) and Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo (South Africa) as Chair of the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group for African countries emerging from conflicts.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Annan explained how private companies operate in many conflict zones or conflict-prone countries. Their decisions—on investment and employment, on relations with local communities, on protection for local environments, on their own security arrangements—can help a country turn its back on conflict, or exacerbate the tensions that fuelled conflict in the first place, he said.

Mr. Annan went on to raise the issue of how private companies also manufacture and sell the main hardware of conflict—from tanks to small arms, anti-personnel mines or even machetes. These enterprises and individuals are involved in the exploitation of, and trade in, lucrative natural resources, such as oil, diamonds, narcotics, timber, and coltan, a crucial ingredient in many high-tech electronics. He said that governments and rebel groups alike have financed and sustained military campaigns in this way.

“These are complex challenges. They touch on fundamental questions of sovereignty, democratic governance, corporate accountability and individual integrity. Moreover, many of the transactions involved occur in the shadows, or within the context of failed States that do not have the capacity to regulate activities that are driven by profit but which fuel conflict. Enforcement and monitoring measures aimed at cracking down on such activities often lack teeth, if they exist at all,” the Secretary-General said.

Ms. Rasi noted that it was widely accepted that the private sector had a primary responsibility for building economic and social wellbeing. In the spirit of corporate citizenship and civic-mindedness, the private sector itself must assume a responsibility to help prevent and mitigate conflict. The actions of private companies during conflict—and the corporate ethics behind those actions—and sensitivity to human rights were important in that regard.

Another item that emerged in the Security Council debate was that of partnerships. Mr. Annan emphasized that private sector engagement in all phases of a conflict could only succeed if it was embedded in a broader concerted effort, accompanied by strong partnerships among governments, international organizations, business and civil society. Mr. Kumalo added that collaboration between local and international businesses was another type of partnership that represented a critical confidence-building step for post-conflict nations, and contributed to the success of reconstruction and development efforts.

From a private sector perspective, Mr. Von Pierer described his company’s efforts in conflict situations, most notably in Afghanistan. He said that Siemens had analyzed the country’s most pressing infrastructure needs, chiefly rebuilding water systems and restoring power supplies, while helping with efforts to send people back to school. While all countries and situations were different, Mr. Von Pierer listed five basic factors that were critically important for private sector engagement in post-conflict situations: security, infrastructure, financing, post-conflict planning and visible progress.

Mr. Wolfensohn presented some of the findings made by the World Bank and stressed that in all conflict situations, the first thing to look at following the restoration of peace and the examination of various fundamental social issues was the question of establishing a framework for restoring business. In this regard, he suggested that it was important to have a growing economy in which people could share.

Further discussing the responsibilities for the private sector in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and post-conflict peace-building, Sichan Siv, Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN in New York, asserted that business did not have the same responsibilities as governments. Mr. Siv said that companies could provide leadership by setting examples of good corporate citizenship and had chosen to do so in different ways, such as adopting corporate codes of conduct or choosing to participate in voluntary international codes regarding corporate behaviour like the United Nations’ Global Compact (see article page 6).

In addition to the Global Compact, other attempts have been made to tackle the issues surrounding business and countries experiencing or emerging from conflict, such as the Kimberley Process, which focuses on the trade in “conflict diamonds” (see Go Between 97). Mr. Annan said that these had largely been ad hoc in nature and that a “more systematic approach” was necessary. In this connection he announced the creation of an inter-agency group within the UN to study the political economy of armed conflict.

Ambassador Gunter Pleuger (Germany), current President of the Security Council, reminded Council members that it was not for governments or international organizations to decide what was in the best interest of the private sector. Companies would make their own decisions, weighing opportunities against risks of engagement in zones of conflict. In that regard, the United Nations, international institutions, and national governments were called upon to create the necessary framework for private sector engagement.

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On 22 June, the Security Council held a day-long open debate on the role of civil society in post-conflict peace-building, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling for a two-way dialogue between the United Nations and civil society. Noting that civil society can act as “bridge-builders, truth-finders, watchdogs, human rights defenders, and agents of social protection and economic revitalization,” the Secretary-General said the time had come for the Council to “deepen its dialogue” with civil society and to place its relations with them on a “firmer footing.”

Speaking before the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasized that civil society organizations (CSOs) should not be seen as peace-building partners only after the United Nations had arrived in a country with a mandate in its pocket. On the contrary, both local and international civil society groups had a role to play in the deliberative processes of the UN, including the Security Council, where civil conflict and complex emergencies had taken centre stage in recent years.

