SG speaks on development, UN reform

On 7 April UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a ministerial conference of the Movement of Non-Aligned Notions that the surest foundation for peace, stability and security is economic and social development. At the conference, held in New Delhi (India), Mr. Annan said the commitment to development is one of the "guiding beacons" of the United Nations. "Peace-keeping and peace-making may catch the headlines," he said, "but in terms of resources, and in terms of the changes made in people's lives, the development work of the United Nations is far more significant."

Mr. Annan said that while the eradication of poverty and securing development are the responsibilities of individual states, the United Nations system has a key conceptual and promotional role to ploy. The ultimate abjective-securing the development of developing countries-remains the same. "But we need to re-examine constantly the means of attaining that objective," according to Mr. Annan. "We need to ensure that our approach to development takes full account of the economic, politico! and technological realities of our times especially the role of the private sector and of civil society."

The SG noted that this is the way in which he is approaching the question of reform of the United Nations development system: to make it sensitive to the concerns of developing countries; capable of mobilizing political support; able to enhance its capacity far data gathering and analysis and norm-setting; and, above oil, to make it able to provide assistance at the country level efficiently and cost-effectively. Mr. Annan added that any cast-savings in the larger reform effort should be ploughed back into tangible development activities by the United Nations.

"Over the years," concluded Mr. Annan, "development activities have suffered from an accretion of mandates, considerable overlap in responsibilities and wasteful duplication of effort. Reform aims to achieve better focus and clarity through greater integration at Headquarters and even mare so at the country level. The new arrangements, including a strengthened resident coordinator position and country team system, should bolster support for sustainable development, particularly in Africa and small island developing states."

Sustainable development commision meets

The fifth session of the UN Commission an Sustainable Development (CSD-5) met at UN headquarters from 8-25 April to complete preparations far Earth Summit +5, the UN General Assembly special session that will review and appraise implementation of Agenda 21. The special session, also known as UNGASS, will be held in New York from 23-27 June.

CSD-5, which focused an drafting a text for the special session, began with a high-level segment and review of reports from its Ad Hoc Intersessional Working Group and the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. Delegates continued their deliberations to identify emerging priority sectoral issues, such as freshwater; energy/atmosphere and forests; and cross-sectoral issues, such as poverty eradication and changing consumption and production patterns. Some were concerned that the three weeks of negotiating time at CSD-5 would not be sufficient because of a large number of amendments.

Two drafting groups and several informal groups met late into the night during the final week, and delegates were able to reach agreement an much of the text. Notable areas of debate were left pending for consideration at UNGASS; these include whether to proceed with a convention on forests and how to balance financial resource language, and the draft political statement generated during consultations held by CSD-5 choir Mostafa Tolba (Egypt) and vice-chair Monika Linn Locher (Switzerland). The statement will be presented for signature by heads of state and government who will attend the special session.

The UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and US-based Columbia University have agreed to jointly create the United Nations Habitat Project at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. The project is designed to help solve growing urban problems now common to almost all countries. The project, a direct result of the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat 11), will emphasize research and training and it will aim to unite scholars and public officials worldwide. Under the agreement Columbia University will lead a global academic effort to accomplish the goals of the Habitat conference. The university will serve as the intemational centre far research, training and information on innovative approaches to urban problems. It will also train local elected officials around the world and create a network of ten major universities to participate in the project.

An innovative feature of the CSD-5 was a series of dialogue sessions among governments and the nine major groups identified during the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) process. The sessions were convened in parallel with negotiations an the text to be adopted by UNGASS (see E&D File, vol. III, no. 14).

During the CSD-5 proceedings, the General Assembly plenary met on 18 April and decided to allow NGOs to address the plenary of a special session of the GA for the first time. While rules and procedures exist concerning on-going NGO consultations with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, unique arrangements have to be mode to enable NGOs to participate in General Assembly special sessions. Under the terms of the GA decision, "Major groups, as identified in Agenda 21 and represented by non-governmental organizations with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and on the roster, will be invited to participate in the plenary meeting of the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly in the debate on an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21." A further paragraph states that "arrangements concerning the participation of representatives of such major groups in the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly will in no way create o precedent for other special sessions of the Assembly."

Commission on human rights 53RD session

On 12 June, UN Secretary -General Kofi Annan appointed Irish President Mary Robinson as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her seven-year term as President of Ireland does not end until 2 December. The appointment has to be confirmed by the General Assembly. Mr. Annan said he would shortly appoint a deputy from a developing country.

On 10 March the Commission on Human Rights convened its 53rd session in Geneva with aver 2300 participants, including 53 member states, 92 observer states, 41 UN, inter-governmental and other observer delegations, and 1105 representatives of 203 NGOs. The commission concluded its deliberations after six weeks by adapting 78 resolutions (63 by consensus and 15 after voting) and 26 decisions (25 by consensus and one after voting). The session was opened by Jose Ayala-Lasso, High Commissioner for Human Rights, who on his last day in office on 14 March, again addressed the commission in a farewell statement.

The commission, despite a certain polarization and after long and intense negotiations, succeeded in adopting by consensus substantive resolutions on the right to development, a World Conference on Racism to be convened no later than the year 2001, strengthening of the HE/CHR (High Commissioner and Centre for Human Rights), rights of the child, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

A resolution on the situation of human rights in China did not come to a vote, as in previous years. Instead a no-action motion on the measure was adopted by a roll-call vote of 27 in favour and 17 opposed, with nine abstaining. It was the seventh time a draft resolution had been tabled an China none has ever been approved by the commission.

Among other measures an specific situations around the world, the commission decided to appoint o special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Nigeria, citing concern at what it called widespread abuse of citizens, lack of judicial safeguards, and an absence of progress on announced democratic reforms. The commission else replaced a special rapporteur on Rwanda with a special representative, who will advise the country on improving human rights. The mandate of the special rapporteur on the situation in Burundi was extended for another year. In addition, a working group was established an the rights of migrant workers, and the Secretary-General was asked to send a mission to Guatemala at the end of 1997 to review implementation of the peace accords signed there last December.

The commission's reform and the rationalization of its work and agenda will be informally discussed in the course of the year by the group of "Friends of the Chairman." The commission succeeded in "lightening" its agenda by deciding to consider resolutions on some issues every two years. The Cuban-led proposal on "revitalizing" the commission through the creation of an open-ended working group to discuss reform issues was deferred until the next session of the commission.

