NO 90 FEBRUARY-MARCH 2002
| UN UPDATE | NGO & OTHER NEWS | FOCUS |
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The International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD) held in Monterrey (Mexico) from 18-22 March 2002, brought together world leaders, and representatives of the private sector, development banks, UN agencies and civil society to create momentum for mobilizing resources from public and private sources for economic development and poverty reduction, as a middle step between the September 2000 Millennium Summit and the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg (South Africa) in August 2002. Mexican President Vicente Fox, serving as President of the Conference, called it “the trigger of a new movement of development.” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told participants that “The clearest, most immediate test of the Monterrey spirit” would be an increase in development assistance, saying that leaders from developing countries “are not here asking for handouts,” but are asking for “the chance for their countries to trade their way out of poverty, which means that the markets of the developed world must be fully and genuinely open to their products, and that unfair subsidies to competing goods must be removed.” The Secretary-General also said that there is “abundant evidence” that aid can bring “spectacular improvements in literacy and spectacular declines in infant mortality, when it is channelled to countries with enlightened leaders and efficient institutions.” The United States and the European Union announced substantial increases in their aid budgets, in the run-up to the Conference. While many Conference participants commented on the inadequacy of the pledges made toward meeting the Millennium Goals, they welcomed that key donors had recognized that the quantity of aid as well as its quality have a significant impact on development. NGOs and business sponsored numerous side events in Monterrey and participated in Ministerial and Heads of State level multistakeholder roundtables. NGOs, in their closing address to the plenary stated their disassociation from the Monterrey Consensus highlighting that in their view it continues to promote a model of development that puts “profits before people.” Joy Kennedy of the Ecumenical Team, speaking of the growing power and reach of the global financial market, which she said was driven by outright greed, said, “How could we rely on such a dysfunctional engine to take us towards sustainable development?” Despite their dissatisfaction with the Consensus, NGOs did recommit themselves to work for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals. An NGLS Roundup on the International Conference on Financing for Development will be forthcoming. |
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United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, presenting her annual report before the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on Human Rights, said that the only long-term guarantor of security against terrorism was through respect for human rights and humanitarian law. She also announced that she would be completing her term as High Commissioner for Human Rights in September 2002. Mrs. Robinson said she was particularly concerned that counter-terrorism strategies pursued after the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington had sometimes undermined international standards and had suppressed or restricted such individual rights as those to privacy, freedom of thought, presumption of innocence, a fair trial, asylum, political participation, free expression and peaceful assembly. She said it was imperative to address the underlying conditions that led individuals and groups to such violence–that there was no doubt that the absence of the rule of law and democracy, violation of the rights of ethnic and minority groups, and situations of domination, discrimination and denigration contributed to the frustration and hatred that led to terrorism. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to the High Commissioner: “During her time as High Commissioner, Mrs. Robinson has achieved remarkable progress in raising the profile of human rights and making them a central issue in all societies. She has travelled far and wide to promote respect for human rights and has never been afraid to take up the cause of the victims of human rights abuses, wherever they occurred. Nor has she ever tired of lending her powerful voice to the cries of these victims, which otherwise might not have been heard.” |
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From 8-10 May 2002, the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, postponed last September, will bring world leaders to New York for a conference focused on global progress for children and the role that investment in children’s education, health and protection can play in building global peace and stability. It will also provide a detailed review of what has been achieved for children and what has not been achieved. The Special Session on Children will conclude with the adoption of a new set of global goals focused on children and an action plan to reach them. |
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| SG's London Lecture on Sustanable... | ||
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In his 25 February 2002 lecture at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London (UK), UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says that sustainable development must mark a break with “business as usual.” “Our way of life has to change, but how, and how fast? “Agenda 21 and all that flowed from it can be said to have given us the ‘what’–what the problem is, what principles must guide our response. Johannesburg must give us the ‘how’–how to bring about the necessary changes in State policy; how to use policy and tax incentives to send the right signals to business and industry; how to offer better choices to individual consumers and producers; how, in the end, to get things done. “Far from being a burden, sustainable development is an exceptional opportunity– economically, to build markets and create jobs; socially, to bring people in from the margins; and politically, to reduce tensions over resources that could lead to violence and to give every man and woman a voice, and a choice, in deciding their own future. One thing we have learnt over the years is that neither doom-and-gloom scenarios nor destructive criticism will inspire people and governments to act. What is needed is a positive vision, a clear road map for getting from here to there, and a clear responsibility assigned to each of the many actors in the system. “Johannesburg must give us that vision–a vision of a global system in which every country has a place, and a share in the benefits. And it must give us all a clear sense of our share in the task. “...Governments have their responsibilities, but so do corporations, civil society groups, and private individuals. I hope at Johannesburg we shall see them all come together in a new coalition–a coalition for responsible prosperity. “In an era of rapid change, it must mark a break with business as usual. In an era of great wealth, it must show how wealth can be shared by all those living, and preserved for those who come after. And in an era of insecurity, it must offer the prospect of peace through hope; hope that life tomorrow will be better–safer, fairer, more enjoyable–than it is today. “Will the three conferences–Doha, Monterrey, Johannesburg–find a place in the history books? It depends on us. If we do not fulfil their promise, they will disappear into the driest of footnotes. But I like to think that they will merit a chapter in themselves–a chapter that can be summarized like this: ‘Challenged by the goals its political leaders had set at the Millennium Summit, and shocked into a stronger sense of common destiny by the horror of 11 September 2001, during the following 12 months the human race at last summoned the will to tackle the really tough issues facing it. In passionate debates, held in the meeting rooms and corridors of three great world assemblies, it painstakingly assembled the tools, thrashed out the strategies, and formed the creative partnerships that were needed to do the job.’” |
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| SG Outlines Conflict Prevention Strategy | ||
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In his 7 March address to the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlined steps to effective conflict prevention: “As an Organization, we are determined to focus much more on preventive action. There will be: —Frequent Security Council
visits to areas of potential armed conflict–one example is
the Security Council mission to Eritrea/Ethiopia ahead of the results
of the Boundary Commission report expected at the end of March. “I am encouraged that the Security Council responded to my request with a resolution that strengthened the message of my report and emphasized the commitment of the Council to conflict prevention. “Significantly, this commitment includes an expression of the Council’s readiness to address potential armed conflicts resulting from violations of human rights and humanitarian law. The resolution also recognized the need to give early attention to regional dimensions of incipient armed conflicts and to devise appropriate responses.” The Secretary-General concluded by saying that whether these kinds of measures are implemented will depend on two critical factors: political will and appropriate resources, adding that the participation of civil society, the private sector and independent organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations is necessary for successful implementation. |
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| ILO Establishes New Commission | ||
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a top-level commission to address the social dimension of globalization, comprising presidents, politicians, academics, social experts and a Nobel Economics laureate. The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization–whose ultimate goal is to use the process of globalization as a resource to reduce poverty and unemployment, and to foster growth and sustainable development–will be led by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa. “The Commission is an unprecedented effort to promote international dialogue on ideas to make globalization more inclusive, at a time when the debate is dominated more by polemics and preconceptions than by facts,” said ILO Director-General Juan Somavía. “For some, globalization has been an instrument for progress. It has created wealth, expanded opportunities and provided a nurturing environment for entrepreneurship and enterprise. But for others, it has exacerbated inequalities and insecurity. They fear that the risks are too great, the benefits too small,” he added. According to Mr. Somavía, the Commission will “examine ways in which all international organizations can contribute to a more inclusive globalization process that is acceptable and fair to all.” In its effort to formulate concrete actions to guide and shape the process of globalization, the Commission will also: —Establish the facts and outline the main contours and dynamics
of the process; According to ILO, this is the first time that an independent Commission has been co-chaired by two sitting Heads of State. Its members so far include: former Italian Premier Giuliano Amato; Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Economics; Julio Maria Sanguinetti, former President of the Republic of Uruguay; Ruth C.L. Cardoso, First Lady of Brazil and President of its Community Solidarity Council; Ann McLaughlin Korologos, Vice Chairman of the Rand Corporation and former US Secretary of Labour; Surin Pitsuwan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand; Deepak Nayyar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi and former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India; Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Peru; John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO; Francois Perigot, President of the International Organization of Employers and former Chairman and CEO of Unilever France; and Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of the Confederation of South African Trade Unions. Contact: Department of Communication, ILO, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7940, fax +41-22/799 8577, e-mail <presse@ilo.org>, website (www.ilo.org). |
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| Day of Dialogue on Gender and FFD | ||