While the Council was a body of sovereign governments dealing with the most sensitive matters of war and peace, he said, it should view inputs by civil society not as attempts to usurp its role, but as a way to add quality and value to its decisions and ensure their effective implementation. In addition, civil society groups should seek to reduce the influence of forces promoting exclusionary policies or violence, he said. They could help reduce the appeal of those trying to reignite conflict, assist in building national consensus on the design of post-conflict structures and programmes, and prepare local communities to receive demobilized soldiers, refugees and internally displaced persons. Importantly, they could give a voice to the concerns of the marginalized.

Mr. Annan asked Council members to pay serious attention to the report released on 21 June by his Panel of Eminent Persons on UN/Civil Society Relations, entitled We the Peoples: Civil Society, the United Nations and Global Governance (see NGLS Roundup 113). “I am particularly pleased that the Panel has proposed a number of concrete measures to increase the participation of civil society representatives from developing countries,” Mr. Annan said. “And the report offers many innovative ideas to strengthen the partnership with civil society in our humanitarian and development work.”

Citing the unique position of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to interact and consult with CSOs, ECOSOC President Marjatta Rasi (Finland) said it was paying more attention to transition and development and regularly discussed recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction with the humanitarian and operative agencies. However, adequate assistance was required for post-conflict needs, including fostering civil society. Effective local capacity building should be supported across the sectors and communities and with a wide range of CSOs as well.

She pointed out that the Commission on the Status of Women had adopted conclusions on women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution, and in post-conflict peace-building (see NGLS Roundup 111). Dialogue with civil society had been introduced to UN development activities as a basic principle.

In the first appearance of an NGO at a public Security Council meeting since 1994, representatives from CARE International and the International Center for Transitional Justice spoke before the Council.

Denis Caillaux, Secretary-General of CARE, pointed out that with the rise of internal armed conflicts and complex emergencies, there was an increasing need to work with societies buffeted between armed conflict and natural calamities, which ended up in geographical patchworks of technical peace, but actual insecurity. He said a “central lesson” of the last decade had been that half of all peace efforts falter from the outbreak of local conflicts. “To prevent this from undermining national peace agreements, peacekeeping mandates must reach beyond their traditional focus, on the national level, to the heart of local communities,” he said. Mr. Caillaux named Afghanistan, Burundi, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone as places where CSOs had worked successfully with international partners toward peace-building.

Ian Martin, Vice-President of the International Center for Transitional Justice, pointed out that one of the most fundamental challenges of post-conflict peace-building was to confront the past, while building a just foundation for the future. Mr. Martin also noted that “the involvement of local and national civil society is not only helpful in designing more satisfactory approaches, it is irreplaceable if peace and justice are the goals.” He said he also welcomed the report on UN/civil society relations and supported the Panel’s insistence that civil groups have access to the Council “not only in New York, but whenever the Security Council goes on mission to post-conflict countries.”

Both representatives asked the Security Council to adopt a presidential statement that would demonstrate its commitment to including civil society groups in the post-conflict reconstruction process.

Security Council President Delia Domingo Albert, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, speaking in her national capacity, emphasized that the UN must have a clearer view of its relations with a civil society that had grown in size and numbers. “Clearly there is a consensus … on the crucial role of civil society in global issues,” she pointed out. Post-conflict reconciliation requires “a delicate but firm touch,” guided by understanding of and sympathy with the affected population. “By its nature, civil society is gifted with such understand and sympathy,” she said.

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE)—a coalition of NGOs, civil society organizations and teachers unions—launched an action week aimed at putting pressure on political leaders to provide more money and political leadership for the Education For All (EFA) initiative (see Go Betweens 91 & 100). The week of action came exactly four years after 182 countries met in Dakar (Senegal) in April 2000 and committed to provide education for all by 2015.

Working under the theme of the “Big Lobby,” the Global Action Week, held from 19-25 April, was dedicated to fulfilling the 2015 goal as well as raising awareness of education as a fundamental human right, the denial of which makes children more vulnerable to poverty, hunger, violence, exploitation and disease.

The Education For All (EFA) initiative—led by a coalition of national and international partners, including UNESCO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank—points out that of 155 developing countries, 66 countries have achieved, or are on track to achieve, the EFA’s goal of universal primary education by 2015. However, the other 89 are unlikely to reach this goal over the next decade.

