Go Between 62, Feb.-March 1997 UN NEWS UN SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN BEGINS TERM Kofi Annan (Ghana), elected seventh UN Secretary-General on 17 December 1996, says there is a window of opportunity for the UN reform process, and he plans to finalize a comprehensive package acceptable to all Member States by mid-summer. The Secretary-General has already streamlined procedures under his direct control as chief administrative officer. In his first two weeks in office, he eliminated one layer of bureaucracy by delegating to department heads responsibility for briefing the Security Council on threats to international peace and security. And he has established a cabinet-style of administration by creating a policy coordination group, as well as a reform action group. At his swearing-in ceremony at the General Assembly on 17 December, the Secretary-General said he intends to present my independent views to Member States for their consideration, offer his services as a mediator and intermediary, and stress not only our legal obligations...but above all, the moral dimension of our work. One of SG Annan s greatest immediate challenges will be the crisis in the African Great Lakes Region he said that the only solution is political, and he will give all my weight and effort to help the leaders of the region solve their problems through political discussion. Another challenge to the UN is its relationship with the United States and its debt of more than US$1 billion dollars. Annan said he intends to work with the administration and through them the Congress to get the US to pay the money due to the organization. He added that, It is not really in the interest of the US not to pay its contribution it offends friends and foes alike, and the US needs the UN and the UN needs the US. We cannot operate effectively and efficiently without a sound financial basis, and I am confident that the administration will do all that it can. Secretary-General Annan, whose five-year term is from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001, told staff in January that reform should not simply mean change for its own sake that is the path to disruption rather than to meaningful and long-lasting progress....Real reform requires an ongoing search for excellence: in our structures, in our procedures, in our methods, and above all, in the performance of our staff. Among his new appointments of senior officials at UN headquarters in New York are: Ms. Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women; and Ms. Gillian Sorensen, Assistant Secretary-General in his Executive Office with responsibility for external relations, including NGOs. He also named Mr. Maurice Strong as Executive Coordinator for UN Reform. SG Annan has eliminated three senior adviser posts and has said he would like to reduce documentation by 25% in the coming year. Mr. Annan has also said that we must forge a fundamentally new partnership with civil society. We must reach for a new synthesis between private initiative and the public good, which encourages entrepreneurship and market approaches together with social and environmental responsibility. Mr. Annan most recently was UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace-Keeping Operations. Prior to that he served in numerous posts, including budget controller, the Secretary-General s Special Representative to former Yugoslavia, and Special Envoy to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During his 30-year career in the UN, he has also served in Addis Ababa, Cairo, Geneva, and Ismailia (Egypt). EU AND NORDIC REPORTS FOCUS ON UN REFORM The European Union (EU) and the Nordic UN Reform Project have produced separate documents outlining proposals to reform and strengthen the United Nations to enable it to fulfil its economic and social mandates. The EU paper on Proposals of the European Union for Reform of the United Nations System in the Economic and Social Areas says, Reform of the United Nations is not about cost-cutting: it is about strengthening and revitalizing the organization to effectively meet the challenges of the future. The Nordic document on The United Nations in Development says the most direct and immediate way to re-establish governments' basic trust in the UN system is to demonstrate a clear and improved impact of UN activities at the country level. Both documents favour unified UN representation at the national level. "Unified Resident Coordinators," says the EU document, appointed by the UN Secretary-General, should be the formal head of all UN operational activities at the country level....An important objective should be common premises for all UN funds, programmes and agencies with shared administration." The documents also make specific suggestions aimed at strengthening the UN Secretariat. The unification of UN system activities at country level, says the Nordic document, requires functional consolidation at headquarters level, including better harmonized procedures within the entire UN development system. Both documents favour merging the departments for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA), Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD), and Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS). They also propose appointing an Under-Secretary-General responsible for economic and social issues, who would act as ECOSOC Executive Secretary. The documents say there is a strong need for greater cooperation between UN agencies, the international financial institutions and the World Trade Organization, such as joint activities, clearer policy dialogues and complementarity of approach. "There should be," says the EU paper, "the closest links between country strategy notes and the country assessment strategy and policy framework papers of the Bretton Woods Institutions." They also stress the importance of sound and predictable funding for UN programmes and activities. The Nordic document says reforms in the funding of UN funds and programmes should be judged on their ability to meet the following requirements: assure resources on a predictable and continuous basis; create a link between an agreement on the volume of activity and the sharing of financing; achieve contributions by all countries to the financing of the system; and consider the UN's normative work and common administrative machinery a common financial responsibility of all UN Member States. The EU says its paper, completed in December 1996 under the Irish Presidency, is not a negotiating document nor carved in stone, since the EU position will continue to evolve. It seeks to contribute constructively to the debate about UN reforms. The Nordic report was prepared by the Nordic UN Reform Project 1996 in the Economic and Social Fields, which was initiated by the Nordic Ministers for Development Cooperation in January 1996. The project s governing body was formed by the Nordic State Secretaries/Under-Secretaries for Development Cooperation. Contact: NGLS (see address on front page). HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN GREAT LAKES REGION During a ten-day trip in February to the Great Lakes Region, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata said she received assurances of support for UNHCR s efforts to provide assistance to refugees in Eastern Zaire and to open corridors for their return to Rwanda. However, she said the pledges of support require further discussions by UNHCR officers on the ground with local authorities in the region. She added that UNHCR is not promoting returns to Burundi because of the fragile situation in the country, although refugees returning spontaneously will receive assistance from UNHCR. The World Food Programme (WFP) said it has been allowed the use of foreign-registered aircraft to deliver urgently-needed humanitarian assistance in Eastern Zaire. This is a significant breakthrough, said WFP spokesman Trevor Rowe. The restrictions on foreign-registered aircraft had severely hampered our ability to airlift large amounts of food to the estimated 200,000 hungry refugees in Eastern Zaire. Now we hope to more than double our daily deliveries. 1997 WORLD ECONOMIC GROWTH STEADY The UN estimates the world economy will grow by 3% in 1997 with growth in developed countries continuing to be about 2.25%. Developing countries should have a modest acceleration in growth, from 5.7% in 1996 to 6% in 1997. The projections, from the UN Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA), point to unusually widespread growth around the world. DESIPA says that of 137 countries it studied, 116 will increase output per head in 1997. Those that will not are mostly the world s poorest countries and some with economies in transition. African gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow by 4% for the second straight year, which will be the first time since 1979-1980 that the continent s per capita output will have risen for two consecutive years. However, the report warns that many lower-income countries face more risk of marginalization with the boom in commodity prices ending in 1996 and a continued shortfall in aid funds. The report predicts that GDP of countries with economies in transition will grow slightly, although a return to economic growth in the Russian Federation probably will not occur until the end of this year. GDP grew by 4.5% or more in 1996 in Albania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In Latin America, says the report, investor confidence has apparently overcome the tremors experienced in 1995. Net capital inflows in 1996 held steady at US$50 billion as increasing private investment flows substituted for the 1995 multilateral rescue package after the Mexican peso crisis. Contact: UN Department of Public Information, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 5851. POPULATION GROWTH SLOWING The world s population is growing slower than expected and probably will not double in the next century, according to separate studies by the UN and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The UN Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA) predicts world population will reach 9.4 billion people in the year 2050, which is 4.7% lower, or about 500 million people less than predictions made in 1994. A major factor in the difference is that fertility rates have dropped faster than predicted: from 1990-1995, women gave birth to an average of 2.96 children, instead of the predicted 3.10 children. The 1.77% population growth rate in developing regions, earlier predicted to be 1.88%, is mainly due to falling fertility in several countries of South-Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. For example, in Bangladesh in 1980-1985, women had an average of 6.2 children; in 1990-1995 they had 3.4 children. Fertility also dropped in India, from 4.5 children per woman in 1980-1985 to 3.4 in 1990-1995, in Pakistan (from 6.5 to 5.5), Turkey (from 4.1 to 2.7), Syria (from 7.4 to 4.7), Cìte d Ivoire (from 7.4 to 5.7) and in Kenya from 7.5 to 5.4 children per woman. However, falling population growth rates in developing regions are also lower because of war and the spread of AIDS. Mortality rates in 1990-1995 rose in war-torn Rwanda, Liberia, Burundi and Iraq. In Eastern Africa during the same period, the average person could expect to live only 46.7 years almost four years less than predicted earlier. Population in developed regions increased at an average of 0.4% per year between 1990-1995, with 1.68 children per woman. Fertility rates declined marginally faster than expected two years ago, when they were forecast at 1.7 children per woman. In Western Europe, life expectancy increased to 76.7 years, slightly faster than predicted. But the average person in Eastern Europe could expect to live only to 68 years in 1990-1995, compared to 70 in 1985-1990. The IIASA report on The Future Population of the World: What Can We Assume Today predicts the world s proportion of 60-year olds will expand, from 9.5% to 19.7% by the year 2050 and 26.8% by 2100. This is going to have significant impacts on societies, said editor Wolfgang Lutz, and cause serious problems with pension systems throughout the world. Western Europe s proportion of people over 60 probably will increase from today s 18.6% to a very high of 35% by 2100. The populations of China and centrally-planned Asia will experience similar dramatic ageing rates. Contact: Population Estimates and Projection Section, Population Division, DESIPA, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3179, fax +1-212/963 2147; and Earthscan Publications, 120 Pentonville Road, London N1 9JN, United Kingdom, telephone +44-0/171 278 0433, fax +44-0/171 278 1142, e-mail earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk>. UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETS The 19th UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council, which met from 28 January-7 February, ended with a strong ministerial statement on the future role and mandate for the programme, and it approved a work programme for 1998-1999 and a programme budget of US$75 million. The meeting, held in Nairobi, was attended by ministers and high-level government representatives from over 100 countries. Two central policy issues dominated the council's discussions: the nature and substance of UNEP's participation at the June 1997 special session of the UN General Assembly to review and appraise implementation of Agenda 21, and UNEP's governing structure, on which governments could not agree. "This governing council has been a great success on most fronts," said Elizabeth Dowdeswell, UNEP Executive Director. However, she added, "UNEP must be equipped and empowered to assume the role as the authoritative voice for the environment. For this to happen, the debate on governance must be resolved and resolved quickly. Until it is, financial contributions from some governments may be withheld and UNEP's work for the environment will suffer." With the special session in mind, the governing