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On 25 February 2002 the United Nations Interagency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) Taskforce on Gender and Financing for Development organized a Day of Dialogue on Gender and Financing for Development at UN headquarters in New York, bringing together representatives of Member States, academia, the UN system and NGOs. They discussed gender perspectives in relation to issues raised in preparations for the International Conference on Financing for Development (ICFFD), held in Monterrey (Mexico) from 18-22 March 2002. During the discussions participants also attempted to identify ways and means to ensure continued focus on gender perspectives in the follow-up to the conference. Angela King, UN Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues, moderated the dialogue. Keynote speakers included Ambassador Shamsad Ahmad (Pakistan), co-chair of the bureau of the Preparatory Committee for the ICFFD; Ambassador Milos Alcalay (Venezuela), Chair of the Group of 77 developing countries (G-77); and Professor Isabella Bakker from York University. According to Ms. King, concerted efforts of delegates, staff of UN entities, academia, NGOs and civil society groups have brought greater attention to gender perspectives in ICFFD preparations, and as a result, important references to gender equality in the Monterrey Consensus document have been made. The Special Adviser pointed out that this progress needed to be assessed on three levels. Firstly, she identified as critical: the document’s recognition that development must be gender-sensitive; acknowledgement that gender equality is an essential element of good governance; defining women’s empowerment as one of the priorities for economic development; and the priority given to micro-credit for women and gender-responsive budgets. Secondly, the Monterrey Consensus provides a conducive environment for further work on promoting gender equality in discussions of financing for development, Ms. King said. Thirdly, she noted that promoting the incorporation of gender perspectives in the preparations for the ICFFD had been an important awareness-raising exercise and the preparatory process had provided a unique opportunity for placing gender on the financing for development agenda. Ms. King identified areas for further work where gender perspectives are critical as revenue raising; resource allocation; taxation; social welfare systems; social policy; pension systems and saving schemes. Foreign direct investment, which is not gender sensitive, can perpetuate or exacerbate gender differences and inequalities. Gender perspectives on systemic and institutional issues, trade development, debt management and official development assistance also need much greater attention, she said. Contact: UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women, Carolyn Hannan, Director, 2 UN Plaza, Office DC2-1250, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 9750, fax +1-212/963 3463, website (www.un.org/womenwatch). |
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| International Womens' Day Celebrated | ||
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A number of ceremonies were held to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2002. In New York, a televised event on the topic Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities was organized by Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Angela King, and the Department of Public Information (DPI), in collaboration with the UN Inter-Agency Network of Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). It featured addresses from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, First Lady of the United States Laura Bush, President of the General Assembly Han Seung-soo, and Security Council President Ole Peter Kolby. The event focused on the needs of Afghan women and girls, and on ways they can contribute to the reconstruction process. In Geneva, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) invited three young women, Zlata Filipovic of Bosnia, and Latifa Rohina Sadat and Chekeba Hachemi, both from Afghanistan, to share their experiences of living in conflict situations. They called attention not only to the large number of women and girls who have suffered in harsh conditions, but also to their resilience in overcoming adversity and their optimism for the future. All three spoke of the need not to “forget” their countries now that war was over. ILO Director-General Juan Somavía and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers also addressed the audience on the theme of youth, women and conflict. In his Women’s Day Statement, the Secretary-General looked over events of the past year as well as looking ahead to upcoming events to further progress on women’s issues: “We can and should draw strength from the progress that has taken place in the past year. In Afghanistan, after years of conflict, hardship and human rights violations, hope has returned to women and girls who are yet again exercising their rights to education, work and an active role in society. At the United Nations, Security Council resolution 1325 of 2000 continues to inspire Member States to address women, peace and security on several fronts: to protect women from the impact of armed conflict, but also to strengthen their role in peace-building and reconstruction. In a growing number of countries, ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is ensuring the right of women to petition an international body when their rights are violated. And in the international community as a whole, there has been growing recognition of the importance of the advancement of women in the fight against the AIDS epidemic, as reflected in the outcome of the General Assembly’s Special Session on HIV/AIDS. “There will be several important opportunities for further progress in the weeks and months ahead. The International Conference on Finance for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development offer important opportunities to recognize the central role of women in achieving sustainable development in a globalizing world. The Second World Assembly on Ageing will address the dramatic impact on women of global population ageing, and the need to ensure that all women can age with security and dignity. And the General Assembly’s Special Session on Children is expected to set specific, time-bound targets for protecting and fulfilling the rights of all children and women. “On this International Women’s Day, as we prepare for the vital challenges before us, let us all be mindful that the achievement of women’s rights is not the responsibility of women alone–it is the responsibility of us all. Let us step up our efforts to create an environment where progress towards gender equality is not a daily struggle, but a natural part of all our actions. Let that resolve underpin all our work to translate the Millennium Declaration into reality.” |
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| ILO/ICAO Meetings on Civil Aviation | ||
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An International Labour Organization (ILO) meeting on civil aviation held in Geneva from 21-25 January 2002 concluded with a call for comprehensive worldwide standards to improve airline security and protect employees and employers as the struggling industry seeks to recover from what ILO calls the industry’s “worst crisis since the Second World War.” Approximately 200 delegates representing governments, airlines and labour unions agreed on the need to find solutions to bring the industry back to stability, restore revenues and profits and continue investments in infrastructure improvement. They also stressed that the restoration of consumer confidence is a critical element to any recovery. Participants noted that several airlines had already announced redundancies or had plans in place to manage the forecasted downturn of the industry before 11 September 2001. The employment effects of the downturn combined with the 11 September attacks have resulted in the loss of approximately 400,000 jobs worldwide, according to the ILO. The ILO report Tripartite Meeting on Civil Aviation: Social and Safety Consequences Subsequent to 11 September 2001, prepared for the meeting, warns that the consequences of layoffs among airline staff will spread to other segments of the labour market. “For every direct flight job lost, at least four jobs are lost on the ground in airports (in such areas as catering, baggage, maintenance and airport security) and approximately three jobs around the perimeter of airports (in hotels, transport and support services for airlines and passengers).” The report concludes that “One of the consequences of the present crisis is that a number of airlines around the world will find themselves in financial difficulties. Some will be forced to cease operations and be placed in liquidation, others may be re-nationalized or receive subsidies. The end result will be a move in the direction of industry consolidation that will present challenges for governments, users and airlines alike.” The ILO says that experts differ as to when a turnaround in the industry will occur. Some market segments–such as the low-cost carriers in Europe and intra-regional carriers in Asia–are surviving well and even growing in the current climate, but these are exceptions, the report notes. It adds that “traffic forecasts for short-term growth are all negative,” and suggests that “the full rebound will take place in 2003, some 18-24 months after the disaster impact.” Other factors that can delay recovery include recessionary conditions worldwide and sharp increases in insurance and security costs, combined with lingering passenger concerns over safety. The meeting made a number of recommendations, some of which include: —The orderly evolution in air
transport services should be ensured within the framework of International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and of its principles of sovereignty
and reciprocity, so as to facilitate the participation of all nations
in the provision of and the enjoyment of the economic benefits resulting
from aviation services. —Governments should recognize the critical public interest role that civil aviation plays in the overall economy and afford it an appropriate place in national or regional strategic planning. The meeting also urged governments to ensure the provision of unemployment benefits, health insurance, and training and retraining for unemployed workers; provide support (including funding) for security and insurance costs to avoid job cuts from being the main focus for adjustments; ensure the independence and integrity of national aviation safety regulators; in coordination with ICAO, consider the establishment of effective legal protection and remedies against violence at work for cabin staff, including a review of jurisdictional issues and the establishment of safety requirements and procedures, among others. In related news, a global strategy to strengthen aviation security was the focus of ICAO’s High-Level Ministerial Conference held in Montreal (Canada) from 19-20 February 2002. Representatives of 187 ICAO Contracting States approved the ICAO’s Aviation Security Plan of Action, which includes regular, mandatory, systematic and harmonized audits to enable evaluation of aviation security arrangements in place in ICAO Member States. An indicative cost of the security oversight programme is US$17 million, of which more than US$15 million will have to come from new contributions. The programme will initially cover the period 2002 to 2004 and serve to identify and correct deficiencies in the implementation of ICAO security-related standards. Many developing countries have called for financial help in implementing the new security measures. ICAO Secretary-General Renato Claudio Costa Pereira called for “systematic, long-term and unrestricted contributions” to fund the plan. Contact: Department of Communication, ILO, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7940, fax +41-22/799 8577, e-mail <presse@ilo.org>, website (www.ilo.org). ICAO, External Relations and Public Information Office, 999 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3C 5H7, Canada, telephone + 1 514 954 8219; fax + 1 514 954 6077; e-mail <icaohq@icao.int>, website (www.icao.int). |
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| UN: Number of Older People Rising | ||
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One out of ten people is 60 years old or over, according to statistics released by the United Nations Population Division. The total number of the elderly is projected to rise from 629 million people worldwide to almost 2 billion in 2050, outnumbering the 0-14 year-old category. The Division also says that among the elderly, the fastest-growing segment–12% of the elderly population–is aged 80 and above. The population of over 100-year-olds is projected to increase 15 times, from approximately 210,000 in 2002 to 3.2 million in 2050. The majority of older persons are women, and among people aged over 60 worldwide, there are 81 men to 100 women. Among those aged 80 and above, the ratio is 53 men to 100 women. Longevity has led to this growth in the elderly population as life expectancy at birth has climbed by 20 years since 1950. There are, however, differences in mortality levels between countries. In the least developed countries, men who reach the age of 60 can expect 15 more years, and women 16. In the more developed regions, men can expect 18 years and women 23. These demographic changes will affect social security schemes, especially systems in which current workers pay for current retirees. The ratio of workers to retirees will decline from five in 2002 to two in 2050 in development regions and from 12 to five in less developed countries. In countries with high per capita incomes, 31% of men and 10% of women aged over 60 were still economically active, compared to 50% of men and 19% of women in less developed regions. This data contributed to preparations for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, to held from 8-12 April in Madrid. Contact: Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3179, fax +1-212/963 2147, website (www.unpopulation.org). The statistics are also available in a wall chart entitled Population Ageing 2002. |