In his closing statement, Mr. R. Zacklin, Officer-in-Charge of the HE/CHR in Geneva pending the appointment of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights, focused on the importance of the commission's next session; 1998 is the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which coincides with the first five-year review of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The commission decided to permanently reschedule its annual meetings far March/April of every yearthe next session will be held from 16 March-24 April 1998.

Contact: Helga Klein, HC/CHR, Palais des Notions, CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 3955, fax +4 1-22/917 0099.

Who world health report

Cancer, heart disease and other chronic conditions, which already kill aver 24 million people a year, will impose increasing burdens of suffering and disability an hundreds of millions of others, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in its annual report.

The World Health Report 1997: Conquering Suffering, Enriching Humanity says the number of cancer cases is expected to at least double in most countries during the next 25 years. By the year 2005, there will be a 33% rise in lung cancers in women, and a 40% increase in prostrate cancers in men in European Union countries alone. Heart disease and stroke will also became mare common in poorer countries. Globally, diabetes cases will mare than double by 2025, and there will be a huge rise in same mental disorders, such as Alzheimers disease.

The report says tobacco-related deaths, primarily from lung cancer and circulatory disease, already amount to three million a year, or 6% of total deaths. "If the trends of increasing consumption in many countries continues," it warns, "the epidemic has many decodes to run, and will surely be judged by future generations to hove been one of the greatest health tragedies that has ever occurred in the history of mankind."

The report discusses priorities for action that are intended to improve humankind’s ability to prevent, treat, rehabilitate and, where possible, cure major noncommunicable diseases and reduce the suffering and disability that they cause. The priorities include:

• integration of disease-specific interventions in both physical and mental health into a comprehensive chronic disease control package;

• fuller application of existing cost-effective methods of disease detection and management;

• on intensified campaign to encourage healthy lifestyles;

• public policies in support of disease prevention programmes;

• acceleration of research into new drugs and vaccines, and into genetic determinants of chronic diseases; and

• alleviation of pain, reduction of suffering and provision of palliative core for those who cannot be cured.

The report was launched on the opening day of the 50th World health Assembly, which closed in Geneva on 14 May after adopting a working programme budget of US$842.7 million for 19981999. Representatives of 191 WH0 member states will gather again in Geneva in May 1998 for a milestone session in the history of the organization. High on the agenda will be its 50th anniversary, adaption of the global health policy for the 21st century, and election of a Director-General. During this year's assembly, Dr. Hiroshi Naksjima, current Director-General, announced he is leaving after two terms in office.

Contact: Thomson Prentice, health Communications and Public Relations, WHO, 20 avenue Appia, OH-121 1 Geneva 27, Switzerland, +41-22/791 4224, fax +41-22/791 4870 e-mail <prentice@who ch>.

UNESCO info-ethics congress

Policy makers, scholars and professionals from 45 countries expressed concern over the rapidly-widening information gap between rich and poor countries during the First International Congress on Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects of Digital information, held in Monaco.

The congress, held by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESC0) on 10-12 March, dealt with diverse ethical issues posed by the information revolution. Participants debated three brood themes. accessing digital information, preserving digital information and records, and preparing societies for the multimedia environment. "In Botswana there are only 3.1 telephone lines available for every 100 people....We wonder whether the global information revolution will ever come to this region of the world at all," said Kay Raseroka of the University of Botswana. Klaus Brunnstein of the University of Hamburg (Germany) warned about the risks of the info-society. "information infrastructures are insecure and unsafe," he I said, citing o recent computer raid on an International bank, which netted US$400,000.

Many participants drew attention to the lock of cultural and linguistic diversity on the Internet and noted that more than a 6000 languages are spoken in the world, yet over 70% of ! cyber-information is in English. "We must develop automatic translation programmes," suggested Sylvain Zongo of Network Burkinabe in Burkina Faso.

Today, information highways and technologies are moved by the marker economy, according to Henrikas Yushkiovitshus, UNESC0 Assistant DirectorGeneral for Communication information and Informatics. "We are not against that, but we connot leave all development in this domain to market forces alone and risk the marginalization of 'non-profit' areas, such as education, science and culture."

Contact: Montvillos, Programme Specialist, Sector for Communication, information and Informatics, Division of Information and Informatics, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, F-75700 Paris, France, telephone +331/45 68 45 03, fax +33-1/45 68 55 83.

The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) office in New York has moved The new address is::

UN-NGLS

Room FF-346

United Notions

New York, NY

10017

United States

telephone + 1-212/963 3125(same)

fax + 1-212/963 8712 (same)

e-mail <[email protected]>

 

Working group on informatics meets

The Portuguese National Youth Council has offered to host the Third World Youth Forum in conjunction with the World Conference of Ministers for Youth, to be held in 1998 in Lisbon.

A meeting in New York in February, which was held to evaluate the 1996 World Youth Forum concluded that the forum should not only discuss United Nations youth work, but should provide a global platform for young people and international organizations, including those not part of the UN system.

The Working Group on Informatics held its first formal meeting of the year on 24 April at UN headquarters in New York. Its choir, Ambassador Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), reported on the achievements of the group aimed at employing modern information technologies for the benefit of the UN and its member states. The group also heard a statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who stressed the importance of equitable access of developed and developing countries to the benefits of communications and information technology.

Established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1995, the working group was asked to ensure, within existing resources, easy, economical, uncomplicated and unhindered access for member states, inter alia through their permanent missions, to the computerized databases and information systems of the UN.

According to Ambassador Kamal the technical subgroup established by the Working group has expanded the number of missions connected through the United Notions i Development Programme (UNDP) server from 70 to 140. Another 14 missions use the facility through a server other than UNDP. By the end of June, every mission in New York I will be connected, and by the end of the year every mission in Geneva and Vienna will be connected. Since June 1996 more than 1000 persons hove been trained on a variety of electronic facilities and techniques, as port of the Spring Training Programme run by the UN secretariat, including personnel of more than 30 missions. To date, 25 missions hove created their own web pages; 23 are hosted by UNDP.

The UN web page is regularly accessed by a large number of missions and foreign ministries in capital cities, due to efforts of the Department of Public Information (DPI), Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD) and other UN departments to post information in a systematic and reliable manner. To date, the site is consulted more than one million times a week, up from about 200,000 times a week in June 1996.