More than one in three of the world’s children—36%, or over 100 million children—are not getting a basic education. About two-thirds of these children are girls. In the least developed countries, 40% of children who enrol in primary school drop out before achieving basic literacy and numeracy, and only 25% of boys and 14% of girls go on to secondary school. At current rates of progress 100 million children will still not be enrolled in primary school by 2015. Living in chronic poverty—most often in the poorest developing countries—they are the victims of many human rights violations and accumulating disadvantages, including the significant impact on these societies of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to the ILO, the majority of these children are part of another appalling statistic, that of the 246 million child labourers worldwide.

The Big Lobby

During the week numerous dialogues between children and politicians and local government officials were held worldwide. Presidents and prime ministers of eight countries (Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, Mali, Tanzania, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Zambia), as well as parliamentarians in over 100 countries, met with children, who presented maps on the number of children not attending school in their respective areas and the reasons for this. They lobbied their governments to do more to enrol all children in school.

In Germany, over 3,000 school children sent e-cards to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, urging him to do more to provide every child with a quality basic education. Children all over Greece sent photos of themselves and classmates to the prime minister; on the reverse of the photos the children demanded that the Greek Government support the values of education for all. In Ethiopia, panel discussions and press conferences drew together stakeholders to discuss education while children hand delivered messages demanding quality education to the president. In Nigeria, where an estimated seven million children are out of school, 50 children from different schools (including disabled, nomadic, and rural schools), 50 out-of-school children and 20 parents of out-of-school children formed a panel and visited the national assembly for roundtable discussion with legislators and policy makers. The children advocated for the education rights of their counterparts who are out of school, aiming to extract a government commitment on policy reform.

Teachers were encouraged to use the GCE “classroom activity pack” to help pupils in the North find out why their peers in poorer countries do not get an education. Schools were also able to arrange an exchange of e-mails, letters and pictures with a sister school in the developing world.

World Bank Press Conference on Education

Speaking on 25 April at a press conference on education during the World Bank/International Monetary Fund annual Spring meetings, World Bank President James Wolfensohn warned that the Education for All movement faces a moment of truth. “We’ve made all of the excuses. Now can we come up with the dough?” he asked.

Twelve countries whose EFA plans have been endorsed through the Fast Track Initiative (FTI, a partnership of developing countries and donors created to help low-income countries achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal completion of primary education by 2015) still face significant funding gaps, Mr. Wolfensohn said. “We’ve already given at the office” was the initial response from some donors when approached for additional funds for FTI endorsed countries, he said. However, he expressed optimism that the Fast Track is now “on track” to mobilize substantial new resources for countries with good plans. Development ministers from France, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands and Norway also expressed strong commitment to expanding the FTI.

Agnes van Ardenne, Development Minister from the Netherlands, pointed out that funds fall far short of the US$5.7 billion of external support that is needed every year to assure EFA. “Time is not on our side. Think of the AIDS pandemic, which is moving faster than we are in some places. In Zambia, double the number of teachers need to be trained, since only one out of every two survives. By 2010, over half of all new AIDS victims will be adolescents. Stopping AIDS means stepping up education, teaching boys and girls the complete ABC of prevention,” she stressed.

“It has been said that over 100 million children are deprived of their fundamental right to education,” Kailash Satyarthi, Chair of the Global Campaign for Education, said. “But let me bring their aspiration and anguish here in this room, because they have been promised time and again; their hopes have been raised time and again by the international community to ensure good schooling. Not only that; their parents and even their grandparents were given this promise back in 1948 at the time of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“I will also like to speak on behalf of 246 million children who are caught in the vicious circle of poverty, child labour and illiteracy, and out of them, approximately two-thirds or even more are languishing in the worst forms of exploitation, including slavery.

“I would also like to remind that millions of innocent people, children, are going to be the sufferers of HIV/AIDS very soon, and hundreds of thousands are already there.

“Education is not a charity for them. Education means freedom, freedom from slavery, freedom from poverty and injustice. Education is life for these potential HIV/AIDS victims. Today, the Global Campaign for Education is launching new research, showing that achieving universal primary education can protect at least seven million new HIV/AIDS victims in one decade. Similarly, the recent ILO study shows that investment in education for elimination of child labour will give approximately seven times return,” (see Go Between 101).