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The Commission for Social Development, acting as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, held its second substantive session from 25 February-1 March 2002 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Although progress was made in negotiating the outcome documents for the conference–the Declaration and the 2002 International Plan of Action (POA) on Ageing–delegates could not reach full agreement on the whole text. Negotiations on the outcome documents will continue throughout the conference, which is being held from 8-12 April 2002 in Madrid (Spain). Recognizing that the ageing of the global population is one of the defining characteristics of the 21st century, the ultimate goal of the POA is to respond to opportunities and challenges of individual and population ageing, to promote the development of “a society for all ages.” The POA includes four dimensions: individual lifelong development; multi-generational relationships, the inter-relationship between population ageing and development; and the situation of older persons. It also contains recommendations for action in three priority areas: development for an ageing world; advancing health and wellbeing into old age; and ensuring an enabling and supportive environment. The Plan includes inputs from regional commissions and NGOs, including developing country grassroots groups who participated in a civil society consultation in Thailand in November 2001. The International Plan of Action on Ageing, which was adopted at the First World Assembly in Vienna (Austria) in 1982, has guided the thinking and action on ageing over the past 20 years. However, remarkable demographic changes are currently taking place, and by the middle of the 21st century the old and the young are expected to represent equal shares of the world population. Globally, the proportion of persons aged 60 years and older is expected to double between 2000 and 2050. The proposed POA calls for changes in attitudes, policies and practices at all levels and in all sectors, so that the enormous potential of ageing in the 21st century may be fulfilled. Recognizing that the foundation for a healthy and enriching old age is laid early in life, the Plan stresses the importance of integrating the evolving process of global ageing within the larger process of development. It is intended to become a political tool to allow policy makers to focus on key priorities associated with ageing at both the individual and population levels. The POA acknowledges the common features of the nature of ageing and the challenges it presents and also provides specific recommendations to be adapted to the circumstances of each country. Among the reports considered by the PrepCom was the “Report of the Secretary-General on the abuse of older persons” (A/CN.5/2002/PC/2), which recognizes for the first time the abuse of older persons as a human rights issue. The human rights framework draws attention to the political issues of abuse of older persons and discrimination, challenging the abuse of economic and social means and entitlements of older persons and considering effective responses to abuse and violence. In related news, HelpAge International will launch its State of the World’s Older People 2002 in Madrid on 8 April 2002 to coincide with the opening of the Second World Assembly. The report reflects the views and experiences of older people, as expressed in consultations held in developing countries and in east and central Europe. Drawing on research carried out by the HelpAge International network, the report shows that chronic poverty blights the lives of the increasing numbers of older people in the developing world; public services such as healthcare, HIV/AIDS programmes and social security discriminate against older people; worldwide, many older people, especially older women, suffer isolation that can result in abuse and violence; governments and aid donors at both the national and international level, ignore older people’s contributions to society and fail to provide adequate resources to meet their needs. The report analyzes the key challenges that ageing populations pose for policy makers, with regional surveys on Africa, Asia, Latin America and east and central Europe. It also provides global and regional statistical data on older people and a survey of the policies on ageing adopted by national governments and donor states/agencies. The report notes that eight million children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa are being cared for by older relatives. In Zimbabwe, 65% of those aged between 60-64 are economically active. HelpAge International is calling for a rights-based approach to development that would increase networking and support to older people’s organizations. Some of the report’s ten recommendations include: recognizing the human rights of older people and the benefits of population ageing for human development; allocating older people their fair share of national and global resources; guaranteeing adequate social protection and minimum income in old age; making credit, employment, training and education schemes available to people regardless of age; include and consult older people in emergency aid and rehabilitation planning after disasters and humanitarian crises; and establish international practice standards to govern public policy on ageing. Contact: Yao Ngoran, NGO Focal Point, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2 UN Plaza, Room 1376, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3175, fax +1-212/963 3062, e-mail <ngoran@un.org>, website (www.un.org/esa/socdev). Sarah Graham-Brown, Media Officer, HelpAge International, 1st Floor, York House, 207-221 Pentonville Road, London N1 9ZN, UK, telephone +44-20/7278 7778, fax +44-20/7843 1840. |
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| Sierra Leone War Crimes Tribunal Established | ||
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The United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone signed a landmark agreement in Freetown on 16 January 2002 establishing a Special Court to prosecute persons bearing “the greatest responsibility” for war crimes during the country’s decade-long civil war. The signing of the agreement ended a process that began on 14 August 2000 when the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1315, which requested UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to negotiate the creation of an independent special court with the Sierra Leone Government. The agreement was witnessed by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah and signed by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Solomon Berewa, on behalf of Sierra Leone and by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Hans Corell. President Kabbah welcomed the Court, expressing the hope that it would help bring “sustainable peace in Sierra Leone.” He also voiced his appreciation for the commitment the international community had demonstrated through the establishment of the Special Court, expressing his conviction that “the UN will help Sierra Leone accept the rule of law.” n his remarks at the signing ceremony, Mr. Corell called the agreement “the first step on the path to combating impunity and addressing the accountability for the serious crimes committed in Sierra Leone that have shocked the conscience of humankind.” He appealed to the people of Sierra Leone to support the work of the Special Court as well as the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Mr. Corell also appealed to traditional leaders to set an example and “draw from other African experiences to instill the importance of accountability through the rule of law.” The Court will have temporal jurisdiction over war crimes committed since 30 November 1996 and the Secretary-General will appoint a non-Sierra Leonean prosecutor, as well as two of the three trial judges and three of the five appeals judges to assure the tribunal’s independence. International staff at the Registry of the Court and among the prosecutor’s staff and investigators will also ensure independence. In preparation for the establishment of the Court, a UN planning team, headed by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Ralph Zacklin, held a series of meetings with the Sierra Leone Government Task Force to discuss practical issues such as premises, prosecutions and investigations. It also met with local professional groups and civil society organizations, including human rights groups such as Amnesty International, National Forum for Human Rights, Campaign for Good Governance and the Council of Churches. After a meeting with a group of the country’s lawyers, Mr. Zacklin said that there was an “extremely vibrant and committed” bar association in Sierra Leone whose members had been “waiting for this Special Court” to be established. According to Mr. Zacklin, funding is assured for at least three years of the Court’s operation. Contact: UN Office of Legal Affairs, Room S-3427, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 6430, website (http://untreaty.un.org/ola-internet/olc.htm). |
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| IFAD Calls for a More Balanced Approach | ||
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Speaking at the close of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 25th Governing Council, held in Rome (Italy) from 19-20 February 2002, IFAD President Lennart Båge called for a more balanced approach to distributing development funds, saying that a shift away from spending on the rural poor was hampering chances of making real progress in tackling poverty. Working under the overall theme Financing Development–The Rural Dimension, participants said they hoped the meeting would carry an important message to the International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey (Mexico) from 18-22 March 2002. “Heads of State and Government from all over the world have made the commitment to the Millennium Summit goals. Now we will have to see how they will be financed,” Mr. Båge said. “Our message is: ‘Look at overall funding–it needs to be increased. Look at how money is being spent in order to have an effect on poverty reduction.’” Progress towards a more secure future for millions of people in the developing world is also being impeded by international trade practices, said Mr. Båge. Export subsidies given by countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)–now totalling around US$1 billion a day–make it difficult for poor farmers to compete. “The only way for the poorest areas to grow out of poverty is by enhancing productivity and agriculture,” said Mr. Båge. “I think much more focus has to be placed on the subsidy system and on the problems it creates for development.” In his address, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, warned of the plight of the rural poor, and said that globalization should have a human face. “As we are all aware, the mainstay of the rural economy is agriculture. Unfortunately, as has been severally observed, the hopes that the WTO Agreements raised for the rural world have since been dashed by the strategic protection given by the developed countries to their agriculture through export subsidies, tariffs, quotas and other restrictions on commodity imports from the developing countries. Under these circumstances globalization and the present one-way trade liberalization can only worsen the economic plight of the rural poor in the developing world.” Mr. Obasanjo also spoke of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), a strategic framework for socio-economic development conceived by African leaders to promote growth, eradicate poverty and halt the marginalization of Africa, saying it “offers a unique platform for the industrialized countries to enter into a genuine partnership with Africa, based on mutual interest and shared commitments.” Mr. Obasanjo called for financial systems for the rural poor and commercial banks to be put in place, as well as development programmes involving governments and NGOs in order to create rural empowerment. Stating that the challenges facing the rural poor must be identified and addressed at the local level if help is to be given where it is needed, Mr. Båge said the Fund has drawn up strategies for six regions (Asia and the Pacific; Central Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States; Eastern and Southern Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean; Near East and North Africa; and Western and Central Africa) where assistance is being channelled in an effort to step up the impetus towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The plans of action were discussed at roundtable sessions for each of the regions. IFAD said that it has three strategic objectives for 2000-2006: strengthened capacity of the rural poor, improved access to productive resources and technology, and greater access to financial services and markets. Contact: IFAD, Via del Serafico 107, I-00142 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06/54591, fax +39-06/5459 2141, e-mail <ifad@ifad.org>, website (www.ifad.org). |