Japan says that contrary to some reports, it will continue to support the UN Industrial Development Organization, based in Austria. 'The Government of Japan will continue to support UNIDO, together with other like minded Member States, as long as its reform process is being carried out, " according to the Permanent Mission of Japan in Vienna.

Resolutions and decisions from 1946 to the present of the Security Council, UN General Assembly (GA), ECOSOC, and the Trusteeship Council are now available on the UN Optical Disk System (ODS) in all six official languages. Connectivity has also been established between the ODS and the UN web site. The facility has 162 users in the missions and 89 users in governments of the member states. Due to a dramatic increase in the usage of the ODS, a password system for the missions has been set up to limit access, which might otherwise clog the system. The hotly-debated question of whether or not NGOs will be able to access the ODS free ofcharge has yet to be decided. The current annual subscription rate is US$1150, which NGOs say is prohibitively high, particularly for NGOs in developing countries.

ILO report on globalization

Germany's effort; to meet the Maastricht criteria, which requires public debt to be less than 3%, means rut; in the 1997 German aid budget The primary impact will be on multilateral funding, which will fall by 7.7%. Funding for NGOs will also suffer.

The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged the ILO's 174 member states to examine sweeping new measures designed to ensure that "social progress" and "humane conditions" proceed along with trade liberalizations in the globalizing world economy. Social progress is "indispensable to the consolidation of the multilateral system," said Michel Hansenne in The ILO Standard Setting and Globalization-Report of the Director-General, adding that while the globalization of the world economy can be Nan unequalled factor of progress and peace, it cannot be left to its own devices." The liberalization of trade, he told the International Labour Conference on 23 April, "must go hand-in-hand with social progress" and "there must be evidence that its promises are not vain or illusory."

The report discusses fears about the potentially negative social consequences resulting from "the infatuation with globalization, the obsession with competitiveness and the casting aside of values." It sets out a vision of a revitalized system of international labour standards, which encompasses a universal respect for fundamental human rights in the workplace; and a declaration to be adapted in 1998, which complements the ILO constitution by providing for strengthened supervisory mechanisms to promote these principles and monitor universal compliance.

The report calls for regular publication of progress reports by the ILO on the efforts made in each country to translate the economic development resulting from liberalization of trade into genuine social progress. It calls for, among other measures, the introduction of a voluntary, global system of "social labelling" to guarantee that internationally-traded goods are produced under humane conditions.

The report also outlines proposals aimed at strengthening the relevance and efficiency of future ILO standards through a more judicious choice of subjects for international legislation, the introduction of an overall evaluation procedure, and a more systematic use of the whole range of tools available under the ILO constitution.

Contact: ILO Publications, ILO, 4 route des Morillons CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/799 7301, fax +41-22/7799 8578, web site (http://www. ilo. org).

Industrial development board meets

A special session of the UNIDO's Industrial Development Board met in Vienna (Austria) from 21-25 April-to discuss the future of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Fifty-two of the 53 members of the board participated in the meeting, joined by 45 observers from UNIDO member states.

During the session UNIDO Director-General Mauricio de Maria y Campos announced that he will not seek to be re-elected for a second term, due to what he described as insufficient support and long-term commitment from some member states to the organization. He emphasized his readiness to serve in a dedicated and committed manner until the end of his term. The British government has given notice of its intention to withdraw from UNIDO, and one year ago the US announced it will no longer support the organization. A final British decision on its membership of UNIDO will be taken by 31 December (see Go Between 62).

At the session, the-European Union sold UNIDO's recent reforms are "more impressive than that of many other UN bodies which are in equal need of reform." In addition, at the 1 2th Ministerial Conference of the Movement of the Nan-Aligned Countries, foreign ministers from 113 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America said UNIDO's future as a specialized agency is vital to the promotion of industrial development in developing countries. In the final declaration of the meeting, held in New Delhi (India), the ministers called an developed countries that have announced their withdrawal from UNIDO to reconsider. The ministers also asked all member states to "renew their commitment to industrial development cooperation and to a stronger, more viable UNIDO in the spirit of global partnership and mutual benefit."

A working group will present points of agreement on UNIDO's focus and budget for the next biennium during the board's regular session, which meets from 23-27 June. UNIDO sold its future activities will focus on investment promotion technology transfer, cleaner and sustainable industrial development, capacity and institution building for competitiveness, small and medium-sized industries development and agro-related industry.

Contact Doris Hribernigg, NGO Coordinator, External Relations Service, UNIDO, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 300, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, telephone +43-1/21131 5376, fax +431/21131 6837, e-rnail<[email protected]>.

The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) of the International Labour Organization held a meeting from 20-21 May on Overcoming Social Exclusion: The ILO Contribution. Social exclusion is the term now used by many academics to describe an analytical framework that situates poverty as one of a number of factors in determining people's ability to play an active part in social, economic, cultural and political decision making. The IILS conference concluded a research project, co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed at strengthening poverty eradication strategies and promoting social integration at the local, national and international levels. The IILS has published six empirical studies on social exclusion (in India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania, Thailand, and Yemen), as well as several related studies.

Speakers at. the meeting included government officials, academics, trade unionists, employers' organizations and many of the ILO's technical cooperation and policy programme staff.. They outlined key ideas behind the concept of social exclusion and painted to ways in which the analysis is taking concrete shape in ILO initiatives. Speakers also discussed the impact of globalization on social exclusion, particularly in the areas of communications and changing economic production and distribution patterns; the failure of social safety nets to address social exclusion, even where they provide material relief for beneficiaries; and the central importance of employment for ensuring material, social and politico! inclusion. Participants' comments; which also pointed to possible areas for IILS research, highlighted themes including the need for ILO to reshape its governance structure to reflect the realities of a rapidly changing world economy, and new concepts of democratization that are more participatory and inclusive.

A representative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) stressed the importance of ensuring workers a voice in economic decision making, if the policies shaping globalization and liberalization are to evenly distribute the benefits of trade. He added that a state's relationship with non-state actors is a critical indicator of the state's commitment to overcoming social exclusion.

Contact: Jose Figueiredo, IILS, PO Box 6, CH1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, telephone +4122/799 61 19, fax +47-22/788 0950, e-mail <[email protected]>.