council adopted the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of UNEP, which will be sent to the UN Secretary General for consideration in the UN reform process. The declaration identifies UNEP as the principal UN body in the field of environment and the leading global environmental authority, and it notes the core elements of a focused mandate: analysis and assessment, policy advice, promotion of cooperation, international environmental law, and the promotion of greater awareness. The declaration says adequate, stable and predictable financial resources are essential to a revitalized UNEP. The declaration will also be presented to the high-level segment of the fifth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development and to the UN General Assembly at the special session. Civil society organizations (CSOs) participating in the council produced a statement that said the agreed participation of Major Groups should not just remain on paper. What is needed now is a clear strategy for the implementation of UNEP s NGO policy decision. The statement said CSOs should participate in the selection, preparation, appraisal and approval, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of UNEP projects and programmes. It also called on the council to facilitate greater participation by all sectors of society in UNEP, thus providing an effective framework for inter-linking the intergovernmental and non-governmental actors competent in the implementation of the global environmental agenda. The governing council is planning a special session from 12-14 November to review the results and decisions of the GA special session. UNEP's 20th governing council session will be held from 17-28 May 1999. Contact: Tore Brevik, Chief, Information and Public Affairs, UNEP, PO Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/62 3292, fax +254-2/62 3927, e-mail . CEDAW ENDS 16TH SESSION Feminization of migrant labour and violence against women, especially in the family, are a growing danger to development, according to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which met in New York from 13-31 January. The committee said female migrant workers face special risks, and violence against women is a danger, no matter a country s level of development. The committee noted that most states are taking legal action to address these problems, and it applauded Canada s decision to grant refugee status to women who have been violently and repeatedly abused. A working group of the committee formulated recommendations aimed at eliminating discrimination against women in political and public life. They include equal representation of women and men in public office and in government representation internationally, including all UN bodies; ensure women understand their rights and how to exercise them; overcome women s illiteracy, language barriers and poverty; and encourage NGOs and public and political associations to involve women in their work. Another working group proposed that meetings with NGOs be held early during CEDAW sessions to address country-specific information. CEDAW said it welcomes NGO input and called for formal NGO interaction with the committee. Also during the session, the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the International Women s Rights Action Watch co-sponsored a CEDAW orientation programme and facilitated participation of NGO representatives from Bangladesh, Canada, Morocco, Philippines, Turkey and Zaire. The committee also considered country reports of Denmark, Slovenia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela. Contact: CEDAW, UN Division for the Advancement of Women, 2 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 3463, e-mail . UNFPA AND IOM SIGN JOINT AGREEMENT Greater efforts to combat sexual violence, particularly against migrant women and girls, as well as enhanced reproductive health programmes for migrants are among joint actions planned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The agreement, signed in December 1996, includes consultations and cooperation between the two organizations in areas such as reproductive health, advocacy, research and technical cooperation. Its provisions call for increasing awareness of reproductive health issues, promoting a holistic approach to meet the primary health needs of migrant girls and women, and conducting research and developing policies concerning undocumented migrants, particularly women and children who are victims of trafficking. The agreement was signed in New York by UNFPA Executive Director Nafis Sadik and IOM Director-General James Purcell, Jr. The UN General Assembly has also ratified an agreement with IOM and the UN to act in close collaboration and hold consultations regularly on matters of common interest. Contact: Hugh O Haire, Information and External Relations Division, UNFPA, 220 E. 42nd Street, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/297 5023, fax +1-212/557 6416. UNEP-AFRICA WILDLIFE PROTECTION AGREEMENT Four African countries have ratified an agreement aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating illegal trafficking in the continent s wildlife. Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia signed the agreement on 10 December 1996 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Kenya and Congo are in the final process of ratifying the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora. The agreement establishes a task force to combat international syndicates that smuggle wildlife in the region, and it will investigate violations of national laws on illegal trade in wildlife. The first governing council of the parties to the agreement, to be held before March, will launch the task force and determine its location. Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia have offered to host it. The worldwide illegal trade in wildlife is around US$5 billion annually, second only in monetary value to illicit narcotics. The effects of the illegal wildlife trade have been devastating for Africa during the last 35 years, the continent has lost 97% of its rhinoceros species, and many countries have lost over 90% of their elephant population. Financial support for the Lusaka agreement and its aftermath comes from the governments of Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom and the United States. Contact: Donald Kaniaru, Officer-in-Charge, Environmental Law and Institutions Programme Activities Centre, UNEP, PO Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/623507, fax +254-2/230198, e-mail . UK WITHDRAWS SUPPORT TO UNIDO The British government has announced it will withdraw from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), effective 31 December 1997. The UK, which contributes 7.4% of UNIDO s annual budget of US$78 million, said that despite UNIDO s wide-ranging reforms, it is no longer convinced of the case for a separate UN institution for industrial development. The UK said it will consider near the end of 1997 whether it will be able to rescind its decision in light of progress on wider [UN] institutional reform. UNIDO says the UK s withdrawal has cast the organization as a sacrificial lamb for the perceived lack of reform in the UN system. One year ago the United States also announced it would no longer support UNIDO; Germany may do the same. Mauricio de Maria y Campos, UNIDO Director-General, said the UK government s arguments for withdrawing support are contradictory, since UNIDO has gone through far-reaching and widely acknowledged reforms. He questioned why lack of progress of UN reform as a whole is being used as a key argument for withdrawing support from UNIDO. Hitting out at the one UN organization that did most in terms of reform, he said, is a powerful disincentive to reform. We did our job and took the lead in the UN system. The broader UN reform is not within the realm of UNIDO. UNIDO has appealed to the UK not to abandon the developing world at this crucial point in their development, and Japan and China, which contribute to UNIDO, have called on Germany to stay with the organization. US CUTS FUNDING FOR IFAD The United States has cut its contribution to the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) from US$92 million for three years to US$30 million. IFAD says the cut will mean it has less money for projects to help small-scale farmers increase their food output. The fund says its concessional loans have helped over 42 million poor families to grow more food. IFAD President Fawzi Al-Sultan said, At a time of so much hunger, we might have expected there would have been more funds. Pledges for IFAD now stand at US$475 million from the former target level of US$600 million. DISARMAMENT COMMISSION TO MEET IN NEW YORK The Disarmament Commission has adopted a provisional agenda for its 1997 substantive session, to be held in New York from 21 April-13 May. The agenda includes the establishment of nuclear weapon-free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among states of the region concerned; the fourth special session of the UN General Assembly devoted to disarmament; and guidelines on conventional arms control limitation and disarmament, with emphasis on consolidation of peace in accordance with GA resolution 51/45 N. The commission has established the following subsidiary bodies: Committee of the Whole to deal with the commission s report to the General Assembly s 52nd session; Working Group I on the establishment of nuclear weapon-free zones; Working Group II on the fourth special session of the GA devoted to disarmament; and Working Group III on guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament with emphasis on consolidation of peace. Contact: Cheryl Stoute, Disarmament Commission, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 6033, fax +1-212/963 1121. UNDCP WARNS OF GROWING ABUSE OF STIMULANTS Abuse of amphetamine-type substances, such as ecstacy and speed, is a trend more dangerous than heroin and cocaine, according to participants at the International Expert Meeting on Stimulants, held in Shanghai (China) from 25-29 November 1996. Speakers at the meeting, organized by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the Chinese government, said the world has witnessed a three-fold increase in the number of countries reporting rising abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants over the past decade. On average, said Giorgio Giacomelli, UNDCP Executive Director, nearly 1% of the world above the age of 15 has abused stimulants. The number of emergency room visits due to stimulants in the United States alone has tripled between 1990 and 1994, and in Japan nearly 90% of drug-related convictions in recent years have involved methamphetamine. Mr. Giacomelli said the figures suggest that amphetamine-type stimulants are becoming an intractable, world-wide problem with the potential to inflict damage on societies more than even heroin and cocaine. The meeting concluded by calling on governments to take multifaceted action at the national and international levels to combat the problem. Contact: United Nations Information Service, UN Office at Vienna, PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, telephone +43-1/21345 4666, fax +43-1/21345 5899, e-mail . WAR-TO-PEACE TRANSITION NETWORK The World Bank is setting up a War-to-Peace Transition Network to provide assistance to client countries in conflict-related situations and help build the foundation for peaceful development. The functions of the network are to prepare and disseminate best practices; provide strategic operational support and assure the quality of bank interventions; create partnerships between the bank and other development agencies to coordinate transition assistance efforts; and build capacity in client countries and within the bank. The bank is also rethinking its finance instruments in order to respond more quickly and flexibly, and its board will consider a development fund that deals specifically with post-conflict transition and strengthening of civil society. Contact: Eric Chinje, Public Information Officer for the Africa Region, World Bank, Room 3-175, 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433, USA, telephone +1-202/473 4467, fax +1-202/473 7917, e-mail . UNRISD CONFERENCE ON GLOBALIZATION Can globalization s polarizing and disintegrating effects be offset through new approaches developed at the international level that reaffirm basic rights, political participation and social welfare benefits associated with citizenship? Participants discussed this question and related issues at a conference on Globalization and Citizenship, held in Geneva from 9-11 December 1996. The conference was hosted by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and a group of Australian universities. Participants discussed, among other things, the changing political economy of the international system, globalization s impact on peoples rights, and ways to strengthen democratic institutions and civil society. Speakers said globalization poses both threats and opportunities for citizenship. They warned that economic liberalization and restructuring are undermining many peoples economic and social rights. At the same time, democratization processes and growing social movements and civil society are strengthening individual civil and political rights in many countries. New sets of rights have emerged, such as those associated with women, children, consumers and the environment. However, despite civil society pressures to broaden rights and standards associated with citizenship, less progress has been made in enforcing these rights. National and local state structures are weakening in many countries, and this is undermining the possibility of enforcing global standards. Some speakers stressed that the world should not wait for politicians to take the lead, rather the key to progress lies with peoples power. All the great changes that have taken place at the national level, said Sir Shridath