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Meeting in Cairo (Egypt) from 4-8 February 2002 for the 22nd United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Africa, agriculture ministers and delegates from 45 African countries discussed the need to strengthen the fight against AIDS and issues related to land and water resources, food security, fisheries, gender, and sustainable rural development. The meeting is one of five regional consultations being held by the FAO in the build-up to the World Food Summit: five years later (WFS:fyl), to be held in Rome from 10-13 June 2002 (see NGLS Roundup 86). The ministerial meeting underlined the need for reform and harmonization of African policies as delegates called attention to the fact that several African countries currently face serious economic difficulties. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told the conference that this is “the only region in the developing world where per capita food supply has fallen for the last four years, exposing vast sectors of the population to food insecurity and malnutrition.” He also pointed out that “Africa has some 200 million people affected by malnutrition. This is largely due to the limited possibilities of food production for domestic consumption and to poor organization of distribution networks and markets.” Dr. Diouf called for increased investment in Africa aimed at rural infrastructure, including small-scale irrigation, rehabilitation and conservation of soils, storage and processing facilities, rural roads and markets. “An estimated US$37 billion are needed for water control and land improvement infrastructure alone,” he highlighted. He stressed that the new negotiations to be undertaken by the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly in agriculture, “should provide the developing countries with greater opportunities to participate in international trade.” The FAO Director-General also warned of the threat that AIDS poses to food security and rural development in Africa, adding that “Of the 36 million people infected worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa is the region hardest hit with an affected population of 24.5 million.” According to FAO, some seven million agricultural workers have already died from AIDS in this region and another 20 million could die before 2020. Not only does the disease take a heavy toll on the agricultural labour force, it also undermines agricultural productivity and compromises long-term development, FAO says. The conference addressed the need for boosting surveillance efforts in the fight to combat illegal fishing off the shores of African countries. It also discussed the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which was initiated in July 2001 at the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit in Lusaka (Zambia), and FAO’s role in the initiative. NEPAD emphasizes food security and encourages agricultural policies that increase investment in agricultural development and intra-African trade in agricultural commodities. Ministers and delegates at the meeting called on countries to participate in FAO’s Special Programme for Food Security as a NEPAD programme. The FAO Director-General called the participation of the African Heads of State and Government at the upcoming World Food Summit: five years later “essential for its success. I am confident that they will attend in force as they did in 1996.” Heads of 30 African non-governmental and civil society organizations (NGOs/CSOs) held a two-day consultation parallel to the regional FAO meeting. NGO/CSO leaders expressed concern about the new challenges resulting from the WTO’s 4th Ministerial Meeting held in Doha (Qatar) last November concerning agricultural commodities. They also stressed that structural adjustment programmes continue to have a negative impact on the agricultural sector in Africa. The NGO/CSO consultation produced a plan of action which identifies as priorities the achievement of food sovereignty and the right to adequate food; effective models of agricultural production; peace, democracy and good governance; programmes to curb the growing HIV/AIDS threat; public health; gender equality; financing for agriculture and the improvement of rural infrastructures. Participants also called for the amendment of African constitutions to include the right to adequate and safe food for all, to develop a code of conduct for the right to food, to raise consumer awareness about genetically modified organisms (GMOs), to monitor the effect of WTO decisions on African agriculture and to support and enhance indigenous food preservation methods. Contact: Media Office, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06 5705 3625, fax +39-06/5705 3699, e-mail <media-office@fao.org>, website (www.fao.org). |
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The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) held its 26th session from 14 January-1 February 2002 at UN headquarters in New York. Chaired by Charlotte Abaka (Ghana), the 23-member Committee considered reports of eight States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and made recommendations for the advancement of women in Estonia, Fiji, Iceland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. Although manifestations of gender inequality took various shapes in the countries presenting their cases, domestic violence and the prevalence of patriarchal stereotypes emerged as serious issues affecting most countries. In addition to legislative and political measures to ensure gender equality, the experts stressed the need for collecting accurate statistics on violence against women and special training for law enforcement officials to handle cases of violence. They also recommended awareness-raising measures among the general public and education of women regarding their rights. The Russian Federation reported that some 14,000 women die annually as a result of domestic violence. Fiji, the first country in the Pacific region to report to the Committee, said it was making progress in enforcing the custom of apology and reconciliation that is the legally accepted punishment for the crime of rape. The Committee commended Portugal on its efforts to understand the root causes of violence, noting that the country had not only introduced legislation to protect women victims of violence, but had also established prevention and support systems for women. Speakers in the debate, however, noted that the low number of men prosecuted and convicted for violence against women is not proportionate to the high incidence of that crime. The Committee expressed concern over the resurgence of traditional gender stereotypes towards women reported by Estonia, where according to a recent survey even the most highly educated people believe that women should not participate in politics. The country representatives said that a special strategy was being drafted to address the matter. Regarding Sri Lanka, the Committee noted the striking contrast between the country’s many well-educated and accomplished women and the “boats full of people” who left the country “in practically slave conditions” in search of work. The experts praised the country’s efforts to implement the Convention despite a long period of civil strife and economic difficulties, but stressed the need to educate women in conflict zones about their rights and grievance procedures. The status of women in Trinidad and Tobago compared favorably with that of other middle-income developing countries, the Committee said, praising the enactment of equal opportunity legislation and other laws to promote the advancement of women. The Committee pointed out that women continued to be the subject of a wide range of gender-based constraints, however, with even well-educated women underpaid in every sector of employment, except when employed by the State. Uruguay received the harshest critique from the Committee, which expressed “great concern” over the slow pace of the implementation of the Convention, pointing out that there was neither de facto nor de jure equality in the country, while noting that the Government had not even followed the guidelines for reporting. The Committee also questioned Iceland’s decision not to incorporate the Convention into domestic law, noting a gender gap in pay and a high percentage of women in part-time rather than full-time work. The experts welcomed certain visible achievements, however, particularly in the field of education. The outcome of the session also included a statement by the Committee on solidarity with women in Afghanistan. Recognizing that Afghan women had suffered “every privation known to humankind,” losing all of their fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, education, health and work, the Committee stressed the importance of Afghan women’s participation “as full and equal partners with men” in the reconstruction and development of the country. The Committee noted that the human rights of women, as provided for in the Convention–which Afghanistan signed in 1980–should guide all actions in Afghanistan in both the public and private spheres. Contact: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2-1228, New York, NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3162, fax +1-212/963 3463, e-mail <connorsj@un.org>, website (www.un.org/Womenwatch/daw/cedaw/26sess.htm). |
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During its annual International Women’s Day Celebration on 8 March 2002, the World Food Programme (WFP) honoured outgoing Executive Director Catherine Bertini for the many significant initiatives she has undertaken on behalf of hungry poor women around the world during her two terms in office. Ms. Bertini was the first American woman to head a UN agency. Since taking office in April 1992, she has brought about many changes at WFP. Under her direction, instead of simply providing food aid, the agency began to focus on women as the most effective means of ensuring fair food distribution. In many poor societies, women grow, prepare and serve food to their families. Working with women and helping them with food aid to improve their lives and the lives of their families is very effective, says WFP, and even more so when food aid is provided as part of larger schemes to educate and train women, who are then often able to lead their families out of poverty. “Women account for an estimated 70% of the 770 million poorest people in the world. To overcome poverty, you have to partner with women,” Ms. Bertini has said. “Women are not simply vulnerable people to be targeted as beneficiaries but they can be dynamic agents of social change.” WFP says that it aims to put between 50 and 90% of its food distribution under the control of women. Over 80% of WFP country offices organize women into food-aid committees to identify and help needy beneficiaries, a 72% increase since 1996. “Focusing on women isn’t just talk. They are the starting point of every project we implement,” the outgoing Executive Director has said. “From emergencies and development to school feeding and food-for-work projects, the operational objective is to put women in charge or to use food aid to help them learn and take control of their lives.” Ms. Bertini also devoted much effort to promoting girls’ education. The WFP’s take-home ration projects provide basic food items, such as a sack of rice or a can of cooking oil, to families in exchange for sending their daughters to school. These rations often compensate parents for the loss of their daughters’ labour and enable girls to receive an education. In some areas, school attendance rates among girls have risen by up to 300%. Within the agency, Ms. Bertini has also worked to increase the number of female staff and to place them in key positions. In 1992, there were only six senior professional women in the organization, while today there are 59 senior women managers and the total number of female professional staff has increased to 37%. Respected in the UN and the international community for her role in insisting that the Taliban let women work in WFP-sponsored bakeries in Afghanistan, Ms. Bertini has become an international advocate for the world’s poor women. “WFP’s mission is to end hunger,” she has said. “In households across the world, it is women who are working to do that. We must work with them.” Contact: Jeff Rowland, Public Affairs Officer, WFP, Via Cesare Giulio 68, I-00148 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06/6513 2971, fax +39-06/6513 2840, e-mail <jeffrey.rowland@wfp.org>, website (www.wfp.org). |
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The newly established United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings concluded its first week-long session on 1 March 2002, where no particular conclusions were reached, but “basic trends of views” had emerged. Committee Chairman Peter Tomka (Slovakia) described the session as a “learning process” for many, with attention being focused on a number of issues involving important and fundamental policy, ethical and technical questions. Created by General Assembly Resolution 56/93 of 12 December 2001 (see NGLS Roundup 87), the Assembly decided that the first meeting of the Committee should seek to define a negotiating mandate for such a convention. The Committee’s report recognized that there was general agreement that the reproductive cloning of human beings was a “troubling and unethical” development in biotechnology that should be prohibited. The preference of some delegations for a “focused approach and a negotiating mandate” on a universal ban while the wish of others for a more comprehensive approach that included a ban on cloning for “therapeutic, experimental and research purposes for reasons of precaution and efficacy to address the real issues present in our society” was also reviewed in the report. During the general debate, several speakers favoured placing the treaty in the context of the human rights framework. Michael O’Flaherty, New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, adopted in November 1997, was central to the discussions regarding reproductive human cloning, and that it was grounded in the notion that research on the human genome should fully respect human rights. While a recent Human Rights Commission resolution drew attention to the importance of research on the human genome and its applications for the improvement of the health of individuals and mankind as a whole, it also highlighted the need to safeguard human rights and human dignity and protect the confidentiality of genetic data. France and Germany proposed an initiative for a legal instrument banning the reproductive cloning of human beings, saying that like “all other serious threats to human dignity, including torture, racism and terrorism, the reproductive cloning of human beings required a binding universal norm to prevent it.” The German representative, speaking on behalf of both countries, also said it was critical to come to terms with that challenge, swiftly and without delay. The initiative calls for a global treaty to be elaborated within the context of the United Nations, and suggests that the Sixth Committee would be the most suited to undertake such negotiations, which will most likely pose complex legal and technical problems. The Russian Federation’s representative called for a painstaking and balanced analysis that would follow a strict scientific assessment of the genetic and social implications before any decision was made. The World Health Organization (WHO), which has addressed the cloning issue in various forums and adopted texts declaring that its use for reproductive purposes was ethically unacceptable and harmful to the dignity of the human being, endorsed the view that a ban should not prohibit all cloning procedures and research. WHO said that scientific research involving stem cells, including from embryonic tissue, could yield new treatments for disease, adding that a full and open debate on the subject would yield conclusions about the utility, safety and desirability of stem-cell research. |