Commission on crime prevention initiatives

A strongly-worded text in which the UN General Assembly would urge states to move decisively against corruption of public officials and in international trade was among international initiatives approved by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The commission met from 28 April-9 May in Vienna (Austria).

An anti corruption text-a joint Costa Rican and United States initiative-calls an states to outlaw offences such as bribery of public officials, conflict of interest, vote buying and other corrupt practices.

The exploitation of children, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in stolen vehicles and environmental crime were the subject of several other measures, which if adopted by the GA, are intended to deal a crippling blow to organized crime. During debate on these questions, country after country committed itself to combating transnational crime as a "common enemy.

Significant progress was also mode on two related issues: the question of elaborating a draft convention covering forms of organized tronsnational crime not already sanctioned in other international treaties and a text by which developing countries and those in transition to market economies would be encouraged to incorporate action against transnational crime in their development efforts.

The growing use of handguns and other firearms in crime suicide and accidents prompted a resolution on firearm regulation. In it the commission urged states to consider regulatory approaches to civilian owned firearms, which would cover their storage, transport, licensing, import and export, as well as penalties far their misuse.

The 40-member commission was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1992. It replaces the Committee on (rime Prevention and Control as the major United Nations body providing policy guidance to the organization's crime control programme, which consists of the Vienna-based Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division and a network of affiliated regional and interregional institutes.

The commission's recommendations will be taken up at ECOSOC's next substantive session, to be held in Geneva from 30 June-25 July.

FAO reports on its restructuring

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says on-going reforms have resulted in a "radically changed" organization, which is slimmed down and re-focused. A report on Reforming FAO-The Challenge of World Food Security, notes that the reforms are bringing about "the most significant restructuring since FAO's founding to decentralize operations, streamline procedures and reduce costs."

The report says that of a total of 4185 posts, FAO cut 456 between 1994 and mid-1996: 563 pasts were eliminated at its headquarters and 63 in country offices, while 170 posts were added to strengthen field work. These and other changes, including a US$2.5 million a year reduction in travel costs, fewer and shorter meetings, and less publications have already lead to savings of around US$25 million a year.

According to the report, the reforms have helped sharpened FAO's focus by giving priority to food security, raising the issue teethe top of the international agenda through the World Food Summit, and by creating a combination of special programmes. FAO set up the Special Programme for Food Security to increase food production in the poorest countries and to make conditions better for poor farming families. To complement the work of the special programme, the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases was launched. FAO reforms also include creation of the - Department of Sustainable Development and the Women and Population Division. Operation units in the Agriculture, Social and Economic, Fisheries and Forestry Departments were transferred to the new Technical Cooperation Department.

In April the UN Environment Program me an d Hungary in augurated a Global Resource Information Database (GRID) Centre in Budapest. GRID-Budapest, which is port of 0 UNEP programme to help strengthen cooperative gbbol environmental assessment, will contribute to international data exchanges and will work to streamline national en vironmental in formation management and reporting.

Through a worldwide network of collaborating centres, UNEP-GRID facilitates, the generation and dissemination of key statistical and geographically-referenced data sets, as well as information products focusing on environmental and natural resource issues.

Operational since 1985 GRID assists UNEP and its partners by contributing scientific data and information as a basis for derision making on environmental issues of in ternational significance .

Contact: Taka Hiraishi Assistant Executive Director, Environment Information Network Unit, Departament of Environment Information Assessment, UNEP, PO Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +2542/623231, fax +254-2/623943, e-mail <[email protected]>, web site (htlp://www.gridbp.meh.hu).

On "Take Our Daughters to Work Day, " observed at United Notions headquaters in New York on 24 April, all staff, delegation members and accredited media were invited to bring to work girls from nine to 15 years of age. Take Our Daughters to Work Day, which was observed officially at UN headquarters for the first time last year, was launched in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women.

At the UN, the girls participated in small group discussions with female delegates journalists and Secretariat staff from various occupational groups. They spent the rest of the, day in the office of their parents or mentors.

The day is designed to give girls on opportunity to develop a sense of their own potential by working alongside adult mentors, see for themselves what women accomplish in the world, and strengthen their belief in the promise and importance of education

"The reform programme," said FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, "has broadened FAO's links embracing the private sector and non-governmental organizations, leading to the creation of the Unit for Cooperation with the Private Sector and NGOs, which will expand contacts with associations and companies and develop prototype cooperative projects. It is also developing policy guidelines and a plan to increase cooperation with NGOs. FAO has strengthened links between the existing Investment Centire Division and international, regional and national financial institutions." He noted that the reforms are being implemented within the constraints of FAO's budget cuts-the organization's 1996-1997 biennium budget is US$650 million, down from US$673.1 in 1 994-1 995.

Un narcotics commission sets agenda

The Philippines has become the 65th UN member state to pay its 1997 dues in full to the organization in the amount of US$639,047. On the some dote lost year, 70 member status hod paid their duns.

Representatives of 108 governments have set a far-reaching agenda for an international meeting on the global drug problem, to take place in June 1998 as a special session of the General Assembly.

During a two-day preparatory session in Vienna (Austria) in March, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which was requested by the GA to make arrangements for the session, decided that the 1998 meeting will focus on four major issues:

• the growing trend toward abuse of synthetic stimulants, such as speed and ecstasy;

• proposals for tighter controls over the chemicals used in producing illicit drugs (precursors);

• efforts to combat money laundering; and

• ways to promote international cooperation in law enforcement and court proceedings.

At the special GA session, governments are expected to reaffirm their commitment to existing international drug control treaties and to issue a declaration on agreed principles for reducing demand for illicit drugs. The meeting will also discuss eradication of illegal crops and alternative development.

Member states have agreed to consult informally in Vienna in July and October on money foundering, judicial cooperation, precursors, stimulants and alternative development. They plan to meet again in December to assess progress. The commission will hold a further preparatory session in Vienna in February 1998.

UNFPA study on population assistance

Shortfalls in promised assistance to developing countries will result in at least 120 million additional unwanted pregnancies, 49 million abortions, five million deaths of infants and young children, and 65 000 maternal deaths aver the period 1995-2000. These are among the preliminary conclusions of a study, prepared by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for its executive board on Meeting the Goals of the ICPD: Consequences of Resource Shortfalls up to the Year 2000.