Ramphal, Co-Chairman of the Commission on Global Governance, have been compelled by people. Whether it was civil rights in the United States, the end of apartheid in South Africa, human rights worldwide, environmental protection, or the rights of women and children. He said globalization has challenged international civil society to make life in the 21st century more democratic, secure and sustainable. Others also stressed the importance of constructing alliances between civil society groups, such as trade unions, environmental NGOs and consumer groups, as well as between civil society, inter-governmental organizations and reform-minded sectors of the business community. Contact: Rosemary Max, Programme Information Officer, UNRISD, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/798 8400, fax +41-22/740 0791, e-mail . HUMAN GENOME DRAFT DECLARATION APPROVED The legal commission of UNESCO s International Bioethics Committee has approved a draft of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, which proclaims the set of some 100,000 genes determining heredity to be a common heritage of humanity. The 20-member commission, which met in Paris on 17 December 1996, revised the draft declaration in view of suggestions made during previous sessions of the bioethics committee. The declaration proclaims that the principles it sets forth are based on recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family and reflects the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration s chapters cover areas including research on the human genome, rights of persons concerned, conditions for scientific activity, and the state s duty to show solidarity toward individuals, families and groups vulnerable to genetic diseases. The declaration commits states to foster international dissemination of scientific knowledge on the genome and cooperate on the subject. The approved draft will go to a committee of government experts scheduled to meet in July. The draft will then be presented for adoption by Member States at the UNESCO General Conference in late 1997. The declaration will be a UNESCO contribution to observances of the 50th anniversary in 1998 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Contact: Bioethics Unit, UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis, F-75732 Paris Cedex 15, France, telephone +33-1/45 68 38 14, fax +33-1/45 68 55 15. UNIDO LAUNCHES AFRICA FOOD SAFETY PROGRAMME The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has launched a programme aimed at improving food safety in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The programme, which forms part of UNIDO s Alliance for Africa s Industrialization (see Go Between 61), is targeting four groups of foods and their products that are susceptible to contamination: meat (including poultry), fish, milk and eggs. In each country, the programme will work with some 20 food supply enterprises that show potential for profiting from total quality management systems (TQM) and can pass on to consumers a greater variety of quality foodstuffs with less risk of exposure to infection. When a systems approach is taken to every aspect of managing the production process, said programme organizers, the outcome is a better product and higher productivity, profits and export potential. Enterprises that have introduced TQM have managed to increase their competitiveness and reduce costs. Other partners in the programme are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), which will be helping governments ensure that their legislation reflects the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius. Contact: Agro-Based Industries Branch, UNIDO, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 300, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, telephone +43-1/21131 3853, fax +43-1/21131 6849. UN WORLD TELEVISION FORUM HELD IN NEW YORK Television news reporting has been praised for shaming the international community for not acting quickly in humanitarian emergencies. However, TV news has neglected to deal with long-term political solutions, which might prevent such crises in the first place. Instead, brief images of high dramatic intensity in news coverage risks creating a culture of the moment and a series of instantaneous reactions lacking the debate and analysis needed to understand complex problems. These are some of the observations made by participants in the UN World Television Forum, held from 21-22 November 1996 in New York. The forum, organized by Italy s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radiotelevisione Italiana, and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), brought together over 150 global broadcast leaders. They participated in sessions including Television and Globalization; Television and Diversity in the Global Village; Television and International Affairs; Global News A Two-Way Street?; and Television and the Future. Contact: Office of the Assistant-Secretary-General, DPI, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 6830, fax +1-212/963 4361. NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMIES GROUP MEETS Experts on natural resource-based economies met from 21-22 November 1996 in Geneva to explore sustainable economic development of commodity-dependent countries. Participants in the meeting, convened by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), discussed issues including ownership and management of mineral revenues; short-term political or profit-related priorities that take precedence over long-term sustainability; and representation and revenue distribution at the local level. Participants said physical infrastructure, universal education and transparent, effective financial and legal frameworks play an essential role in sound economic development. They warned that markets alone cannot ensure these objectives, yet they recognized that government management of commodity markets often impedes economic development. Participants explored case studies of successful economic diversification and considered lessons that can be learned for other resource-dependent countries. UNCTAD is planning to carry out further research and projects in this area and is considering extending work on people-centred resource development, which works to build local capacity to sustainably manage resource development. It is also considering a mineral revenue stabilization fund to help even out the volatility of earnings from mineral exports. Contact: Brian Chambers, Chief, Resource Development, Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, UNCTAD, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva-10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/907 5786, fax +41-22/907 0047, e-mail . CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION NEGOTIATORS MEET The fifth session of the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AGBM), held in Geneva from 9-12 December 1996, marked an essential transition in the talks, according to Michael Zammit Cutajar, Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention. By the end of the week, he said, the parties had crossed the threshold from the first phase of analysis and assessment to the second and final phase of negotiation. The convention s other subsidiary bodies also met during the session, which was attended by some 520 delegates from 136 countries, in addition to 340 observers. Discussions during the session focused on timetables and targets for emission reductions; coordinated versus flexible policies; common versus differentiated commitments; and implications for developing countries. The meeting mandated its chairman, Ambassador Ra£l Estrada-Oyuela (Argentina), to incorporate the various positions on the issues into a single framework compilation of proposals. Participants felt this would facilitate the negotiating process when the session resumes in March in Bonn (Germany). The compilation must be circulated in all six UN language versions by 1 June or six months before the Conference of Parties in Kyoto (Japan). The text will also be the subject of continued intense negotiations in August and October. Contact: Secretariat, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, PO Box 260124, D-53153 Bonn, Germany, telephone +49-228/815 1000, fax +49-228/815 1999, e-mail . UN AND NGO NEWS NGOS CALL FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORMS NGOs meeting with government representatives at the United Nations in New York have called for more transparency in the UN Security Council s decision-making and greater interaction between the council and the UN General Assembly. Twenty members of the NGO Working Group on the Security Council met on 25 November 1996 with ambassadors of Chile, Finland, India and New Zealand, among others. In a private follow-up meeting with then-Security Council President Paolo Fulci (Italy), working group organizers proposed presidential briefings for NGOs similar to the newly-instigated briefings held by the Security Council president for non-Member States. On 13 January, Ambassador Fulci, no longer president of the council, met with the group and told it the council had not agreed to the proposal but said it is acceptable for individual council members to meet with NGOs if they wish. The NGO working group formed in early 1995 to provide a forum for NGOs interested in the Security Council s work and to facilitate meetings with governments to discuss questions about the council s accountability, representation and transparency. Contact: Jim Paul, Global Policy Forum, PO Box 20022, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone+1-212/ 501 7435, fax +1-212/ 595 8134, e-mail . PEACE ACCORDS SIGNED IN GUATEMALA After 35 years of armed conflict in Guatemala, a comprehensive set of peace accords was signed in Guatemala City on 29 December 1996. NGOs in the country were actively involved in the peace process, which was monitored by the UN Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINGUA). After a cease fire agreement was signed in Norway on 4 December 1996, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on 20 January sending military observers to Guatemala to verify the cease fire implementation. China, a permanent member of the council, earlier blocked a similar resolution, charging that Guatemala disregarded China s warning and invited Taiwan authorities to the signing ceremony....[providing] them with a venue for secessionist activities against China. After the issue was settled and the resolution adopted, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to what he called the council members constructive approach and efforts by the Group of Friends of the Guatemala Peace Process, made up of Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Spain, the United States and Venezuela. Contact: Denise Cook, Department of Political Affairs, Room S-3780C, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 1290, fax +1-212/963 5065. HABITAT PARTNERS MEET More than 100 Habitat partners met on 31 January in Geneva to review partnerships established at the 1996 Habitat II Conference and discuss implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the conference plan of action. Participants included representatives of NGOs, foundations, women s groups, business and trade unions, as well as local authorities, scientists, parliamentarians and youth. The meeting focused on strengthening the role of the UN Centre for Human Settlements UNCHS (Habitat), and the Commission on Human Settlements, the centre s governing body. The meeting, chaired by Dr. Wally N Dow, Executive Director of UNCHS (Habitat), also discussed the centre s proposed work programme and that of several partners. Participants considered a proposal by the centre to expand the commission s membership, from its current 58 government members to 92 members, by adding 14 representatives of local authorities, 12 NGOs and eight representatives of the private sector. Contact: Christina Engfeldt, Chief, Information and External Relations, UNCHS (Habitat), Room N-307, PO Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/623067, fax +254-2/624060, e-mail . NGO PREPARATIONS FOR 16TH CHS Local NGOs and networks based in Nairobi (Kenya) have set up an NGO host committee to facilitate NGO preparations for the 16th session of the Commission on Human Settlements (CHS), to be held from 28 April-7 May. The host committee is organizing a meeting for all NGOs attending the 16th session on 26-27 May in Nairobi to discuss the role and participation of NGOs in the commission. Contact: Nicky Nzioki, Cohort for Research on Environment, Urban Management and Human Settlement, PO Box 48974, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/724525, fax +254-2/718549, e-mail . UNDP AND EUROPEAN NGOS MEET European-based NGOs met with senior United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) officials on 18 December 1996 in Brussels to discuss participation for effective poverty eradication. The NGOs said that although UNDP has made some progress in advocating and using participatory approaches, it needs to re-adjust its knowledge, organizational culture and procedures to better implement people-centred development. Recommendations from the group to UNDP included: use a clear and progressive public information disclosure policy; monitor and evaluate UNDP performance and interaction with community-based organizations and NGOs; and give more support to the 20/20 initiative, which calls on developing and donor countries to spend 20% of their national budgets and total official development assistance respectively on basic social services. The NGOs said UNDP has a key role to play, through it links with national governments, in expanding policy dialogue from micro- to macro-levels. As a first step, they recommended that UNDP work with others to bring together existing research and analysis of the relationship between government and civil society in developing countries. A report of the meeting is available. The meeting was jointly