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According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission Task Force has reached agreement on a final draft of Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Biotechnology. The Codex Alimentarius, also known as the food code, has become an international reference point for developments associated with food standards since it was established in 1961. The code has had an impact on the thinking of health authorities, government food control officials, manufacturers, scientists and consumer advocates, as well as on consumer awareness. The Principles will provide a framework for evaluating the safety and nutritional aspects of genetically modified (GM) foods, as well as defining the need for a pre-market safety assessment of all such foods on a case-by-case basis. FAO and WHO say the assessment should look into both intended and unintended effects, and identify new or altered hazards, especially in regard to key nutrients and potential allergenic components. The Principles also say that efforts should be made to improve the capability of regulatory authorities, particularly in developing countries, to assess and manage the safety of GM foods. The Principles provide guidance related to analytical methods and other tools to be used in risk management. The two agencies say that the Task Force has “reached a very important new agreement concerning the tracing of GM products for the purpose of facilitating withdrawal from the market when a risk to human health has been identified.” The Task Force, which has been hosted by Japan since 2000, will continue to develop guidelines for risk assessment of GM foods originating from microorganisms until March 2003. The final work of the Task Force will be submitted to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at its next meeting in Rome (Italy) scheduled for July 2003. Contact: Secretariat, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06/57051, fax +39-06/5705 4593, e-mail <codex@fao.org>, website (www.codexalimentarius.net). Jorgen Schlundt, WHO Coordinator, Food Safety Service, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, fax +41-22/791 4807, e-mail <schlundtj@who.int>, website (www.who.int). |
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The Working Group on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) of the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) held its second meeting in Geneva, from 18-20 February 2002, to discuss options for its draft decision on GMOs in the context of the Aarhus Convention for the first Meeting of Parties (MOP-1), to be held in Italy in October 2002. It considered a two-track approach of legally and non-legally binding measures; the scope, structure and content of the draft guidelines, as well as their voluntary and non-legally binding nature; and alternative ways to address the legally binding approach of the draft decision. Considering the non-legally binding approach, the Working Group called for a new draft of guidelines on public participation in decision making on GMOs. No decision was made on the legally binding track, and the secretariat was invited to prepare a revised draft decision to be discussed by the Working Group at its third meeting, scheduled for 17-19 June 2002, in preparation for MOP-1. Comments were also provided concerning notification and access to information; public participation and decision making; and collection and dissemination of information on activities with GMOs. More specifically, some delegations pointed out the need to avoid duplication with other instruments, especially the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; to include information on the means of protection from a GMO-related threat; and the addition of draft legislation and draft policy documents to the list of information which should be actively disseminated. The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters entered into force on 30 October 2001. It aims to strengthen the environmental rights of citizens and empower them on environmental issues. Contact: Jeremy Wates, Secretary to the Aarhus Convention, Environment and Human Settlements Division, Office 332, UN Economic Commission for Europe, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 2384, fax +41-22/917 0505, e-mail <info.ece@unece.org>, website (www.unece.org). |
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The Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, convened jointly by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Marrakech (Morocco) from 28-30 January 2002, brought together some 300 participants from 120 countries to discuss ways to reduce food-borne illnesses, how to increase food safety worldwide, and how to improve overall health. Discussions at the Forum showed “global recognition that actions need to be taken throughout the food production chain from farm and fishing boat to the consumer.” Facing new challenges in food safety as a result of changes in consumption patterns, urbanization, new food production methods, changing technology and increases in international trade and travel, participants looked at ways of handling food safety emergencies and the issues surrounding microbiological and chemical hazards. The Forum provided an exchange of views on the assistance needs of developing countries and called for an assessment of their technical assistance needs and priorities. It also identified ways on how capacity-building efforts can be more effectively utilized, calling for more information, communication and consultation in these activities. Participants agreed that more consumer involvement in national food safety systems is necessary, along with improved emergency response systems, especially at the international level, which will assist in better and more targeted responses at the national level. According to WHO estimates, more than two million people–principally children–die every year from diarrhoea caused by consuming contaminated food and water. In industrialized countries, as much as one-third of the population experiences food-borne disease every year. Food safety problems can have serious consequences on a country’s economy. According to the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, gross public expenditures as a result of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) crisis were an estimated US$5.67 billion from 1996-2000. FAO says that food safety problems hurt developing countries by hindering their economic development. Food exports, an important source of foreign exchange and revenue, are refused if they do not meet the standards of importing countries resulting in the loss of jobs in the food and agriculture industries of developing countries. “Food safety is a shared responsibility of developed and developing countries,” FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told the Forum. “With the increasing globalization of trade in food products, health requirements applied by importing countries must seek to protect consumers and not to raise technical barriers to trade.” Dr. Diouf urged “developed countries to provide the developing countries with their technical and financial support.” Contact: John Riddle, Information Officer, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-06/5705 3259, fax +39-06/5705 3699, e-mail <john.riddle@fao.org>. Melinda Henry, Public Information Officer, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/791 1222, e-mail <henrym@who.int>, website (www.foodsafetyforum.org/global). |
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Held at UN headquarters in New York from 11-21 February 2002, the 40th session of the Commission for Social Development concluded in an extraordinary resumed session after all-night consultations on its final day failed to produce an agreement on the priority theme of the session, “integration of social and economic policy.” The session focused on three topics: social aspects of macro-economic policies; social assessment as a policy tool; and expenditures in the social sector as a productive factor. A draft resolution containing agreed conclusions was transmitted to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for adoption on the evening of 28 February 2002. The conclusions were transmitted to the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), being held from 25 March to 5 April 2002 in New York. Recognizing the productive nature of social investments, the agreed conclusions invite governments to adopt holistic, integrated, comprehensive and consistent public policies to further development, eradicate poverty, and fulfil the commitments undertaken at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen (Denmark) and its five-year review (WSSD+5) held in Geneva. The document also contains recommendations on ways to implement those commitments and attain the Millennium Development Goals, including institution building, improving efficiency of government expenditures and tax regimes, developing dialogue and coordination, forging partnerships with the private sector and NGOs, and pursuing pro-poor and gender-sensitive policies. Speakers in the debate highlighted the interrelation between economic and social policies and shared their national experiences, presenting a wide array of actions to achieve socio-economic goals. They recognized that development should encompass not only increases in national per capita income, but also a broad range of social objectives, which would include creation of work opportunities, improvement in health standards and education, access to public services and human rights. The need to introduce social considerations into macro-economic reforms was also emphasized. Developing countries and participating NGOs stressed the negative consequences of structural adjustment programmes and questioned the narrow approach to macro-economic stabilization, pointing out the need to give social and economic objectives equal weight in the formulation of policies, including those of the international financial institutions. Venezuela, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, noted that “one of the most pressing challenges” was the “financing of social services in the context of limited revenue.” The G77/China termed the need for innovative new sources of financing for development “urgent.” While most participants agreed that a stable macro-economic environment and sustained economic growth were necessary but not sufficient conditions for social development, opinions differed regarding the degree of priority that should be placed on macro-economic policy. Some held that macro-economic policies aimed at controlling inflation and maintaining fiscal balances should not be compromised in the name of improving social services and creating jobs. The United States said that introducing the concept of “social assessment” should not serve as an excuse for the expansion of a “social science research empire.” Instead, the US said, it was “important to focus on practical solutions.” For the most part, however, participants recognized the importance of an integrated approach to poverty eradication, employment promotion and social integration. Spain, for example, said on behalf of the European Union that its recently adopted social cohesion strategy was based on the premise that economic and social policy went “hand in hand.” Participants also stressed linkages between investment in human capital and economic growth. Under the agenda item on the review of UN plans and programmes pertaining to the situation of particular social groups, the Commission also took up the preparations for the Second World Assembly on Ageing (see article on page 7), the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004, and the report of its Special Rapporteur on Disability. Contact: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Social Policy and Development, Room DC2-1370, United Nations, New York NY 10017, USA, fax+1-212/963 3062, e-mail <social@un.org>, website (www.un.org/esa/socdev). |
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The first meeting of the International Forum for Social Development (IFSD), an initiative of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, was held at UN headquarters in New York from 7-8 February 2002. The forum, focusing on the theme of Financing Global Social Development, featured some 50 representatives of governments, international and regional organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector. Seeking to generate dialogue and ideas that would promote social development by reorienting the globalization process towards an inclusive and equitable society, participants tried to address the challenges faced by developing countries with a long-term perspective. The forum consisted of an open symposium on the first day, followed by a smaller closed seminar on the second day that grappled with four themes, which were presented in the form of questions. —What is the best rationale
that could be used to justify, explain and promote an increase in
the international/global financing of the social development of
developing countries? It was noted that despite well-publicized
information and statistics about the human costs of war, conflict,
repression, environmental degradation and disease, the implementation
of the right to development had yet to be accepted by affluent nations.