The study uses estimates of annual resource needs adopted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and considers the likely impact if these goals are not met.

It says that while developing countries continue to increase allocations for reproductive health, international assistance has stagnated in the past year, heightening concern that' donors may not meet their one-third share of the US$17 billion required in the year 2000.

"Our study shows that developing countries have increased their spending on reproductive health in line with the ICPD recommendations, UNFPA Executive Director Dr.- Nafis Sadik said. "But the ICPD goals can be reached only if all countries do their part. We must count on donor countries to meet the commitments they made in Cairo. If they do not, millions of women, and their children, will suffer needlessly."

The ICPD adopted a 20-year programme of action that focuses on individual well-being and rights, including the right to choose when to have children, as key to achieving sustainable development. As part of a comprehensive effort to improve women's status, education and health, the plan aims for universal access to quality reproductive health care, including voluntary family planning.

Governments agreed that developing countries should cover two-thirds of the costs of a package of basic reproductive health and family planning services, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, and related research data and policy analysis. Funds needed for these will rise to US$17 billion per year in 2000, and to US$21.7 billion in the year 2015. In 1995, the latest year for which data are available, developing countries spent around US$7.5 billion on such programmes. International assistance in the form of grants and loans, contributed another US$2 billion.

According to the study, donor spending, including World Bank loans, increased by 40% in 1994 and by the same percentage in 1995. But this momentum appears to have stopped, and 1996 showed little or no increase. To reach the agreed target of US$5.7 billion, donor assistance must increase by 23% each year until 2000.

Contact:Hugh O'Haire, UNFPA, 220 E. 42nd Street, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1212/297 5022, fax +1-212/557 6416, e-mod <[email protected]>.

Adult education conference meets in july

A series of meetings have ended in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Arab states and Europe, with their results to be presented to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA). The conference, to take place in Hamburg (Germany) from 14-18 July, will bring together over 1500 adult education specialists, government representatives, NGOS and officials from UN-agencies (see Go Between 61). It will produce a declaration on adult reaming, in the form of a bread policy manifesto, and an agenda for the future with detailed proposals.

The theme of the conference will be Adult Learning A Key for the Twenty-First Century. A workshop on women will discuss ways of combating constraints to female education and participation, and it will examine progress in implementing the Fourth World Conference on Women Platform for Action Conference participants will also discuss issues such as minorities, indigenous peoples, the media, groups with special needs, the economics of adult learning, health promotion, population policies, and fostering democracy and international cooperation.

A roundtable on the world of work, which will link CONFINTEA via satellite with speakers and an audience in Detroit (US) and Windsor (Canada), will be broadcast live on television in some areas. In addition, a session on democracy and adult education will link Hamburg with Cape Town (South Africa), and another on literacy will link up with an audience in New Delhi (India).

The conference is a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) event, with the involvement of other UN and multilateral bodies, such as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) International Labour Office, UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and the Organization far Economic Co operation and Development.

Contact: UNESCO Institute for Education, CONFINTEA '97 Feldbrunnenstrasse 58, D-20 148 Hamburg, Germany telephone +49-40/448 0410, fax +49-40/410 7723, e-mail <uie@unesco. org>, web site (hthp://www.education.unesco.org/educnews/confintea).

Revision of world urbanization prospects

Around 46% of the world's population are urban dwellers, but .this figure is expected to rise to half the world's population by the year 2006, according to the 1996 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects. The revision updates estimates and projections of urban, rural and city populations. These figures, which are the standard and consistent set used by the United Nations system and the international community, are updated every two years by the UN's Population Division.

The study, which incorporates new information from the 1990 census round, reveals a slower pace of urbanization than previously expected. Over three-fifths of the world's population will be urban by 2030, which is five years later than anticipated. Tokyo is currently the largest urban agglomeration in the world, with 27.2 million residents in 1 996-more then one and a half times as large as the world's second largest, Mexico City, with- 16.9 million.

By mid-1996, 75% of the population in more developed regions lived in urban areas, while only 38% were urban dwellers in the less developed regions. In the same year, a total of 2.6 billion people lived in urban areas around the world, including 1.8 billion in the less developed regions. The world urban population grew at a rate of 2.4% per annum between 1990 and 1995, which is more than three times that of rural populations (0.7% per annum). As a result, urban areas absorbed 59 million additional persons each year, compared with 22 million for rural areas.

The urban growth rate in less developed regions reached 3.4% per annum during 1990-1995, compared with only 0.7% in mare developed regions. In 1996, 36% of the population lived in urban areas in Africa and Asia respectively, while almost three out of every four persons were urban dwellers in Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. In Oceania in 1996, seven of every ten people lived in cities.

Projections show that by 2030, a little more than eight of every ten people will live in cities in the more developed regions, while 57% of the population in less developed regions will be urban dwellers. By the same time, less than half of the population in the least developed countries will be urban dwellers. A little more than one of every two Africans or two Asians will live in cities. Mare than eight of every ten Latin Americans, Europeans and North Americans will be urban dwellers, and three of every four Oceanians will live in cities.

Contact: Nancy (hen, Population Division, Deportment for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA), United Notions, New York NY 10017, USA telephone +1-212/963 3210, fax +1-212/963 2147.

WMO statement on global climate

The year 1996 was the eighth warmest on record since 1860, and the 18th consecutive year with positive global temperature anomalies, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In its annual statement on the status of the global climate, WMO says heavy precipitation affecting many parts of the world was the most predominant feature of 1996 especially in southern Europe parts of northern Africa and the Middle East. It warns that the ozone hole over the Antarctic is "just as prominent as it has been in recent years, with significant ozone depletion over the northern hemisphere-especially in Europe, the Arctic and north-eastern Atlantic Oceans during the January-March period." The statement is based on continuous observations made over land and ocean by the national meteorological and hydrological services of WMO member countries.

Contact: Information Public Affairs Office, WMO, 41 av. Giuseppe-/Motto, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, telephone +4122/730 8315, fax +41-22/733 2829, e-mail<[email protected]>, home page (http://www. wmo. ch/web/wcphtml/wcdmp. html).

The United Kingdom has announced its intention to rejoin the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after a 12-year absence.

Mohamed T. El-Ashry has been reappointed Chief Executive Officer/Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility for another three years.