organized by the European Office of UNDP and Eurostep, a European NGO consortium. Contact: Alan Doss, Director, European Office, UNDP, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/979 9537, fax +41-22/979 9001, e-mail . WHO ALLIANCE TO ELIMINATE TRACHOMA The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading an international alliance to work for the elimination of trachoma, an infectious disease responsible for at least 15% of blindness around the world. WHO says about six million people have been irreversibly blinded by trachoma, and many more who have the disease risk blindness if they do not receive treatment. The alliance is open to all parties governments, international organizations and NGOS that want to contribute to international efforts to eliminate trachoma as a blinding disease. The alliance will support and collaborate with WHO to carry out activities such as epidemiological assessment, project implementation, coordination, monitoring, disease surveillance, project evaluation and resource mobilization. The activities will be based on a WHO-developed strategy of a combination of interventions known as SAFE, which stands for surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental impact. Contact: Igor Rozov, Health Communication and Public Relations, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/791 2532, fax +41-22/791 4858, e-mail . UNESCO TO HOLD FORUM ON YOUTH AND MEDIA Researchers and media professionals from around the world will meet in April to examine the impact on young people of television and cable programming, Internet sites, electronic games and other media available across national borders. The forum on Youth and the Media Tomorrow, to be held from 21-25 April in Paris, will offer insights and practical recommendations for the media, policymakers and parents. Participants will explore young people s cognitive response to the media, especially the extent to which children passively watch or actively engage their imagination in response to electronic images; the growing dependence of working parents and their children on television and computers, which often serve as surrogate babysitter and teacher for young people; and ways the media can promote cultural interaction and exchange to help preserve cultural diversity. The forum is sponsored by UNESCO and organized by the Paris-based Groupe de Recherche sur la RÇlation Enfants/Medias. Contact: Elisabeth Auclaire, President, Groupe de Recherche sur la RÇlation Enfants/Medias, ChÉteau de Longchamps, Bois du Bologne, F-75016 Paris, France, telephone +33-1/44 30 20 01, fax +33-1/45 25 73 67, e-mail . KNOWLEDGE FOR DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE The World Bank and Canada will host a Knowledge for Development Conference, to be held in Toronto (Canada) from June 23-25. The conference, co-sponsored by Switzerland, the United States, UNDP and UNESCO, among others, will focus on the vital role of information and knowledge in sustainable development. Participants will explore the opportunities and challenges posed by new information/communication technologies, how developing countries and the world s poor can gain access to them, and opportunities for new partnerships. Participants will include senior government officials, local knowledge builders, industry and business leaders, and representatives of bilateral and multilateral donors, and NGOs. Contact: Conference Secretariat, Global Knowledge 97, The World Bank Economic Development Institute, Room M7-075, 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433, telephone +1-202/473 6442, fax +1-202/676 0858, e-mail . NGO NEWS FIRST GLOBAL MICROCREDIT SUMMIT ENDS The first-ever global Microcredit Summit, held in Washington DC from 2-4 February, ended with a declaration committing governments and institutions to support mircroenterprises among the world s poor. Over 2000 participants, including five heads of government, development experts and activists, declared their support for extending credit and other financial services to 100 million of the world s poorest families by the year 2005. Microcredit lending supports small economic activities and independently-run businesses, especially those controlled by women. Existing mircoenterprise programmes reach about eight million families worldwide. Summit organizers calculate that extending them to another 92 million families will require US$21,600 million over the next nine years. An estimated US$11,600 million would come from grants and concessional loans, and the remaining US$10,000 million from funds borrowed at commercial rates and from borrowers savings. Contact: Results Educational Fund, Suite 300, 236 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington DC 20002, USA, telephone +1-202/546 1900, fax +1-202/546 3228, e-mail . FORUM ON ETHICS IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION What are the basic, underlying aims and values of humanitarian intervention? How do NGOs preserve their neutrality in conflict situations, and are they really neutral and even-handed? These are some of the questions participants debated during the Forum on Ethics in Humanitarian Action, held in Dublin (Ireland) from 9-10 December 1996. Humanitarian organizations should not police and mete out justice in refugee camps, said Emma Bonino, European Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner. They do not have the means, and it is not their role. They must be mindful of their limits. Our identity must be independent of foreign policy. Jacques Lebas of the University of Paris VI suggested five guiding principles of humanitarian action: even-handedness, universality, independence, ability and witness. He said even-handedness for humanitarian organizations includes not taking stances on government policy or the activities of warring factions in the field. Ability means constituting an effective humanitarian action code of conduct. Mr. Lebas said humanitarian action has a duty to bear witness to challenge relief workers confronted with victims who are reduced to silence and denied humanity. He warned that emergency situations are often used as an excuse for disregarding the feelings of first-line victims as if emergency conditions warrant everything and sometimes anything. Joan Burton, the Irish Development Cooperation Minister, said that NGOS must carry their message to governments and the European Union. It is critically important, she said, that humanitarian agencies, donors and recipients can agree and reaffirm the core values of humanitarian action: namely to prevent and relieve the suffering of victims of conflict or natural disasters. The forum was organized by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and VOICE, a network of 70 relief agencies operating in cooperation with the Liaison Committee of Development NGOs to the European Union. Contact: VOICE, NGDO-EU Liaison Committee, 10 Square Ambiorix, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium, telephone +32-2/743 8775, fax +32-2/732 1934, e-mail . EURODAD HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING IN THE HAGUE The European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD) plans to hold regional meetings in Asia, Latin America and Africa to inform local NGOs about the recent initiative by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Paris Club creditor countries to address the problems of heavily-indebted poor countries (HIPCs). The HIPC initiative entitles the countries to write off a percentage of their debt, including money owed to multilateral institutions, subject to strict adherence to a structural adjustment programme. (See Go Between 61.) Seventy NGO participants at the network s annual meeting, held from 28-29 January in The Hague (Netherlands), agreed that the assessments of whether debt levels are sustainable need to include indicators that take into account both social and microeconomic conditions. Participants suggested the indicators should include levels of productive capacity, employment and access to health and education. They plan to advocate for shortening the three-year time frame that the initiative says countries must spend adhering to an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Fund (ESAF) programme participants said many countries have followed adjustment programmes for years and need relief now. Many NGOs doubt the social and economic benefits adjustment programmes bring to debtor countries and question whether the IMF has the expertise to engage in broad development planning. They are also concerned about the link between ESAF loans and the initiative. Participants agreed to continue to advocate for increased amounts of debt to be written off, and for more transparency in Paris Club negotiations. Contact: Ted van Hees, Coordinator, EURODAD, 10 Square Ambiorix, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium, telephone +32-2/743 8795, fax +32-2/736 7271, e-mail . NGO NETWORK DISCUSSES BANANA TRADE EUROBAN, a network of European NGOs working to improve social and environmental conditions on banana plantations, met in Geneva on 22 January to discuss its strategies. Participants at the meeting, co-hosted with the Coordinadora de Sindicatos Bananeros de America Latina, discussed possible social and environmental clauses in trade agreements for bananas. The coordinadora, made up of over 30 banana worker trade unions in Latin America, has called on the European Union to impose social and environmental conditions on banana exporters to strengthen the unions demands for improved working conditions, as well as formal representation in future trade negotiations. Representatives of international organizations and their government delegates addressed the meeting; they included the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Labour Office (ILO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and the European Union. The meeting also heard from NGOs campaigning for the use of trade sanctions against countries violating specific ILO conventions, which together make up what are known as the core labour standards. These include the right to organize, freedom of association, and protection against exploitation of child labour. Some speakers said that the ILO s capacity to secure its Member States adherence to its conventions must be strengthened, and the WTO must be more accessible to NGOs and should take up labour issues. Participants discussed possible strategies to promote the core labour standards, including more work on the fair trade label for bananas, developed by the Netherlands-based Max Havelaar Foundation; corporate codes of conduct; consumer campaigns; strengthening the ILO s monitoring schemes; and revising Article III of the WTO Agreement, which forbids trade discrimination for products based on production methods. EUROBAN and the coordinadora are planning an international conference in mid-1998 to bring together trade unions, NGOs, farmers organizations and international organizations to explore options to achieve more sustainable banana production and trade. Contact: EUROBAN Secretariat, 38-40 Exchange St., Norwich NR2 1AX, UK, telephone +44-1603/765 670, fax +44-1603/761 645, e-mail . NGO SUB-COMMITTEE ON WOMEN MEETS NGO issues to watch in 1997 include trade and development; access to health, education, housing and food; and the need for gender-specific data, predicted participants in a meeting of the NGO Sub-Committee on the Status of Women, held on 10 December 1996 in Geneva. The sub-committee said it and many other NGOs will continue to follow regional and international trade agreements because, according to participants, these agreements often fail to take account of human rights, especially for women and children. They said that some progress has been made in access to health and education, but these issues will remain high on NGO agendas. Educating people, especially women, will also be a priority, as well as helping people improve their legal literacy about their rights, and pressing for gender-specific data on women. Other important issues for the sub-committee in 1997 will be the right to housing and food, and promoting the role of women as decision-makers. Panel discussions during the meeting focused on Assessment of 1996 Developments and Trends; Women s Human Rights; Women s Economic Rights; and Human Security. The sub-committee s 1997 workplan includes follow-up and implementation of the World Food Summit and the International Conference on Nutrition; Food for All campaign activities; cooperation with international organizations such as WHO and FAO; and encouraging NGO initiatives and practices on food safety and good nutrition. The sub-committee, which addresses a broad range of issues from a gender perspective, follows closely the work of many UN organizations based in Geneva. Contact: NGO Sub-Committee on the Status of Women, Room E2, NGO Lounge, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 4735, fax +41-22/917 0181, e-mail . SWISS NGO CAMPAIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT Swiss NGOs are campaigning nationwide for government policies and actions by business, civil society and citizens that promote sustainable and equitable development. The Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations launched its campaign on 30 January in Bern, the nation s capital, with a North-South Manifesto for Sustainable Development. Recommendations of the manifesto, written with input from NGOs in developing countries, call on the Swiss government to pursue an active foreign policy giving priority to North-South commitments to sustainable development; reform taxes to encourage employment; dissuade speculative capital movements; reflect the environmental costs of energy use; grant NGOs the same status as industry and unions on trade delegations; and expand Swiss collaboration in multilateral institutions, such as the UN, World Trade Organization and World Bank. The manifesto calls on trade and industry to, among other things, apply the polluter