Participants considered potential rationales for arriving at agreements
for the transfer of financial and other resources from affluent
to poor countries and people. —In the current process of
globalization, what are the most important obstacles to an increase
in the domestic and international/global financing of social development
in developing countries? How could such obstacles be overcome? Speakers addressed the growing differentiation
and inequalities between developed and developing countries and
among different groups within countries. It was recognized that
competition, merit as measured by material success, and efficiency
are considerably more valued by the dominant culture that underlies
the process of globalization than knowledge, generosity and compassion.
Participants considered how globalization could be turned into a
positive movement for the financing of social development in developing
countries. Despite many debates which have pointed out that the causes of poverty are national and international, economic and cultural, social and political, and that remedies have also to be found in a large variety of traditional and innovative social policies, it was noted that the dominant discourse tends to give the impression that the reduction of poverty in developing countries is exclusively dependent on their rate of economic growth. Participants considered whether poor countries and poor people would stand a better chance of improving their condition if the elimination of poverty were to be considered a global public good by international organizations and by the countries and institutions that dominate the world economy. —Among the new proposals related to the international/global financing of social development in developing countries–proposals which are not currently on the agenda of intergovernmental negotiations and conferences–which ones deserve the most vigorous support, from the viewpoint of their potential positive impact on the situation of developing countries? Participants considered the numerous proposals put forward during the last decade of UN conferences, including international taxes (Tobin tax, carbon tax, etc.), fair versus free trade, investment in human capital, making donors accountable, good governance, the role of the private sector, and debt cancellation. Contact: Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2 UN Plaza, Room 1376, New York, NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 3062, e-mail <social@un.org>, website (www.un.org/esa/socdev/forum/index.html). |
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The General Assembly’s Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations closed its 2002 session by adopting the draft report of the Working Group for the 2002 report of the Committee, entitled Comprehensive Review of the Whole Question of Peacekeeping Operations in all Their Aspects. The report summarizes the Committee’s general debate that took place on 11 February 2002 and makes recommendations on guiding principles, definitions and implementation of mandates; cooperation with troop-contributing countries; enhancing UN capacity for peacekeeping; the need for enhanced interrelationships with other parts of the Secretariat; safety and security; cooperation with regional arrangements; financial issues; and other matters. The report notes that during the past three years there has been a surge in UN peacekeeping efforts. The Committee says it is essential for the UN to be in an effective position to maintain international peace and security by improving the capacity to assess conflict situations, by effective planning and managing peacekeeping operations, and by responding quickly and effectively to any Security Council mandate. The report also stresses that peacekeeping operations should not be used as a substitute for addressing the root causes of conflict, and that those causes should be addressed in a well-planned and comprehensive manner with political, social and developmental instruments. The Committee welcomed the fact that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) had set five strategic goals for fulfilling the Organization’s peacekeeping mandate, which include: enhancing the rapid deployment capability for peacekeeping operations; strengthening the relationship with Member States and legislative bodies; reforming the Department’s management culture; reorienting the Department’s relationship with field missions; and strengthening relationships with other parts of the United Nations system. Concerning rapid deployment, the Committee reiterated its recommendation that the Secretariat should continue its work towards achieving the goal of deploying peacekeeping operations within 30 days, or within 90 days in the case of complex peacekeeping operations, after the adoption of a mandate. It also stated that the Secretariat must have the capacity to start acting on personnel, material and funding for a mission, once it becomes clear that a peacekeeping operation is likely to be established, and that potential troop-contributing countries should be involved at the earliest stage possible of mission planning. Regarding disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, the Committee noted that effective programmes can play a critical role in peacekeeping operations and supports the Secretariat’s intention to include comprehensive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in planning for future peacekeeping operations as appropriate. The Committee, welcoming the Secretariat’s efforts at mainstreaming a gender perspective in the activities of DPKO, commended the Secretariat for developing a training curriculum on gender awareness and sensitivity for military personnel and civilian police. It encouraged the Secretariat in its collaboration efforts with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to conduct training for civilian staff on the impact of armed conflict on women and children. The report also calls attention to the contribution that public information can make and calls for strengthening in the planning and support for public information in peacekeeping operations. More specifically, the Commission requests the Secretariat to pursue its efforts, through closer coordination between DPKO and the Department of Public Information (DPI), to improve its capacity to deliver coherent guidance for public information activities. Finally, the report notes the importance of ensuring that measures regarding peacekeeping and peace-building are coordinated in order to provide a solid foundation for peace. |
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The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs) of the United Nations General Assembly (GA) concluded its work for the 56th session of the GA on 26 February 2002 in New York, by approving four draft resolutions relating to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination. The Committee approved an orally amended text on follow-up to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance, which was approved by a vote of 137 in favour to two against (Israel and the United States) and two abstentions (Canada and Australia). In the draft resolution, the GA would support a decision by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish an anti-discrimination unit to combat racism and to promote equality and non-discrimination. In the text, the GA further requests the Secretary-General to appoint five independent experts, one from each region, to follow the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration and Programme of Action resulting from the Conference. It would also request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to cooperate with those five experts and report annually to the Assembly and the Human Rights Commission. The draft resolution also calls upon all relevant organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to become involved in the follow-up to the World Conference, which was convened in Durban (South Africa) in September 2001, and urges States to establish and implement without delay national policies and action plans to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including their gender-based manifestations. The Third Committee adopted three other draft resolutions relating to racism and racial discrimination. The Committee approved, without a vote, three orally amended texts on the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; measures to combat contemporary forms of racism; and measures to be taken against political platforms and activities based on doctrines of superiority and rooted in racial discrimination or ethnic exclusiveness and xenophobia. Contact: Sandra Aragón, NGO Liaison Officer, Anti-Discrimination Unit, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 9393, e-mail <saragon.hchr@unog.ch>, website (www.unhchr.ch). |
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The focus of the upcoming United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) high-level segment meeting, to be held in July 2002 at UN headquarters in New York, will be on the contribution of human resources development, including health and education, to the process of development. In preparation for the yearly high-level segment, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organized, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank, three roundtable discussions. The discussions, which brought together Member State representatives and ministers, heads of UN agencies and leading experts from public and private sectors, will form the basis for the Ministerial Declaration to be adopted at the high-level segment meeting. The 5 February 2002 roundtable was held on the topic of health and development as participants considered ways for the UN system to assist Member States to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals outlined in the Millennium Declaration, adopted by Member States in September 2000. Participants also discussed the findings of the Commission on Macro-economics and Health (see Go Between 89), and the launch of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (see focus page 28). In her opening statement, WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland highlighted the importance of effective stewardship of health systems; the need for all stakeholders to work together to increase the impact of the limited development assistance available; the need for continued international cooperation to ensure equal access to global public goods such as new research; and access for all to medicines, diagnostics and other commodities needed for good health. The 17 February 2002 roundtable on education and development discussed the topics of education for all, technical and vocational education, and higher education. In his opening remarks, the President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Ivan Simonovic (Croatia), pointed out that more than ten years has passed since the international community set the goal of education for all, but more than 100 million children still do not attend school. During the ensuing discussion, participants highlighted the link between education and poverty eradication and development. According to Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Secretary of State for Education (Gambia), the reason why there has been little progress in achieving the goal of education for all was not the lack of political will, but poverty, which she said contributes to high drop-out rates, especially among girls. Participants also discussed the need for public-private partnerships; monitoring of policies and programmes; international cooperation; funding; and positive role models for girls. The 5 March 2002 roundtable was organized on human resources and development. According to Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals, achieving the Goals will not be easy but can be done. Today’s world has the tools and the technology to solve absolute poverty, he pointed out. Focusing on the Millennium Development Goals could provide the international community with the opportunity to move beyond simply debating whether aid is effective or not, and to concentrate instead on finding solutions to reach specific targets, such as reducing infant mortality by two-thirds by 2015, he said. Contact: UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, Sarbuland Khan, Director, 1 UN Plaza, office DC1-1428, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 4628, fax +1-212/963 1712, website (www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc). |