Eighteen fellowships have been awarded to candidates from developing countries by the UN Fellowship Programme in International law.

The 1997 fellowship programme, faking place in The Hague (Netherlands) in July and August, August, aims to enable qualified professionals from developing countries and countries in socioeconomic transition, to acquire additional knowledge about international law and the legal work of the United Nations and its associated bodies.

To qualify for fellowships, candidates should be law graduates with practical experience in the field of international low, acquired by working for a public or private organization or a university. Eligible participants should be from 24 to 40 years old.

Contact: Isabel Hubert

Programme Coordinator

UN Institute far Training and

Research

Palais des Nations

CH-1211 Geneva 10

Switzerland

telephone +41-2Z/798 5050

fax +41-22/733 1383

In March Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBO) began its task of establishing an unprecedented global verification regime to monitor compliance with the treaty, which the UN General Assembly adopted last September .The new organization will be located in Vienna (Austria).

In order to bridge the period until entry into force of the treaty, states signatories hove set up a preparatory commission to arrange for a monitoring system. It will include a network of 321 seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide stations.

The system, known as the International Monitoring System is intended to verify that no nuclear tests are being conducted in the atmosphere, under ground or under water On-site inspections are also anticipated.

IFAD board approves new projects

The Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has approved ten new rural development projects worth a total of US$482.57 million. The projects are designed to help eradicate rural poverty in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, India, Lebanon, Madagascar and Uganda. The board, which ended its 60th session in Rome on 29 April, also approved projects for the first time in the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan. IFAD will provide loons of US$127.6 million in support of the projects and to the benefit of some 424,000 poor rural families.

Georgia's Agricultural Development Project, to which IFAD will provide a loon of US$6.5 million, will assist the government in transferring commercially-viable assets and activities in agriculture, agro-industries, form supplies and production and marketing systems to the private sector. The Republic of Azerbaijan's Form Privatisation Project, to which IFAD will contribute US$9.3 million, will provide support for privatization of agricultural fond and irrigation and drainage systems. It will also support participatory community development and income-generating activities for women and the landless.

Contact: Taysir Mustafa, Media Relations Coordinator, IFAD, Via del Seratico 107, 100142 Rome, Italy, telephone +39-6/5459 2034, fax +39-6/519 3328, e-mail <[email protected]>.

WTO report on world trade

The volume of world merchandise bode increased by 4% in 1996, slightly less than half the rote recorded in 1995, after two years of unusually strong growth in world bode volume, according to the World Trade Organization's (WT0) first report on bode developments in 1996. The report, which also discusses the outlook for the current year, says the growth rote of world merchandise production was marginally slower for the second consecutive year, but remained well above the roses recorded in the first four years of the 1 990s. A modest increase in bode growth is expected this year, based largely on the projected recovery of economic growth and bode in Western Europe and Asia, and continued high growth in Latin America.

The report says growth in bode volume remained at least twice as forge as gross domestic product (GDP) growth in North America, Latin America and Western Europe, while in the transition economies, bode growth was above the world average despite a further contraction of output. In value terms, world merchandise exports passed the US$5000 billion mark for the first time, increasing 4% to US$5100 billion. And for the first time since 1990, the value of Africa's exports and imports expanded more rapidly than total world bode, largely on the basis of increased fuel exports. Latin America and the Middle East recorded merchandise export and import growth of 10% or more in value terms.

There is little data available on the performance of the least developed countries (LDCs). The report says that the indicators available suggest LDCs were negatively affected by price declines for many of their traditional exports, particularly cotton, coffee and copper. However, oil-exporting LDCs benefited from the oil price increase in 1996. Overall, African LDCs (where figures are available) increased the dollar value of their bode exports.

The full report is on the WT0 web site (http://www.wto.org). The WTO Annual Report, to be published in November, will contain a more detailed analysis of bode developments in 1996.

World development indicators

The World Bank has published a new report entitled 1997 World Development Indicators, which crows on the expertise of dozens of international organizations along with statistics from over 200 economies, to offer a comprehensive picture of the state of the world. The report "starts from the premise that development is about the quality of life," sold World Bank President James Wolfensohn. "It places people and poverty reduction first, at the centre of the development agenda where they belong."

The report includes statistics on people, including population, life expectancy and infant mortality; economic overviews on emerging economies and smaller developing ones; markets and technology, including the number of computers per every 1000 people in developed and developing countries; and statistics on the environment, such as safe drinking water and energy consumption per capita.

Contact: Phil Hay, World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington Dc 20433, USA, telephone +1-202/473 1796, fax + 1-202/522 2632, e-mail <phay@worldbank. org>.

Weapons convention enters into force

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sold the banning of chemical weapons is a "momentous act of peace" during his opening remarks at the First Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which began on 6 May in The Hague (Netherlands). "We are witnessing today on historic event," sold Mr. Annan. "An entire category of weapons of mass destruction has been banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention. One hundred and sixty-five notions hove signed the treaty, and more still are planning to join. Eighty-eight countries hove ratified the convention and more still are preparing to do so."

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction entered into force on 29 April. It will create on international norm prohibiting the development, production and acquisition of chemical weapons. The convention will also lead to the destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles and establish stringent verification measures. It requires states parties to report the location of chemical weapons storage sites and the location and characteristics of chemical weapons production and research facilities. It also prohibits bode in certain chemicals with countries not party to the treaty. The convention took the international community almost 30 years to negotiate and another five to win the requisite number of ratifications.

On 28 April Mr. Annan welcomed action by the.United States Senate, which voted one day earlier to approve the convention. Mr. Annan sold the "potential of this significant agreement to strengthen international peace and security depends on the degree of universality it achieves." He said he looks forward, therefore, to formal ratification of the convention by other states that hove not yet done so.

Contact: Anil Wadhwa or Chantal de Haas, Media and Public Affairs Branch, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Loon van Meerdervoort 51, 2517 AE The Hague, Netherlands, telephone +31-20/376 1700, fax +3170/360 0944, web site (http://www.opcw.nl).

Seminar on 1997 world employment strategies

A seminar on 1997 World Employment Strategies, which took place on 2 June in New York, addressed themes including policies for encouraging employment growth, promoting and maintaining high levels of employment, employment strategies for Latin America, and global barriers to employment. The seminar was organized by the UN Deportment for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD).