pays principle in pricing policies, and it lists ways civil society can challenge those in power in the North and South who are benefiting from the negative features of the current situation. The manifesto also outlines ways citizens can help promote sustainable production and fair trade, participate in community service, and exercise political rights in favour of sustainable development. Contact: Ueh Halkder or Jolanda Pfister, Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations, Monbijoustrasse 31, PO Box 6735, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland, telephone +41-31/381 1716, fax +41-31/381 1718, e-mail . PATHS FOR DEMOCRATIC MEDIA The Commission on Radio and Television Policy has issued a communiquÇ promoting three basic principles for broadcast policy in democracies. First, the commission says countries should adopt a constitutional provision that prohibits governments from adopting laws restricting freedom of expression. Second, governments should promote diversity of mass media outlets and the widest possible access for the public to different sources of information and viewpoints. The commission says governments should impose limits on undue concentration of media ownership, and they should provide subsidies for programme production and public service broadcast facilities that serve socially-desirable public interest needs. Third, journalistic integrity and autonomy should not be subjected or yield to economic pressures on media organizations or on individual journalists. The commission also recommends journalists establish a national code of media ethics, together with a council of professional journalistic standards. To promote media autonomy, the commission recommends: candidates for public office commit to support democratic media principles and the rule of law in communication and information policy; media should report actively on the progress of governmental bodies in enacting legal protection for the media, and it should publicize officials or agencies opposing the protection; and governments should publicize their media policy decisions and open up deliberations. The commission, based in the United States, works to encourage the development of democratic media policies through publications, training and regional meetings. Contact: Ellen Mickiewicz, Director, Commission on Radio and Television Policy, Duke University, Box 90241, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0241, USA, telephone +1-919/613 7330, fax +1-919/681 8288. ADDIS MEETING ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN AFRICA Participants in a conference held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) have decided to create a consultative mechanism between NGOs, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its Member States to enhance collaboration when pursuing sustainable peace in areas of armed conflict in Africa. At the conference on Creating an Effective Interface Between Civil Society, the Organization of African Unity and Governments in Africa, participants agreed to form an interim consultative committee of NGOs. It will work provisionally for 18 to 24 months to build the cooperative relationship. The Inter-Africa Group, based in Addis Ababa, will provide the consortium s secretariat. The conference, held from 18-20 November 1996, brought together representatives of the OAU Member States and secretariat, UN agencies, regional and sub-regional institutions, and international and African NGOs. It assessed interaction and collaboration between the OAU, African governments and civil society organizations, including the OAU s Conflict Management Division and the Economic Commission for Africa s plans for a regional resource centre. NGOs presented their work and analysis on conflict resolution, women, human rights, and refugees. Conference sessions focused on Landmines; the Great Lakes Region; Preventive Deployment and Peace-Keeping in West Africa; and Post Conflict Peace-Building in Southern Africa and East Africa. Contact: International Alert, 1 Glyn Street, London SE11 5HT, UK, telephone +44-171/793 8383, fax +44-171/793 7975, e-mail . WORLD CONGRESS ON VIOLENCE The World Congress on Violence and Human Coexistence will be held in Dublin (Ireland) from 17-21 August to debate issues such as violent and non-violent behavior; minority rights and xenophobia in Europe; culture and violence; gender, violence and sexuality; global and structural aspects of violence and non-violence; and victims of violence. During the conference, art exhibitions on the theme of violence will be displayed in Dublin galleries. Contact: Jessica Bates, Congress Secretary, Dept. of Sociology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland, fax +353-1/706 1125, e-mail . CONGRESS ON URBAN CHALLENGES One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century will be to create cities that are competitive in commerce and industry and provide jobs, but are also ecologically sustainable. To discuss this challenge, the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) will hold a congress on Urban Challenges: Investments, Sustainable Quality and Identity, from 27 September-2 October in Gothenburg, Sweden. Plenary sessions at the congress will include Reuse of the City; New Use for Old Industrial and Office Areas; Old People in New Houses; and Water and Sewage New Solutions for Eco-Society. Local study tours will also be arranged, including visits to buildings, plants, and residential and city districts. Contact: IFHP Congress Department, 43 Wassenaarseweg, NL-2596 CG, The Hague, Netherlands, telephone +31-70/328 1504, fax +31-70/328 2085. SID CONFERENCE ON GLOBALIZATION To whom are the actors of globalization accountable? Can globalization strengthen democracy, or will it promote social irresponsibility? These are some of the questions to be debated at the 22nd World Conference of the Society for International Development (SID) on Which Globalization? Opening Spaces for Civic Engagement. The conference, from 21-24 May in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), will aim to advance civil society s engagement in shaping a process of globalization conducive to accountability, equity and democracy. SID is a global network of individuals and institutions concerned with participative and pluralistic development. Contact: SID World Conference, Viajes Iberia Congresos, Diagonal 523 (4-2), E-08029 Barcelona, Spain, fax +34-3/405 1390, e-mail . IDC DISCUSSES NEW FACE OF DEVELOPMENT The New Face of Development was the theme of the International Development Conference (IDC), held in Washington DC on 13-15 January. The conference drew some 1200 participants from NGOs, educational institutions, business and banking firms, government and international agencies and the media. Together they examined the new factors to which development efforts must adapt and new pathways that offer promise in the future. More than 50 sessions of the conference were grouped under the themes New Technologies for Development, New Ways of Financing Social Development, New Strategies for Alleviating Poverty, New Ways of Collaboration, New Global Realities, and New US Politics. Working groups focused on new actors and partnerships in the development effort and particularly the role of NGOs. One major session was devoted to women s growing political leadership in national governments. Contact: International Development Conference, Suite 720, 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009-5728, USA, telephone +1-202/884 8580, fax +1-202/884 8499, e-mail . FOCUS FOCUS SECTION ILO WORLD EMPLOYMENT REPORT SURVEYS LABOUR MARKET CONDITIONS Nearly one billion people around the world, about 30% of the global workforce, are unemployed or underemployed, says the International Labour Office (ILO) report on World Employment 1996/97: National Policies in a Global Context. Go Between summarizes the report s major findings and recommendations. The report calls the global employment situation grim. It says the underlying causes of deteriorating labour market conditions are, among other things, lower growth rates in industrialized countries; the failure of many developing economies to recover from the 1980s economic crisis; and the progressive eviction from the work world of the long-term unemployed and the casualization of millions of informal sector workers. At least 34 million people are unemployed in the world s wealthiest nations, the members of the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In the European Union, unemployment rates in 1995 increased to an average of 11.3%, with significant increases in France (11.8%) and Italy (11.5%). In 1996 the trend continued with unemployment rates rising in Germany to 11.2% and in Sweden to 8.3%, among others. However, unemployment dipped in the United States from 5.4% in 1994 to 4.9% in 1996. Unemployment rates also declined in the United Kingdom from 9.4% in 1994 to 7.8% in 1996. But in both countries, the report warns, income disparities are widening. Unemployment rates declined slightly in Central and Eastern European countries between 1994 and 1995, but they remained high at 11.6% or more in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Unemployment continued to increase in the Russian Federation and in some countries of the former Soviet Union. In Latin America and other developing countries, up-to-date data on employment is rare. In Colombia, unemployment rose from 8% to 10.4% between mid-1995 and 1996. In urban areas, unemployment between 1994 and 1995 increased in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela; the rate was 10% or more in Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela. The report says data on unemployment during the same period in other developing regions is available only for South Africa and the Republic of Korea. In South Africa unemployment increased from 4.4% to 4.9%, and in Korea it declined from 2.4% to 2.2%. In many low-income countries in sub-Sahara Africa and parts of Asia, where data on unemployment does not exist, other indicators point to continuing underemployment and poverty; these indicators include the rate of economic growth and of industrialization. Commitment to Employment Needed The report says the priority requirement for reversing the prolonged deterioration in employment conditions is the restoration of high and sustained rates of economic growth, and it maintains that the concept of full employment, suitably updated, should remain as a principal objective of economic and social policy. Nothing short of a renewed international commitment to full employment is required to reverse the problem. It is not just heartless but pernicious to assume that nothing can be done to remedy unemployment, says ILO Director-General Michel Hansenne. He questions the belief that jobless growth is the best that can be hoped for in an increasingly competitive economy, or that current rates of unemployment constitute a natural and inevitable outcome of market forces. Current levels of unemployment, he says, make no economic sense and are neither politically nor socially sustainable. Recommendations for Developing Economies The report says policy makers in the developing economies should aim for a rate of growth of productive, modern-sector jobs that exceeds the rate of growth of the labour force and a reduction in the extent of under-employment in the rural and urban informal sectors of the economy. It calls for economic reforms, where necessary, to achieve macroeconomic stability and to generate an environment conducive to high saving and investment and the efficient allocation of resources. The report says this would permit developing countries to benefit fully from growing trade and investment flows in the international economy. The Challenge to Transition Economies The report says that although many enterprises in the region have undertaken substantial restructuring, the formidable challenge remains of restructuring uncompetitive enterprises and adjusting enterprise structures to raise labour productivity. Given the high and potentially intolerable social tensions this is likely to generate, the ILO advises governments to choose economic policies and labour-market institutions that are most likely to reduce unemployment, such as decreasing obstacles to new enterprise development and barriers to foreign investment. Other practical problems include inadequate housing market flexibility and the difficulty of ensuring adequate social protection for workers affected by restructuring. An array of measures may need to be supplemented by temporary measures to contain the rise in unemployment. These measures include an improved institutional framework in which unions and employers organizations can undertake effective collective bargaining. Promoting Jobs in Industrialized Countries The World Employment Report 1996/97 cites three fundamental preconditions it says are necessary for reaching full employment in industrialized countries. They are: n increased economic growth rates via a combination of expansionary policies and measures to boost productivity, which means lower interest rates in an atmosphere of wage restraint and concerted efforts to overcome skills shortages; n anti-inflation mechanisms, which could include improved coordination of wage bargaining procedures and a strengthened social pact; and n improved labour-market policies, such as reforms of unemployment benefit systems and benefit-transfer programmes, subsidies for low-wage employment, and payroll tax deductions to encourage hiring of the long-term unemployed. Contact: Bureau of Public Information, International Labour Office, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7940, fax +41-22/788 3894, web site http://www.ilo.org UNICEF REPORT REVIEWS STATE OF THE WORLD S CHILDREN This year s State of the World s Children 1997 focuses on child labour and explores implications of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It argues that, just as no child should die of preventable illness, no child should labour in hazardous and exploitative conditions. The report also describes myths about child labour and outlines priorities for action. Nearly every country in the world has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes children s right to be protected from economic exploitation and from work that is hazardous or likely to interfere with their education or development. But UNICEF says many commitments still need to be put into action. The report estimates that at least one-fourth of children in developing countries are working some 250 million children aged five to 14 years old. UNICEF is calling for global action to tackle child labour and is demanding an immediate end to its most intolerable forms, such as prostitution and bonded labour. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, describes these forms as so grave an abuse of human rights that the world must come to regard them in the way it does slavery as something unjustifiable under any circumstances. Four Myths About Child Labour UNICEF says one of the most persistent myths surrounding child labour is that it exists only in developing countries. There are child workers in all countries rich and poor. In the United Kingdom, for example, between 15%-26% of 11-year olds are working. In the United States, a three-day sting operation in 1990 by the Department of Labor found more than 11,000 children working illegally. Second, the report says it is a myth that child labour will never be eliminated until poverty disappears. It says child labour exists primarily because there are people willing to use children for profit to exploit their poverty. UNICEF says that while the effort to eliminate all forms of child labour must go hand-in-hand with measures to reduce extreme poverty, The end of hazardous child labour does not have to and must not wait for the end of poverty. A third myth that child labour is mainly found in export industries is also discounted by the report. In fact, only a small fraction of the world s child workers are employed in export-sector industries probably less than 5%. Most children work on farms, plantations or in the home, far from the reach of labour inspectors and the media s scrutiny. A fourth myth is that sanctions and boycotts are the only way to make headway against child labour. The report says this myth implies that the people and governments of developing countries have been ignoring the problem of child labour. In reality, governments, communities, organizations and individuals have been working to expose child labour abuses, develop local and national programmes, and promote consumer awareness at home and abroad. UNICEF insists that any comprehensive attack on hazardous child labour must advance on several fronts and take into account the best interests of the child as a human being with a whole range of needs and rights, not simply as a child labourer. It must also aim to release children immediately from the most damaging situations, such as bonded labour and prostitution; rehabilitate those children who are released from work through the provision of adequate services and facilities, especially education; and protect working children who cannot immediately be released by making their life as safe and as conducive to development as possible. National and International Changes Needed National and international priorities must change to ensure that every child has access to relevant primary education. The report stresses the links between education and eradicating child labour and says education can liberate today s child labourers and prevent children from drifting into similar work in the future. The longer and better the education, says the report, the less likelihood that a child will be forced into damaging work. However, education must be of good quality. According to UNICEF, education is often underfunded, rigid and uninspiring. In 14 of the world s least developed countries, half the pupils have no textbooks. Classes are often huge, with 67 pupils per teacher in Bangladesh and nearly 90 per teacher in Equatorial Guinea. Around 30% of children in developing countries who enroll in primary school do not complete it. Education has become part of the problem, says UNICEF. It has to be reborn as part of the solution. The report also calls on governments to allocate 20% of their budgets to education and basic social services, and it asks donor governments to do the same with their official development assistance. It would cost, says the report, an estimated US$6 billion a year, on top of what is already spent, to put every child in school by the year 2000. That may seem an enormous sum. Yet it is less than 1% of what the world spends every year on weapons. Priorities for Urgent Action The report calls for urgent action on several fronts, including: eliminating hazardous and exploitative child labour; free and compulsory education for every child; stringent child labour laws and their vigorous enforcement in each country; registration of all children at birth; data collection and monitoring; and codes of conduct and procurement policies. It says sanctions and boycotts have been used effectively to raise awareness about child labour in export industries and force some governments and business leaders to take vigorous action against it. However, different approaches are needed to reach the remaining 95% of child labourers, whose work is often unseen and unreported. They include child prostitutes, farm labourers, domestic servants and children working in local industries. In the Convention on the Rights of the Child, governments are committed to establishing a minimum age for employment, regulations on terms and conditions of employment, and proper penalties to ensure that these labour laws are enforced. The report stresses these commitments must be put into action. The lives of working children will not change unless the world backs its words with action, it says. It is time morality prevailed. As we step into the next millennium, hazardous child labour must be left behind, consigned to history as completely as those other forms of slavery that it so closely resembles. Contact: HÇläne Martin, Division of Communication, United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/909 5519, fax +41-22/909 5907; or Madeline Eisner, Division of Communication, UNICEF, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/326 7261, fax +1-212/326 7768. INCD-10 PREPARES FOR FIRST CONFERENCE OF PARTIES The tenth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Convention to Combat Desertification (INCD) met in New York from 6-17 January to prepare for the first Conference of Parties (COP-1), to be held from 29 September-10 October in Rome. Go Between summarizes the outcomes of the session. Although progress was made in some areas, delegates failed to reach agreement on important issues, such as the functions of the institution to host the Global Mechanism (GM), the location of the permanent secretariat, the size and composition of the COP bureau, and the channeling of financial resources for the convention s projects. In his opening speech, Bo KjellÇn (Sweden), Chair of the session, identified its central issues as the functioning and host organization of the Global Mechanism; the work programme, budget and role of the permanent secretariat; and arrangements for the Committee on Science and Technology (CST). He also pointed out the link between the INCD process, the meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development to be held in April, and the UN Special Session of the General Assembly to review implementation of Agenda 21, to be held in June. The committee requested the interim secretariat to circulate, at least 90 days prior to the COP, draft decisions related to the programme of work and budget of the conference, as well as detailed budget estimates for the biennium 1998-1999. It also approved a draft on COP financial rules, subsidiary bodies and the permanent secretariat and recommended the COP adopt the draft at its first meeting. The INCD recommended the COP accept the UN Secretary-General s offer to provide administrative and support arrangements for the convention s secretariat, currently located in Geneva. Canada, Germany and Spain have all offered to host the secretariat; further negotiations on the subject will take place at a resumed session in August. The committee adopted a text inviting the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to submit to the interim secretariat by 1 May revised versions of their offers to house, and possibly co-host, the secretariat. The text also proposes administrative operations of the Global Mechanism, which will promote actions to mobilize and channel substantial financial resources. The committee was unable to agree on the GM s functions and ways to mobilize funds. Finally, a text containing a number of alternatives was annexed to the draft and forwarded to COP-1. The issue of development assistance came under discussion in the debate on financial resources. There was discussion about providing developing countries, particularly in Africa, with a means for addressing these issues through the emerging concept of a chef-de-file, who would act as lead agency in coordinating activities of donors in the affected developing country, rather than empowering the Global Mechanism to mobilize resources. Most delegates agreed that the matter could only be resolved at the political level during COP-1. The session approved, with some specified exceptions, the orally-amended draft rules of procedure of the COP (to be adopted by the COP when it meets), as well as a number of decisions related to the Committee on Science and Technology established by the convention. These include the establishment of the committee s research priorities and modalities, and timing of future work on an inventory of research, which will report on bodies performing similar work. The session also approved a four-part decision on preparatory measures to be undertaken by the CST on networking of institutions, agencies and bodies. The committee requested the interim secretariat continue its work on benchmarks and indicators, as well as its informal, open-ended consultative process. The process focuses on elaborating implementation indicators and developing a methodology for determining impact indicators. The committee recommended to the COP that: n NGOs previously accredited to the INCD be accredited to the first session of the COP; n NGOs meeting criteria proposed in the draft rules of procedure and criteria recommended for adoption to the COP be accredited to the first and subsequent sessions of the COP; n observer status be accorded at the first session to all intergovernmental organizations previously accorded such status at INCD; and n observer status to the first and subsequent sessions of the COP be accorded to intergovernmental organizations meeting criteria proposed in the draft rules of procedure and criteria recommended for adoption to the COP. The committee recommended that the UN General Assembly decide that the head of the interim secretariat, under the authority of the Secretary-General, use the special voluntary fund to assist developing countries affected by desertification and drought, particularly the least developed countries, to participate fully in the COP process and use the trust fund to support the participation of NGOs in the work of the COP. A resumed session of the INCD-10 will be convened from 18-22 August in Geneva to address outstanding arrangements for COP-1. The 50th ratification to the convention was deposited by Chad on 27 September 1996; accordingly, 90 days later on 26 December 1996, the convention entered into force. An international network of NGOs, RÇseau International d ONGs sur la DÇsertification (RIOD), has been facilitating communication among NGOs concerned about desertification. The network is working to enable NGOs to participate in designing and implementing the Convention to Combat Desertification, and empower local communities to take control of activities to fight desertification. Contact: Interim Secretariat, Convention to Combat Desertification, Geneva Executive Centre, 11-13 chemin des AnÇmones, CH-1219 ChÉtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/979 9410, fax +41-22/979 9030, e-mail , web site http://www.unep.ch/incd.html Badouine Kamatari, RIOD, Environment Liaison Centre International (ELCI), PO Box 72461, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/562015 or 562022, fax +254-2/562175. WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING CONCLUDES IN SINGAPORE The World Trade Organization (WTO) held its first ministerial conference in Singapore from 9-13 December 1996. Trade ministers or representatives from 127 member countries, together with observers from non-member countries and international organizations, met to consider the WTO s work programme for the next two years at the conference, which is the organization s highest governing body. The key outcomes of the conference include the Information Technology Agreement, a programme of action for least developed countries (LDCs), and the establishment of new working groups on investment, competition policy and government procurement practices. NGOs welcomed the WTO s decision to grant them access to the conference s public sessions, but they pressed for more access to the negotiations. Conference Debates and Outcomes The conference preparations were marked by some serious disagreements among member countries on what the WTO s work should include. Contentious issues included multilateral investment, linking labour standards to trade agreements, and the timetable for meeting the commitment to review agreements on agriculture in 1999. Much of the disagreement centred on whether the WTO should address new issues in the next two years, or should focus instead on the continuing work of implementing the Uruguay Round agreements. The meeting s most concrete