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From 14 January to 3 February 2002, the Committee on the Rights of the Child held its 29th session in Geneva. At the end of its session, the Committee issued its final observations and recommendations on reports submitted to it by Andorra, Bahrain, Chile, Gabon, Greece, Lebanon, Malawi and Mozambique. In accordance to their obligations as States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the eight countries presented the Committee with written reports on their efforts to promote and protect children’s rights, and sent government delegations to discuss the documents and answer questions from the Committee’s ten independent experts. In its recommendations for Lebanon, the Committee praised the country for its positive legislative changes, while acknowledging that the destruction of much of the infrastructure during the fifteen-year conflict impeded CRC implementation. The Committee also expressed concern over the alleged mistreatment in detention of children as young as 15 years of age, and called on Beirut to strengthen existing relevant laws. The Committee commended Greece for its creation of a national child rights observatory, but requested it to make changes in legislation deemed inconsistent with the Convention. The Committee also urged the country to ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. With regard to Malawi, the Committee welcomed the adoption of the National Programme of Action for the Survival and Development of Children, but said it was concerned that the Programme had not been sufficiently implemented, while the impact of HIV/AIDS, economic problems and traditional practices continue to threaten children’s rights to life and development. The Committee urged the country to make primary education compulsory and extend the period for free primary education. Discussing the report of Gabon, the Committee recommended the country to set a higher minimum marriage age for girls and to take steps against the high infant and under-5 mortality rates. It recommended that Gabon reinforce its efforts to allocate appropriate resources and develop and implement comprehensive policies and programmes to improve the health of children. Concerning Mozambique, the Committee noted the progress made in repatriating and rehabilitating the thousands of persons displaced from their homes during the armed conflict, as well as efforts made in de-mining. The Committee called on Mozambique to continue its landmine-clearing efforts and commended it for its efforts toward securing respect for the rights of children with disabilities. Chile was praised for creating national child abuse and child labour bodies, but the Committee urged the Chilean Government to address the harmful effects of corporal punishment and promote alternative forms of discipline in families. The Committee welcomed, among other things, Bahrain’s ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the establishment of the National Committee on Children in 1999 to monitor the implementation of the CRC. The Committee expressed concern, however, over the undefined minimum age for marriage and it called upon Bahrain to amend its legislation so that the minimum age requirements were gender neutral and explicit. The Committee noted with satisfaction efforts made by Andorra to modernize its traditional jurisdiction system and recommended a review of its legislation concerning an increase in the minimum age for marriage. Contact: S. Raadi-Azarakhchi, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 9252, fax +41-22/917 9022, website (www.unhchr.ch). |
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A new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says that an estimated two million primary-age children and 20 million secondary-age children in Latin America do not attend school. In rural areas, two children out of five do not finish primary school or are at least two years behind when they do, as compared to one child out of six in urban areas, according to Latin America and the Caribbean: Regional Report, published by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics. The report, the first in a series examining the state of education around the world, provides figures for 19 countries over the 1998-99 school year from national and other sources such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The report says that despite high drop-out rates and low attendance, overall school enrolment has improved in the region as at least 80% of primary school children are enrolled. In seven of the countries surveyed (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru), universal primary education has been achieved, while Costa Rica, Uruguay and Venezuela have almost reached this goal. The report credits the high drop-out and repetition rates to the low quality of education, noting that in Brazil, 24% of primary school children and 18% of secondary school children are repeaters. For every 100 children who enrol in primary school in Nicaragua, only 55 reach grade 5. Argentina has the best record, with 94% of pupils reaching grade 5. Tertiary education is the region’s “greatest educational challenge,” says the report. In 1998, only 9.5 million people were enrolled in tertiary education, with Argentina, Brazil and Mexico accounting for 60% of the total. The highest number of students were in social sciences, law and business, except in Cuba, where the most popular subjects were education and health. There are 6.5 million teachers for 143 million pupils, most of them (43%) teaching primary school. There are far more women teaching than men at the primary level, but the tendency is reversed at the tertiary level. The report also looks at public expenditure on education and finds that it goes to primary education in most countries. Four of the countries surveyed (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Panama) spend 5% or more of the gross domestic product (GDP) on education, while the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Uruguay spend less than 3%. The report finds a real commitment to modernization and reform of educational systems in the region. As population growth in Latin America is slowing down, the report points out that there is an opportunity to carry out educational reforms without necessarily having to increase the budget. However, a consequence of the slowing population growth is that there will be fewer young workers to provide for the retired older generation. The report calls for extending education from basic schooling towards creating employment opportunities. Contact: Sue Williams, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, F-75700 Paris, France, telephone +33-1/45 68 17 06, e-mail <s.williams@unesco.org>, website (www.unesco.org/statistics). |
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Foundation, the International Development Centre and the Government of Canada have joined forces to launch the Equator Initiative, which aims to reduce poverty in the equatorial belt (23.5 latitude above and below the equator) through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity with activities such as the development of new food crops, the marketing of local forest products, and eco-tourism. UNDP says that the world’s greatest concentration of biological wealth is found in tropical developing countries; however, increasing poverty is contributing to the accelerated loss of this biodiversity. Although creative and effective approaches to halt poverty and protect biodiversity are being pioneered, awareness of these solutions and understanding why they work remain limited, according to Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of UNDP. As the Equator Initiative seeks to highlight successful ways through which indigenous and other local communities in the equatorial belt are meeting these challenges, the first five Equator Initiative Awards will be presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), to be held from 26 August to 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg (South Africa). Based on the criteria of partnerships, impact, sustainability, innovation and transferability, leadership and community empowerment, gender and social inclusion, the five recipient initiatives will be awarded US$30,000. To be eligible to participate, initiatives must be located within the equatorial belt and in a developing country. Nominations may be submitted for five categories, including: indigenous and other local communities; community-based organizations; local NGOs; local entrepreneurial initiatives; UNESCO’s World Heritage sites and other biological reserves. The deadline for submission is 15 May 2002, and may be made in English, French or Spanish. Contact: Equator Initiative, Environmentally Sustainable Development Group Bureau for Development Policy, United Nations Development Programme, 1 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/906 6206, fax +1-212/906 6973, e-mail <EquatorInitiative@undp.org>, website (www.EquatorInitiative.org). |
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Delegates from the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) 182 Parties, other governments, indigenous and local communities and international and non-governmental organizations met in Montreal (Canada) from 4-8 February 2002 to prepare guidelines for conducting cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding development projects on sacred sites and on the lands and waters occupied or used by indigenous and local communities. It was the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the CBD. Article 8(j) of the CBD states that “Parties will, subject to national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of knowledge-holders; and encourage the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices.” The meeting, hosted by the Canadian Government, also considered: an outline for the composite report on the status and trends regarding the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities; participatory mechanisms for indigenous and local communities in policy planning and implementation; and the effectiveness of existing legal instruments impacting the protection of traditional knowledge, particularly intellectual property rights (IPR). Delegates made a number of recommendations on the above-mentioned items, among which the responsibility of Parties to ensure that indigenous and local communities are included in the consultative process of preparing their national reports concerning Article 8(j). The need to enhance awareness-raising and develop communication strategies to inform indigenous and local communities of policies and processes regarding development projects was also stressed. Concerning general provisions, recommendations include fully involving indigenous and local communities in the assessment process; consideration of the role that women play in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; the capacity-building needs of indigenous and local communities should be recognized and assistance provided to facilitate their full participation in impact assessment procedures; all human rights, including social and cultural rights, and any rights related to the environment, should be respected; pursuant to national legislation, the customary laws and IPR of indigenous and local communities, with respect to their biodiversity-related knowledge, innovations and practices, should also be respected. Indigenous delegates reiterated their concerns about the lack of adequate mechanisms for meaningful and effective participation, and how the lack of resources, technical and legal expertise, as well as access to information continues to constrain their full and effective participation. In its final text (UNEP/CBD/WG8J/2/L.7), the Working Group recommends that the Conference of Parties (COP) note the work of other relevant fora and encourages further collaboration among them and the CBD; notes the review process of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on TRIPs; and invites the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee to promote indigenous participation in its work and to consider mechanisms to protect traditional knowledge, such as the disclosure of the origin of relevant traditional knowledge in IPR applications. It also invites Parties and indigenous and other organizations to submit case studies. These recommendations will be forwarded to COP-6 in The Hague (Netherlands) in April 2002. Contact: Secretariat, Convention on Biological Diversity, World Trade Centre, 393 St. Jacques Street, Office 300, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9, telephone +1-514/288 2220, fax +1-514/288 6588, e-mail <secretariat@biodiv.org>, website (www.biodiv.org). |