Contact: John Langmore, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, DPCSD, United Notions, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1212/963 5855, fax +1-212/963 3062.

The United Kingdom has announced it will ban the import, export, transfer and manufacture of on/ipersonnel landmines and will phase out its storks. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons in May shot, We will in addition make sure that we bon the bode through the United Kingdom of all such landmines. They hove done enormous carnage often to wholly innocent civilians including children, and the sooner that Britain gives a hod in this the better It is the right and the civilized thing to do. "

 

 

 

Global diversity forum meets

The application of biodiversity indicators and forgets was the subject of a forum of UN headquarters attended by more than 85 scientific, technical and policy experts prior to the fifth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) The sixth Global Biodiversity Forum, held from 3-4 April, emphasized the use of forgets and indicators as tools to support implementation of Agenda 21 and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The forum, whose co-sponsors included the UN Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Resources Institute, concentrated on national reports required under the CBD and the (SD. Participants representing 25 governments, several NGOs, intergovernmental organizations and indigenous groups, also discussed the possibility of developing a core set of biodiversity indicators that could be used in the national reports. The forum's recommendations include:

• economic and social indicators should be complemented by "natural capital" indicators;

• a process should be launched under the CBD to elaborate a universal core set of biodiversity indicators;

• international bodies should work with governments to harmonize biodiversity information for use in monitoring, reporting and other implementation activities;

• a significant new global initiative in the applied biological sciences is needed to mobilize support and stimulate coordinated, interdisciplinary approaches, consensus-building ground a biodiversity science agenda, and wider application of existing scientific knowledge; and

• networking institutions, including the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Biodiversity Action Network (BIONET), should be coiled upon to help develop on international network to provide practitioners involved in the preparation of national reports and in biodiversity monitoring with the opportunity to shore and exchange information.

Contact: Sheldon Cohen, BIONET, 1400 16th Street NW,Suite 502, Washington DC 20036, USA, telephone +1-202/547 8902, fax +1-202/265 0222, e-mail<[email protected]>.

WTO-NGO Meeting on trade and environment

The secretariat of the World Trade Organization organized a symposium on bode, the environment and sustainable development from 20-21 May in Geneva. Over 70 representatives of environment, development and consumer NGOs, as well as individual businesses and business associations, met with government delegates and the WTO secretariat Panel speakers discussed globalization, bode and sustainable development; synergies between bode liberalization and the environment; the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements and the WTO; the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) as it affects environmental issues, market access; tariff and non-tariff measures and the environment; and relations between the WTO and NGOs.

James Gustave Speth has been reappointed as Administrator of the UN Development programme (UNDP).Mr. Speth, who begins his second term on 16 July has been UNDP Administrator since June 1993.

In May the UNDP Executive Board approved "UNDP 2001 " change proposals which were presented by Mr. Speth. The board signalled its support for the move to further decentralize UNDP resources and authority to the field by 1999.

The informal symposium was the third meeting the secretariat responsible for environmental issues at the WTO has organized for NGOs. It was the first time a significant dialogue has token place between government delegates on the WTO's Committee on Trade and Environment (GTE) and non-stote actors. The symposium provided the chance for a frank exchange of views on the agenda items under discussion at the GTE, which is one of the committees NGOs hove monitored closely since the WTO was established in 1995. NGOs hove been coiling for greater access to WTO proceedings and argue that even though the WTO is careful to confine its work to trade-related issues, this is now leading it into areas where the role of other international organizations and of civil society hove to be token into account if the WTO is to produce credible results. These areas include investment and intellectual property rights, as well as environmental regulation.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Assistant Administrator of UNDP and Director of its Regional Bureau for Africa since 1992, has resigned in order to run for President of Liberia. Her replacement has yet to be announced

Australia, Canada and the Netherlands provided funding for participation of developing country NGOs. Some panel speakers, noting the importance of NGO contributions, urged other governments to consider doing likewise. NGOs sold governments should invest in NGO capacity building on trade-related issues in the South and documents should be derestricted more quickly. They sold some documents should not be restricted at oil, especially if NGOs are to do more advocacy at the national level, as coiled for by WTO member states Some speakers observed a growing trust and dialogue between NGOs and WTO delegates, which they sold is essential to ensure good bode rules. They also coiled for a more permanent mechanism to facilitate NGO consultations with the WTO .

Contact: Peter Pedersen, External Relations Division, WTO, 154 rue de Lousanne, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/739 5848, fax +41-22/739 5777, e-mail <[email protected]>.

On 1 July Richard Butler, former Australian Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, took in New York, took up his duties as Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission on Iraqi Disarmament.

South NGO capacity building

Around 40 representatives of NGOs and foundations in the South, Europe and the United States, as well as bilateral donors and UN agencies, met on 23 May to discuss the merits of establishing on international working group on capacity building for Southern NGOs. The meeting, held at World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, was organized in response to growing donor interest in supporting this kind of work, and because Southern NGOs are increasingly frustrated with the kinds of capacity-building support available.

Southern NGO participants sold that in addition to narrow, traditional forms of support for more efficient project and financial management, emerging needs in new areas need to be addressed, including institutional development, developing partnerships and regional networking, research and policy advocacy, harnessing new information technologies, and creating a sustainable resource base. In addition, capacity building should include consideration of the national and international policy and legal frameworks in which Southern NGOs operate.

The objectives of the proposed international working group on capacity building for Southern NGOs include: to promote learning, shoring and reflection on capacity-building needs of Southern NGOs; encourage a supportive, harmonized response by the donor community; improve the quality and impact of capacity-building initiatives; and provide a forum in which Southern NGOs con articulate their experiences and needs in this area.

After intense discussion, the meeting agreed to establish on interim steering committee and secretariat, whose principal tasks are to undertake further consultations and organize a second, wider meeting on the subject in about nine months, to be held probably in Europe.

Contact: Rajesh Tandon, Interim Secretariat, Society for Participatory Research in Asia, 42 Tughlakabad Institutional Ares, New Delhi 110062, India, telephone +91-11/698 9559, fax +91-11/698 0183, e-mail <[email protected]>.