outcome was also the least expected. The Information Technology Agreement (ITA), a result of discussions led primarily by the Quad countries (the United States, European Union, Japan and Canada) was brought to the conference already largely negotiated. Twenty-eight WTO member countries endorsed the agreement; all are members of either the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) or the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The ITA commits signatories to removing tariffs on information technology trade, including products such as cash registers, loudspeakers and fax machines. Another important result of the meeting is the Comprehensive and Integrated Plan of Action for Least Developed Countries. The plan, which is non-binding, calls on members to eliminate all tariffs on LDC exports, which WTO Director-General Renato Ruggiero has been advocating since the Group of Seven Summit in Lyon, France in June 1996. It also asks the WTO to collaborate with other multilateral agencies on LDC initiatives. The plan commits WTO ministers to organize a meeting in 1997 with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre and others to develop an integrated approach to strengthening the LDCs trade opportunities. During the meeting many developing and some developed countries resisted efforts by the United States and some European countries to include labour standards in the WTO s work programme. Some countries said they fear the proposal, often referred to as the social clause, could lead to making core labour rights enforceable by threat of trade sanctions. Moreover, some developing countries are concerned that such a clause could create opportunities for imposing new trade restrictions. The Singapore declaration states that labour standards must not be used for trade protectionist ends and recognizes the International Labour Organization (ILO) as the organization competent to deal with these issues. The declaration asks the World Trade Organization to cooperate with the ILO in this area, in line with each organization s institutional mandate. Many trade unions strongly support the social clause while NGOs disagree on how best to ensure that core labour rights are upheld. Many developing countries sought to include in the declaration a commitment to accelerate liberalization in the textile and clothing sector, as well as in agriculture. Developed countries resisted these proposals, and the final text simply reiterates the commitment of member countries to full implementation of the existing agreement. The declaration calls for a working group to study the relationship between trade and investment, one of the new areas for WTO work that a number of developed and some developing countries support, although it faced strong resistance by some member countries. The declaration also calls for the establishment of a working group to examine the relationship between trade and competition policy. The declaration includes a qualifying statement aimed at pre-empting these working groups discussions from turning into formal negotiations, and it welcomes UNCTAD s work in these areas. A third working group is to be set up to study transparency in government procurement practices. This group will seek to ensure that government contracts and purchases are open to all bidders, regardless of national origin, in conformity with WTO rules. The mandate of the WTO s Committee on Trade and Environment remains largely unchanged, although the declaration proposes that more use be made of trade and environment experts from member governments in the committee s deliberations. NGO Participation Over 125 NGOs, represented by 275 people, attended parallel meetings in Singapore, and 235 people were accredited to attend the conference s public sessions. NGOs welcomed the WTO s invitation to attend public sessions. However, many NGO representatives said their access to proceedings and the WTO s work in general is too limited. Others said that representatives of the private sector are granted more access to delegates than the non-profit sector. Your presence is important because you are a bridge an essential link between what we are trying to accomplish in the WTO and what the public expects us to accomplish, WTO Director-General Renato Ruggiero told NGOs in Singapore. I agree that more could be done to make documentation available, to improve transparency, and to expand our dialogue with NGOs, and I will continue to press ahead, bearing in mind that the WTO is a membership-based organization and that we must all agree on a common direction. The WTO s next ministerial conference will be held in Geneva in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the coming into force of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and with it the founding of the multilateral trading system. Switzerland will chair the conference. Contact: WTO, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland. UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SETS UP SUB-GROUP ON NGO PARTICIPATION A sub-group of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the UN System, established by the 51st GA after a series of informal consultations, will examine the question of participation of NGOs in all areas of the UN s work. Go Between provides information on the sub-group and opportunities for NGO inputs. While the exact scope of the sub-group s work has not yet been determined, it will consider how to expand NGO participation in areas of the UN s work outside of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The General Assembly, including its subsidiary bodies, special sessions and global conferences, is increasingly important to NGOs involved in the UN. In addition to economic and social matters, the United Nations also addresses questions related to peace and security, disarmament, and the development of international law (for example the Convention on the Law of the Sea and the establishment of an International Criminal Court), which are of great interest to many NGOs. Background on All Areas The sub-group was set up in response to ECOSOC decision 1996/297, which recommends that the General Assembly examine, at its fifty-first session, the question of the participation of non-governmental organizations in all areas of the work of the United Nations. This was qualified by an interpretive statement, read into the record by the President of ECOSOC, which says the recommendation falls within the competence of the General Assembly as set forth in Article 10 of the United Nations Charter. Governments are now working to reach agreement on the exact interpretation of the hard-won consensus reached in ECOSOC. One interpretation would limit the scope of the sub-group's inquiry to NGO participation in plenaries and main committees of the General Assembly. Another interpretation would mean the sub-group would examine the question of NGO participation in the entire UN system, with the sole exception of the Security Council s ongoing work on specific disputes or situations. Origins of the Sub-Group on NGO Participation On 26 November 1996, GA President Razali Ismail (Malaysia) requested Ambassador Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan) to consult with governments and NGOs on this question. Ambassador Kamal held an informal consultation with governments on 2 December while NGOs observed, on 9 December he consulted with NGOs while governments observed, and on 11 December he met with governments only. Many participants said they would have preferred a separate working group, but a separate working group had not been foreseen in the UN budget, so this was not a viable option. A sub-group seemed both an appropriate and adequate mechanism for the task at hand, as long as the issue of NGOs did not become caught up in the complex package of questions being negotiated in the working group. These findings were presented to the General Assembly on 17 December and taken up by the working group on 23 January. The working group set up the sub-group with Ambassador Kamal as its chair. The sub-group began its first round of consultations on 29 January. It addressed the question of NGO attendance at meetings of the sub-group and its mandate, scope and future programme of work. Opportunities for NGO Participation and Input On 4 February numerous NGOs had the opportunity to make statements to the sub-group. Ambassador Kamal requested that NGOs address the following issues: n their experiences regarding existing practices with the GA, its main committees and other parts of the UN system; n their experiences regarding attendance, seating, and access to documents, the Secretariat and delegates; n advice on whether the current exercise should limit itself to the question of modalities of NGO participation in the work of the General Assembly, its main committees and the international conferences and special sessions; or whether it should also address the desirability and feasibility of NGO participation in all areas of the work of the United Nations; n their understanding of the definition of civil society and views on the proposal for the convening of a Civil Society Forum; n recommendations on exploring new and innovative mechanisms, which could be examined along with those in place over the last 50 years; and n suggestions about introducing equitable geographical balance in the representation of non-governmental organizations. NGOs, which had not been permitted to monitor the sub-group s deliberations on the scope of its work, presented a common statement to the sub-group on 4 February. The statement expressed their grave concern [over] the fact that so many governments, most of which operate on open and democratic principles, are apparently opposing transparency in the sub-group. NGOs also said there should be no delay in agreement on extending arrangements for NGOs to the GA and main committees, since arrangements for NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC (as agreed to in Resolution 1996/31) could form the basis for arrangements in the GA and its main committees. They also said that arrangements for UN conferences as contained in part VII of resolution 1996/31 should provide the basis for arrangements in special sessions convened by the General Assembly. NGOs said that adequately addressing the question of NGO participation in the broader UN system, including its programmes, agencies, treaty bodies and international financial institutions, will require a more complex process of discussion and negotiation. They declared they are willing to contribute to this process but stressed that reaching agreement on arrangements for NGO participation in the GA plenary, its main committees and its special sessions should not be delayed pending a full examination of the UN system. They noted that NGOs already working in the UN system can provide valuable information and recommendations to the sub-group when it addresses this question. The sub-group will hold further meetings over the coming months. NGOs, in addition to contacting their national governments, can send their contributions to the process to: Ambassador Ahmad Kamal, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, Pakistan House, 8 East 65th Street, New York NY 10021 USA, telephone +1-212/879 8600, fax +1-212/744 7348. PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE Structural Adjustment for the Transition to Disarmament: An Assessment of the Role of the Market This discussion paper reviews the macroeconomic effects of military expenditures and the transition to disarmament. It also explores the effects of the peace dividend on growth. Available from: UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax +41-22/907 0057. The Blue Helmets This third edition, prepared by the UN Department of Public Information, traces the course of United Nations peace-keeping from 1948, when the first military observer group was deployed in the Middle East, through early 1996. It also reviews the most intensive period in the history of UN peace-keeping: 23 of the 41 operations covered in this edition have been established since The Blue Helmets was last published in 1990. Available from: UN Publications, Room DC2-853, 2 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 3489, e-mail or UN Publications, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax +41-22/917 0027. UNESCO Publications General History of Africa, Vol. VIII: Africa Since 1935 This 1000-page volume traces Africa s cultural, economic and political history since 1935, when World War II arrived on the continent with Mussolini s invasion of Ethiopia. Its sections include the Struggle for Political Sovereignty, Underdevelopment, Socio-Political Change Since Independence, Pan-Africanism, and Africa in World Affairs. The book, which contains many photographs, maps and an extensive bibliography and index, is part of UNESCO s eight volume series on General History of Africa. The History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol. III The Crossroads of Civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750 This volume, part of a UNESCO series, traces Central Asia s complex mosaic of political events, warring dynasties and ethnic movements from the Third to the Eighth Century. The book, richly illustrated with photographs, provides detailed documentation about the artistic, intellectual and great scientific and literary works of the region as it became more strategically important and made a major contribution to world civilization. Culture of Peace Newsletter This bulletin highlights actions by UNESCO and its partners aimed at promoting lasting peace and development. The bulletin, published three times a year, is available in English, French and Spanish. Available from: UNESCO Publishing, 7 place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris, France, fax +33-1/45 68 57 41. NGOs and the Bank: Incorporating FY95 Progress Report on Cooperation Between the World Bank and NGOs This report examines the relationship between