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund wrapped up their Spring meetings with a pledge to focus on the need to support and enhance education, especially for women, in the developing world.

Girls’ Work

At least 14 million more girls than boys are left out of school every year. Their work, for example, household chores, domestic servitude, agricultural work and home-based work, is largely hidden and unvalued. Often, when faced with limited resources and many financial demands, parents prefer to invest in the education of their sons and not lose their daughters’ vital contribution to the household economy.

According to the ILO, girls’ work remains a serious impediment to achieving gender parity in primary and secondary education in 2005 and gender equality in education by 2015. The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) says more effort needs to be concentrated on addressing the special concerns and issues of girls in terms of education and child labour, stressing that efforts to increase girls’ education must go hand in hand with efforts to progressively eliminate child labour.

“As long as millions of girls are denied a basic education, we stand little chance of improving the lives of the world’s poorest people,” said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. “Education is not only the key to a young girl’s personal fulfilment, but it is essential for reducing poverty, stopping HIV/AIDS, and achieving all other development goals.” UNICEF said these children must be heard and that any country taking education seriously must make girls’ education a priority, particularly as the world nears the 2005 goal to get as many girls as boys into school. During the past two years, UNICEF’s key education initiative, 25 by 2005, has made a concerted effort to maximize the enrolment of girls in 25 countries where the situation is most critical, by the year 2005. In these countries, UNICEF is working closely with national governments and a wide range of partners to rapidly reduce the number of out-of-school girls (see Go Between 98).

The Shortage of Teachers is Growing

One of the biggest barriers is the lack of teachers, especially qualified teachers. Up to an estimated 35 million new primary teachers will need to be trained and recruited to ensure all children have a teacher by 2015. In the meantime, countries struggle merely to keep pace with existing demand. Stagnant salary and working conditions discourage young people from choosing to become teachers in the poorest countries. Many more do not stay in teaching past their fifth year, choosing the best non-teaching job they can find in the prime of their careers to earn a living wage, escape the difficulties of isolated teaching with no support in poor areas, or shed the stress of unruly students.

On top of these difficulties, HIV/AIDS is taking a significant toll on young teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, and beginning to do the same in Asia and the Caribbean. Policies are urgently needed to professionally train and develop people to teach, to pay them a comparable salary which respects the critical function of teaching, and to involve them directly in decisions on education that create a quality, child-centred learning environment and encourage teachers to stay in the profession.

What Governments Should Do

According to the Global Campaign for Education, some countries have made dramatic progress in expanding enrolments, improving schooling retention and reducing gender disparities. GCE says in order to enrol all children in school, governments should:
- Make universal primary education a political priority at the highest level.
- Declare primary education free and compulsory for all children.
- Increase domestic funding to basic education and improve its quality.
- Use education as an instrument for poverty reduction.
- Train and deploy enough teachers, and improve their working conditions.
- Give families incentives to send their children, especially girls, to school, such as: stipends, free school meals, textbooks and paper, uniforms, etc.
- Promote the education of girls, as they are more likely to be excluded from school, and discourage child labour.
- Ensure that schools accommodate all children, making special provision for the education of excluded children, such as disabled and other children with special needs, including refugees and displaced children, orphans and working children.
- Make educational content relevant to local cultural and economic contexts so that parents see that education improves the quality of life.
- Make schools safe (especially for girls) and equip them with necessities such as drinking water, books, desks, and separate toilets.
- Support the development of non-formal approaches to learning, such as community learning centres, where both adults and children can get a basic education.

Contact: Education For All Initiative, UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France, website (www.unesco.org/ education/efa/index.shtml).

Anne Marie Mujica, Action Week Coordinator, Global Campaign for Education, c/o Education International, Blvd. Du Roi Albert II, 5 (8th floor), 1210 Brussels, Belgium, telephone +44-0/1865 313 411, e-mail <anne@campaignforeducation.org>, website (www.campaignforeducation.org/index.html).

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The 3rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII), held in New York from 10-21 May, brought together 1,500 participants from more than 500 indigenous groups worldwide. The Forum focused on indigenous women, human rights and their connection to global trends on poverty, globalization, disarmament and security in the frame of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Discussions also reflected evaluations of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 1995-2004, and efforts to gather support for the declaration of a second Decade.