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The World Health Organization (WHO) and major medical journals have launched an initiative giving doctors, researchers, and health policy makers in 70 developing countries access to an extensive collection of biomedical literature through the Internet. WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland has described the initiative as “perhaps the biggest step ever taken towards reducing the health information gap between rich and poor countries.” The Access to Research Initiative enables accredited universities, medical schools, research centres and other public institutions in developing countries to gain free online access or significantly reduced rates to scientific information contained in more than 1,000 different biomedical journals produced by six publishers: Blackwell, Elsevier Science, the Harcourt Worldwide STM Group, Wolters Kluwer International Health & Science, Springer Verlag and John Wiley. Until now, subscriptions to these journals, both electronic and print, have been priced uniformly for institutions, irrespective of geographical location. The average subscription cost is at several hundred dollars and many key titles are priced at more than US$1,500. WHO says the Initiative is expected to last for at least three years, while being monitored for progress. Decisions about how to proceed with further developments will grow from the precedent it sets, and will be informed by the working relationships which have evolved among the publishers and participating institutions. The Initiative itself is a major aspect of the work of the Health InterNetwork project, which was introduced by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. Contact: Thomson Prentice, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/791 4224, fax +41-22/791 4870, e-mail <prenticet@who.int>, website (www.who.int). |
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco products in developing countries are cheaper now than they were a decade ago, based on a recent study by the WHO, which looked at tobacco price trends between 1990 and 2000 in over 80 countries. The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, indicates that cigarettes have become more expensive in several industrialized countries while becoming more affordable in many developing countries. WHO warns that cheaper tobacco products will fuel tobacco-related diseases and deaths in developing countries. In spite of overwhelming support for increases in tobacco taxes from past studies conducted by the WHO, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and leading economists, the study shows that the price of tobacco products has not kept pace with inflation, and that there is room to increase tobacco taxes in developing countries. “Increasing the price of tobacco products remains one of the most effective methods of curbing the consumption of tobacco products and thereby reducing the global deaths caused by tobacco,” said Derek Yach, WHO Executive Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health and co-author of the study. “Higher prices may assist non-users in continuing to keep away from tobacco and thus avoid addiction. It can also induce current smokers to consume less tobacco or even persuade them to quit, or prevent ex-users from starting again. Governments receive more revenue from increased taxation. It’s a win-win situation,” he added. According to the World Bank, a price increase of 10% can reduce demand for tobacco products by about 4% in high-income countries and by about 8% in low-and middle-income countries. The new study can be found online at www.tobaccocontrol.com, in Tobacco Control 2002, Volume 11, Number 1. Contact: Reshma Prakash, Information Officer, Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +41-22)/791 3443, fax +41-22/791 4832, e-mail <prakashr@who.int>, website (http://tobacco.who.int). |
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On 20 February 2002, Honduras became the 30th country to join the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Phonograms and Performances Treaty (WPPT), paving the way for its entry into force on 20 May 2002. The Treaty will help protect musicians and the recording industry from the threat of piracy posed by the Internet and other digital technology, says WIPO. The WPPT’s sister treaty, the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), will enter into force on 6 March 2002. According to WIPO, the two treaties will help performing artists, such as singers and musicians, and record companies (through the WPPT) as well as all other categories of creators such as composers, artists and writers and companies in the culture and information industries (through the WCT) to create, distribute, trade and control the use of their works, performances and sound recordings within the digital environment. The WPPT improves the protection of performing artists and producers by providing the legal basis to prevent unauthorized exploitation of their performances, whether live or recorded, on digital networks. It gives them exclusive rights for reproduction, distribution, commercial rental and making their performances and phonograms available to the public on the Internet. Both treaties require countries to provide a basic framework of rights, allowing creators, performers and phonogram producers to control and/or be compensated for the various ways in which their work is used and enjoyed by others, according to WIPO. WIPO also says the treaties ensure that rightholders will continue to be adequately and effectively protected when their work is disseminated over the Internet, and that the treaties will serve to safeguard the reliability of the online marketplace by requiring countries to prohibit the deliberate alteration or deletion of electronic rights management information, the information that identifies a work, performance, or phonogram, or its author, performer or owner, or the terms and conditions for its use. Contact: Media Relations and Public Affairs Section, WIPO, PO Box 18, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/338 8161 or 338 9547, fax +41-22/338 8810, e-mail <publicinf@wipo.int>, website (www.wipo.org). |
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According to a recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study, the rare marine-living dugong is under serious threat in most parts of the world where it is still found. Findings from the study Dugong–Status Report and Action Plans for Selected Countries and Territories indicate that rising pollution from the land, coastal developments, boat traffic and fishermen’s nets are among the list of increasing threats which are contributing to a decline in the sea cow–or elephant of the sea–populations. UNEP says the threats to the animal should be of critical concern to the many millions of people who rely on the oceans for their livelihoods. “If the dugong, a key indicator species, is declining then the coastal environment which provides protein in the form of fish and incomes in terms of tourism is also being degraded,” the report notes. Human populations are growing across much of the dugongs’ range, putting pressure on the coastal habitats where dugongs are restricted as a result of their dependence on seagrasses for food. At the same time, dugongs reproduce at a very low rate, with females rarely producing more than one calf, and failing to reproduce at all during times of food shortages. Helene Marsh, lead author of the report, says, “Dugongs appear to have disappeared or already become extinct in some places such as the waters off Mauritius, the Seychelles, Western Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Japan’s Sakishima Shoto Islands, Hong Kong’s Pearl River estuary, several islands in the Philippines including Zambales and Cebu, and parts of Cambodia and Vietnam.” She also warns that the situation in East Africa is “particularly alarming and it is possible that this will be the next place where the dugong becomes extinct unless urgent action is taken.” The report, funded by organizations including UNEP, the World Conservation Union (WCU), UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), and the Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, makes immediate conservation recommendations aimed at boosting dugong numbers. These measure centre around the protection of seagrass beds upon which these herbivorous animals are almost totally dependent for food. In related news, a paper published in the 15 February 2002 issue of the international journal Science has identified the world’s top ten coral reef hotspots, areas that are rich in marine species but highly vulnerable to extinction. The ten coral reef hotspots, ranked according to the degree of threat, include: 1) Philippines; 2) Gulf of Guinea Islands; 3) Sunda Islands (Indonesia); 4) Southern Mascarene Islands (near Madagascar); 5) Eastern South Africa; 6) Northern Indian Ocean; 7) Southern Japan, Taiwan and Southern China; 8) Cape Verde Islands; 9) Western Caribbean; 10) Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. According to the study, these ten areas contain 24% of the world’s coral reefs, or 0.017% of the oceans, but claim 34% of restricted-range species. Creation of marine reserves that are off limits to fishing is one of the steps that should be taken immediately, according to Callum Roberts, lead author of the report. He also noted that about 6% of the world’s land is in parks, but that at sea, less than one-half of 1% is in any kind of protected area. The paper, based on new research that compares the range of certain key species with known threats to coral reefs from human impacts, contradicts the long-held contention that marine species are unlikely to become extinct as a consequence of human activities because of their vast geographic ranges in the oceans. The paper also notes that a quarter of the world’s coral reefs have already been destroyed or severely degraded through global warming. “For the first time, we have been able to identify the ten most threatened coral reef areas in the world. Now we need to take the necessary steps to protect them,” said Mark Spalding lead author of the UNEP-WCMC World Atlas of Coral Reefs published in September 2001 (see Go Between 88). The World Atlas of Coral Reefs revealed that coral reef ecosystems occupy a much smaller area of the planet than previously assumed: 284,300 square kilometres, or an area half the size of France. The paper also found that eight of the ten coral reef hotspots are adjacent to a terrestrial biodiversity hotspot, showing that the regions of the world that harbour the highest concentrations of species on land are also at great risk. Habitat-destroying activities in the terrestrial hotspots, such as deforestation and agriculture, are contributing to coral reef destruction as well. Some 58% of the world’s reefs are reported as threatened by human activities. Contact: Mark Spalding, Senior Programme Officer, Marine and Regional Seas Programme, UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK, telephone +44-1223/277314, e-mail <mark.spalding@unep-wcmc.org>, website (www.unep-wcmc.org/marine/coralatlas/presspack) or (www.unep.org/dewa/water). |
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