NGOs and the World Bank, ways to strengthen the relationship, and the progress made toward this goal during 1995. Available from: World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433, USA, fax +1-202/477 6391. Child Labour: Targeting the Intolerable This report from ILO chronicles the exploitation and abuse of working children, surveys international and national laws and practices, and describes effective practical actions to eliminate the exploitation and abuse. Available from: International Labour Office (ILO), 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. In Search of Cool Ground: War, Flight and Homecoming in Northeast Africa This book, co-published by the UN Research Institute for Social Development, draws on case studies from Northeast Africa, including Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda. Its chapters include: Assisting Refugees in the Context of Warfare; Reconstituting Households and Reconstructing Home Areas; Responding to Situations of Mass Voluntary Return; and Social Devastation and Mental Health in Northeast Africa. Available from: James Currey Ltd., 54b Thornhill Square, Islington, London N1 1BE, UK. International Fund for Agricultural Development Publications Common Property Resources and the Rural Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa This study concludes that common property regimes are economically rational forms of property and management under specific conditions; and the apparent failure of some to provide a framework for sustainable resource utilization is attributable, in many cases, to the intervention of outside forces, such as governments that have not provided a viable alternative. Building on Project Experiences This paper synthesizes the findings of IFAD case studies on alleviating rural poverty in nine countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). It also draws conclusions about which projects have worked well, and highlights lessons for future project interventions. Available from: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Via del Serafico 107, I-00142 Rome, Italy. NGOs, the UN and Global Governance This book explores the role of NGOs in the international arena and outlines their aims and scope. It provides five case studies focusing on NGOs and critical contemporary issues: AIDS, the environment, human rights, humanitarian relief, and women in development. Available from: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1800 30th Street, Boulder Colorado 80301, USA, or Lynne Rienner Publishers, 3 Henrietta Street, Convent Garden, London WC2E 8LU, UK. NGOs, Civil Society and the State: Building Democracies in Transitional Countries Practitioners and researchers have contributed to this book, which examines the role of NGOs in civil society. It includes thematic chapters and case studies on civil society, and it examines initiatives by Northern NGOs and donors aimed at promoting democracy in the South. Available from: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC) Publications, PO Box 563, Oxford OX2 6RZ, UK, fax +44-1865/201852. A Guide to NGO Essential Drug Policies While many NGOs pressure national governments to adopt essential drugs policies, few have actually implemented the same policies to guide their own activities. This 20-page guide explains why following an essential drugs policy is important and sets out a step-by-step approach to help NGOs develop such a policy. Available from: Health Action International-Europe, Jacob van Lennepkade 334T, 1053 NJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, fax +31-20/685 5002, e-mail . Successful Natural Resource Management in Southern Africa This volume presents nine case studies of natural resource management in Southern Africa. The studies were conducted by universities, NGOs and government agencies. Available from: Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers, PO Box 22830, Windhoek, Namibia. World Summit Follow-Up Series The People s Alliance for Social Development has published eight booklets on follow-up to the 1995 World Summit for Social Development. Topics include eradicating poverty, a national and international enabling environment, generating employment, social integration, lobbying and the media. Available from: People s Alliance for Social Development, PO Box 380, San Bernando, Chile, fax +56-2/857 1160. European Local Government Database This database contains 47,000 names of local government officers in Europe working in economic development, planning, transport, architecture, environmental control, housing and social services. Available from: Newmedia Publishing, 71 Bondway, London SW8 1SQ, UK, fax +44-171/820 8354, e-mail <100615.2361@compuserve.com>. Human Rights Web Site This web site from the UN Centre for Human Rights aims to be the most complete online source of information about UN actions to promote and protect human rights. The site covers, among other things, field operations, treaty monitoring bodies, complaints procedures and voluntary trust funds. The web site can be accessed at http://www.hchr.ch UN Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development Web Site The DPCSD web site covers issues such as climate change, desertification, women, and least developed countries. It also contains up-to-date information on the work of the Commission for Sustainable Development and the special session on the General Assembly to review Agenda 21. The site has links to national research centres, UN information sources and development research institutes. The web page can be accessed at http://www.un.org/dpcsd Protection of Marine Environment Home Page UNEP has set up a home page on the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA). It aims to raise awareness on the global programme of action and facilitate access to the GPA information clearing-house. The home page can be accessed at http://www.unep.org/gpa Social Development Web Site The International Council on Social Welfare has launched a social development web site, which contains information from NGOs, governments, UN agencies and multilateral actors, as well as documentation of recent UN conferences. The site also contains a calendar of events and a table of follow-up action by country. The web site can be accessed at http://www.icsw.org World Trade Organization Home Page The WTO s home page contains press releases, derestricted documents and the newsletter WTO Focus. The home page can be accessed at http://www.wto.org International Institute for Sustainable Development Home Page The IISD s home page on trade provides information on trade laws and the World Trade Organization. The home page can be accessed at http://iisd1.iisd.ca/trade/wto CALENDAR ENVIRONMENT Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) n 5th session, 7-25 April, New York n Special Session of the General Assembly on Agenda 21, 23-27 June, New York UN Convention on the Law of the Sea n Meeting of the States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 10-14 March, New York 19-23 May, New York Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) n Conference of the Parties, 9-20 June, Harare Biodiversity Convention n Open-Ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety, 2nd meeting, 12-16 May, Montreal Climate Change Convention n Conference of the Parties, 3rd session, 1-12 December, Kyoto Convention to Combat Desertification n 11th session, 2 weeks, Geneva n Conference of the Parties, 1st meeting, 29 September-1 October, Rome Global Environment Facility (GEF) n NGO Consultation, 18-19 May, Washington DC n GEF Council Meetings, 20-22 May, Washington DC DISARMAMENT n Conference on Disarmament 1st part, 20 January-27 March 2nd part, 12 May-27 June n Disarmament Commission, 21 April-13 May, New York ECOSOC/GENERAL ASSEMBLY n Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), substantive session, 30 June-25 July, Geneva n 52nd UN General Assembly, 16 September-December, New York HUMAN RIGHTS n Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 50th session, 3-21 March, Geneva n Commission on Human Rights, 53rd session, 10 March-18 April, Geneva n Human Rights Committee, 59th session, 24 March-11 April, New York n Committee Against Torture, 18th session, 28 April-9 May, Geneva n Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 16th session, 28 April-16 May, Geneva 17th session pre-sessional working group,26-30 May, Geneva n Commission on Human Rights, Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Working Group on Minorities, 2nd session, 26-30 May, Geneva n Commission on Human Rights, Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Working Group on Indigenous Populations, 15th session, 28 July-1 August, Geneva Rights of the Child n Committee on the Rights of the Child 15th session, 20 May-6 June, Geneva 16th session pre-sessional working group, 9-13 June, Geneva SOCIAL ISSUES n Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 40th session, 19-24 March, Vienna n Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 6th session, 28 April-9 May, Vienna n Commission on Human Settlements, 16th session, 28 April-7 May, Nairobi n International Labour Conference, 85th session, 3-19 June, Geneva TRADE n United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), 30th session, 12-30 May, Vienna United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) n Commission on Science and Technology for Development, 3rd session, 12-16 May, Geneva n Commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues, 2nd session, 29 September-3 October, Geneva n Trade and Development Board, 44th session, 13-24 October, Geneva UN-NGO ACTIVITIES n Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, 5-16 May, New York WOMEN n Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), 44th session, 10-21 March, New York n Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 7-27 July, New York GUEST EDITORIAL Samir Sanbar Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information The UN and the NGO Community: A Common Mission, A Common Future There was a time, not so long ago, when the question of whether the United Nations should make more room for non-governmental organizations was still a matter for debate within the organization. No more. NGOs who played so vital a part in the founding of the United Nations 51 years ago, contributing time and energy and unique expertise are now recognized not merely as participants, but as important partners in the work of the organization. Indeed, in a very real sense, they are part of the UN. Early this year, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) welcomed NGOs into a new and expanded DPI/NGO Resource Center situated not across the street, as the old one was, but on international territory, within the Secretariat building itself. As the Secretary-General said to the NGOs, This is your home. In September 1997, DPI and more than 1500 national and international NGOs will mark the 50th Anniversary of their working relationship at the annual DPI/NGO Conference at Headquarters. The further strengthening of that partnership could not be more timely. The challenges facing the United Nations in development, peace-keeping and peace-building, and in promoting freedom and justice and respect for human rights have always been daunting. They are even more so now in the aftermath of the Cold War, with the world being swept by the fragmenting, technology-driven winds of globalization. Questions of security not so much of territory, but of people s daily lives loom ever larger in public consciousness, amid deepening worldwide economic inequities, social breakdown, environmental threats and new infectious diseases, unfettered population growth, gender inequality and assaults on human rights. Only the United Nations can lend momentum and visibility to the search for global solutions to these problems and it is DPI s job, at a time of dwindling finances and wavering political will among governments, to spread that message to the widest possible audience. This means seeking out opportunities to reach diverse audiences, especially through such mass media as television and radio; and disseminating, through cyberspace as well as more conventional routes, easily digestible information, using formats such as fact sheets and at a glance explanations of the many complex issues on the organization s agenda. Globalization has brought many new and frightening problems to the fore but it has also provided the ingredients for new solutions, by bringing a surge of new actors onto the world stage. Regional and international organizations, parliamentarians, transnational business groups, academic and policy-research institutions, the media, and especially NGOs, all have vital parts to play in the making of a better world. In the 1990s alone, NGOs have been in the forefront of the UN s development and human rights agenda, not only at the United Nations itself, but in connection with the many global conferences and summits held under UN auspices. The role of NGOs in the landmark agreements of the Earth Summit whose accomplishments will be the subject of a five-year review by the General Assembly in June is but one shining example. Now, on the brink of a new century, with the future role and structure of the United Nations being debated as never before, NGOs and the Department of Public Information must redouble their joint efforts to achieve a crucial mission to carry the good news about the UN far and wide: its goals, its triumphs, and the plain fact of its indispensable role as the one forum for all the world s nations, rich and poor, big and small. As the first General Assembly declared in 1946, Unless the peoples of the world are fully informed of its aims and activities, the United Nations cannot achieve the purposes for which it was founded. It might have added, as can be added now, that without the active assistance and support of civil society above all, the non-governmental community the public information mission of the United Nations cannot succeed.