During its session, the Forum worked to enhance follow-up mechanisms to its recommendations; its financial and political support; the development of response mechanisms of implementation and intervention; and transforming it from an advisory policy forum to a system-wide coordination and evaluation body under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Indigenous Women

The central theme of the session and high-level panel was indigenous women, which focused on mainstreaming indigenous women’s issues, especially in light of the ten-year Review and Appraisal of the Beijing Platform for Action scheduled for 2005 (see NGLS Roundup 111).

In a series of interactive dialogues and debates, speakers noted that 170 million indigenous women throughout the world face impoverishment and cultural marginalization as well as widespread discrimination. This was defined to include trafficking and forced labour, lack of participation in decision-making processes and governance, genocidal and ethnocidal practices including programmes for the sterilization of indigenous women and girls, the use of indigenous communities as subjects of nuclear testing or for the storage of nuclear waste and as subjects of the testing of unapproved drugs on indigenous women, children and peoples. Rape and sexual abuse, used as a tool of war, against indigenous women was also presented as a major concern.

Free, Prior and Informed Consent

The right to free, prior and informed consent related to large-scale or major development projects on indigenous lands has been key in the work of the Forum. It crosscuts issues ranging from self-determination and collective rights, passing through involuntary resettlement and the risk of extinguishing voluntary isolated indigenous groups, to codes of conduct or ‘social license’ concepts. During several discussions, participants highlighted the need to have a standard to protect this right, emphasizing that while it is embedded in the human rights framework, there is no definition on the principle.

Culture

Participants in the discussion on indigenous culture pointed to the use of the media, the “most powerful non-violent weapon in the world,” to spread information within and outside of indigenous communities. The production of indigenous media and films was presented as a constructive tool to protect indigenous language, identity and culture and provide work for youth.

Health

During the Forum, participants agreed that health should be considered in a holistic manner, which would be more open to incorporating indigenous and traditional healing approaches into national health care systems, encompassing access and support for community-based medical treatment and health care providers. These concerns were reflected in the approved Recommendations for Health text, which states that health is a fundamental right and should be incorporated in all health policies and programmes, as well as the right-based approach to health including treaty rights, the right to culturally acceptable and appropriate services, and indigenous women’s reproductive rights.

Education

Several participants raised the importance of having culturally relevant education, and recommended that funding and educational institutions have indigenous participation in decision making. The role of indigenous women as providers of educational services and educational administrators was also discussed. Other key issues under debate were how to improve community-based education or programmes. The challenge, it was said, was not only to have bilingual and intercultural programmes, but also to reform the educational system to include indigenous knowledge and visions of the world.

Environment, Economic and Social Development

The role of large-scale development projects being administered by transnational corporations was a contentious issue, with many participants arguing that private sector-led projects often affected nature and therefore indigenous peoples’ life as environmental protection and sustainable development are at the core of indigenous values. Special attention was given to the causes of feminization and indigenization of poverty and how to develop programmes that can effectively address these underlying causes of marginalization. Efforts in collecting disaggregated data according to ethnic groups, developing respect to culture and traditions, and having indigenous women equal access to social, economic services and resources—including land ownership—were mentioned as key for progress.

Human Rights

During the debate on the improvement of the Forum’s effective intervention on indigenous human rights violations, many speakers advocated that a reasonable deadline for the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly should be December 2008, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. To facilitate this work, delegates suggested that the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Working Group—a body which has been closely involved in the drafting stages of the Declaration—be extended for another two to three years.

ECOSOC has requested that the Indigenous and Minorities Team of the Office of the OHCHR tabulate a ‘Report on the Decade.’ A Questionnaire for the Evaluation of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People has been circulated to all participants—the results of which will be included in the report.

Contact: Secretariat of the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues, 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2-1772, New York NY 10017, USA, +1-917/367 5100, e-mail <IndigenousPermanentForum@un.org>, website (www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/index.html).

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The 50th Anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was observed on 14 May 2004. The Convention and its First Protocol were adopted on 14 May 1954 at The Hague (Netherlands) in the wake of massive destruction of cultural heritage in the Second World War. It was the first international treaty to focus exclusively on the protection on cultural property in the event of armed conflict. It covers immovable and movable including monuments of architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, works of art, manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical or archaeological interest, as well as scientific collections of all kinds regardless of their origin or ownership.

The States which are party to the Convention benefit from a network of more than 100 States that have agreed to lessen the consequences of armed conflict for cultural heritage and to take preventive measures for such protection not only in time of hostility (when it is usually too late), but also in time of peace, by a variety of measures:
- safeguard and respect cultural property during both international and non-international armed conflicts;
- consider registering a limited number of refuges, monumental centres and other immovable cultural property of very great importance in the International Register of Cultural Property under Special Protection and obtain special protection for such property;
- consider marking of certain important buildings and monuments with a special protective emblem of the Convention;
- set up special units within the military forces to be responsible for the protection of cultural heritage;
- penalize violations of the Convention and to promote widely the Convention within the general public and target groups such as cultural heritage professionals, the military or law-enforcement agencies.
The Convention’s Protocol prevents the export of cultural property from an occupied territory, requiring the return of such property to the territory of the State from which it was removed.

Due to the destruction of cultural property in the course of the conflicts that took place at the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, a review of the Convention was initiated in 1991, resulting in the adoption of a Second Protocol in March 1999, which entered into force in March 2004.

The Second Protocol reinforces the protection of cultural heritage in times of war. It also reaffirms the “immunity” of cultural property in times of war or occupation and establishes the “individual criminal responsibility” of perpetrators of crimes against culture. It also insists on the need to take preparatory measures in peacetime to protect such property in times of war.

Since its adoption, 109 States have become party to the Convention. To date, 88 of them have joined the First Protocol, and 22 have joined the Second Protocol. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as part of its role as depository of the Convention, also promotes and supervises its implementation.

Activities include training seminars for military and law enforcement officers, civil servants from foreign and cultural affairs ministries, lawmakers, NGOs, and scholars; the publication of materials to raise awareness; and expert advice to Member States drafting national legislation for the protection of cultural property.

More information can be found online (http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php@URL_ID=8450&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html).

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This Big Lobby, led by the Global Campaign for Education and UNESCO, with the help of several other UN agencies, comes exactly four years since the international community undertook to guarantee education for all (EFA) by 2015.

Since then a great deal of progress has been made, if unevenly—670 million children are receiving the first-level schooling they need to continue their education, or find a job.

But more needs to be done for the estimated 104 million left by the wayside, blighting prospects for themselves and for the societies in which they live.

The out-of-school children are strongly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, according to the latest Education for All Monitoring Report, published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Many of the excluded children—about 60% of whom are girls—are among the rural poor. Others include street children, AIDS orphans, children at work, members of minorities, children with disabilities and those caught up in conflicts. Young people beyond elementary school age who have missed out on an education also need help in order to enable them to catch up.

Experience shows that removing school fees can cause a dramatic leap in enrolment. So can providing incentives to needy parents, as Brazil does by paying a monthly stipend to ten million poor families. Countries like Niger, Guinea-Bissau and Bangladesh have markedly improved enrolment by the simple expedient of offering school meals.

Such measures on their own are not enough, however, and it is necessary to rethink the concept of schooling in some circumstances. Children cannot get an education where there are not enough teachers, either because it is too expensive to train or pay them or because, as in some parts of Africa, so many of them are dying of AIDS. Trained teachers are often unwilling to work in rural areas, and the formal school system often excludes large groups of children, such as those who work or who do not speak the official language.

Several countries have experimented with ways out of this dilemma, and invariably the solution lies in involving the community.

The Indian state of Rajasthan provides an example of innovative and flexible thinking. With the help of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, regional and national authorities have established an extensive project of barefoot teachers known as Shiksha Karmi, or educational worker.

The project, launched in 1987, faced initial hostility—particularly from regular teachers, who could not see how it could provide a quality education—but has since proved so successful that many parents prefer the community-based schools.

The Shiksha Karmi teachers, all of whom are recruited young and many of whom are women, come from the community and are therefore well-placed to know which children are left out of school. They undergo 37 days of intensive training before facing their first class and receive frequent top-up courses that make them the equal of professional teachers within eight years.

To ensure high academic standards, each group of about 15 Shiksha Karmi teachers is supported by three professional teachers. The schools are tailored to the needs of the children. To give an example, they offer classes at night for children who work during the day, and the textbooks are printed in large type so that they can be read under feeble lighting, while women from the community provide escorts for girls and help in the schoolrooms.

Governments, international organizations, donors and non-governmental organizations should consider this: all options for learning are apt provided the quality of education is not compromised, and unorthodox approaches are worthy of dignity and recognition.

Educating the young—ALL the young—today will ensure social and economic development tomorrow by reducing illiteracy affecting an estimated 860 million adults. Educating girls, in particular, will have a measurable effect on health and demography.