African and arab parliamentarians forum

Seventy-five porliamentarians from 31 African and Arab states gathered in Cape Town (South Africa) from 1-4 May to launch the Forum of African and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD). The United Notions Population Fund (UNFPA) sponsored the first inaugural conference, which was attended by Hirofumi Ando, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, representatives of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (Africa Region), among others. The forum will serve as a platform for African and Arab parliamentarians to exchange views on how parliamentarians in the region con contribute to their countries' population and development changes. The conference adopted FAAPPD's constitution, elected on executive committee, and adopted 0 declaration urging African and Arab parliamentarians to act as agents for sustainable development in the region. The FAAPPD executive committee will meet in Dakar (Senegal) in September 1997 to decide on the location of the FAAPPD secretariat and approve a work programme and budget.

Contact: Lavu Mulimba, FAAPPD Consultant, c/o UNFPA Representative, PO Box 31966, Lusaka, Zambia, telephone +260-1/250800, fax +2601/254421, e-mail <kemal. mustafa@unfpo. zm>.

Desertification convention meeting

The resumed session of the tenth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention to Combat Desertification (INCD-10) is scheduled from 18-22 August in Geneva. The first Conference of the Parties (GOP-1 ) is scheduled for 29 September-10 October in Rome. The International NGO Network on Desertification (RIOD) will facilitate an NGO forum in Rome from 29 September-10 October. The forum is designed to bring together NGOs during a parallel event to the Convention to Combat Desertification GOP-1.

Contact: Sylvia Jampies, ((D Secretariat, Geneva Executive Centre 11-13 chemin des Anemones, CH-1219 Geneva, . Switzerland, telephone +4122/979 9410, fax +4122,/979 9030, email<[email protected]>.

Contact: Baudouine Kamatari, Global Focal Point of RIOD, Environmental Liaison Centre International (ELCI), PO Box 72461, Nairobi, Kenya, telephone +254-2/56 20 15, fax +254-2/56 2175, e-mail<[email protected]>.

Panel discussion on oceans

On the occasion of the seventh meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Africa-Asia Legal Consultative Committee and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organized a panel discussion on the oceans and law of the sea agenda item of the UN General Assembly. The panel, held in New York on 22 May also discussed the role of meetings of the 116 States Parties to the Law of the Sea in relation to the GA's work; coordination among the many international and regional bodies dealing with oceans; the role of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and the involvement of NGOs. Speakers included representatives of the International Oceans Institute, Greenpeace International, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and the Office of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The briefing was attended by member states, NGO representatives and members of the UN secretariat.

The representative of New Zealand said that the Law of the Sea agenda item at the 51st GA has been broadened to include oceans, in addition to the Law of the Sea. Previously, oceans-related items were dealt with separately in the Second (Economic and Financial) Committee, which also deals with environmental issues. A wide range of UN agencies and bodies also address oceans issues. The representative encouraged participants to comment on the functioning of the ocean-related agenda item in the GA, and to make suggestions for improvement. She warned that interested NGOs will find it difficult to continue their work on oceans issues because of lack of arrangements for NGO participation in the work of the General Assembly.

The International Oceans Institute proposed expanded treatment of the subject through an eightweek Global Oceans Forum. Greenpeace International stressed the important role of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which in 1996 recommended on-going priority consideration of oceans issues in the commission. Other speakers stressed the importance of regional decision-making bodies in oceans questions, and they called for- better integration of the regional level into oceans work at the international level. A number of governments praised the Secretary- General's report, but they sold it would be more useful to their preparations for the GA if it were issued well in advance of the debate. Suggestions were also made to hold the debate well in advance of adoption of the resolution on the item.

Participants said they felt the briefing was a positive contribution to their work, and they suggested similar briefings be organized during the General Assembly discussion on oceans and the Law of the Sea.

Contact: United Notions Division for Ocean Affairs and the Low of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Notions, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/963 3968, fax +1-212/963 5847.

Briefing on East Timor

Jose Ramos-Horta, co-recipient with Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo of the Nobel Peace Prize this year gave a briefing at UN headquarters on 12 March on the state of affairs in East Timor.

Mr. Ramos-Horta, who has been working in the international arena on the situation in East Timor since leaving his homeland in 1975, noted what he called a number of recent advances in international pressure. He underscored the importance of NGO advocacy efforts at the national level, as well as NGO work to raise international public awareness about the situation and struggle of the East Timorese.

He also outlined his peace plan for the region which involves a three-phase process that could take up to 12 years to complete. Phase one would focus on humanitarian issues, including releasing political prisoners, reducing the numbers of Indonesian troops, and halting the Indonesian takeover of East Timorese land. Phase two would involve undertaking elections for a Territory Assembly, with all political parties being legalized, including those advocating independence for East Timor. Phase three would involve a UN-supervised referendum on the three options provided for in UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 15 December 1960: independence, free association (with the colonial power Portugal) or integration with another independent state (Indonesia).

The General Assembly of European Development NGOS, meeting in Brussels (Belgium) on 11-12 April, requested the UN Secretary-General to promote the establishment of a permanent United Nations presence in East Timor" "in order to ensure the safety of the Timorese and to make preparations for the holding of a referendum an the political status of the territory." The assembly also called upon UN member states to give a positive response to the European Parliament's resolutions to stop arms sales to Indonesia as fang as it "does not allow the people of East Timor to exercise their right to self-determination." The assembly said it supports the principle of humanitarian and development aid for East Timor from the European Union, channelled directly through Timorese organizations, which it said would help "reduce the suffering of the population under an illegal occupation, and contribute towards strengthening this population's own capacities."

The UN has appealed for US$324.5 million to meet the emergency humanitarian needs of over 1.4 million refugees internally displaced persons and returnees in the Great Lakes . region of Africa.

The appeal, prepared by United Notions agencies and NGOs operational in the region rovers the period January to December 1997 It is designed to address the emergency humanitarian needs of 460 000 internally displaced people and refugees in the Democratic Repubic of Congo (formerly Zaire) 615 000 in Burundi 326 000 in Tanzania and 33,000 in Uganda and Zambia.

The number of military and civilian police personnel serving on United Notions peace-keeping operations has reached almost 24,000 according to the Department of Public Information (DPI) of the United Notions.

A fact sheet, prepared by DPI in consultation with the Deportment of Peace-keeping Operations, says that as of 30 April 1997, 23,074 military and civilian police personnel were serving on 17 UN peace-keeping operations ground the world Seventy-one countries contributed staff to those missions.

The total cost of running peace-keeping operations between 1 July 1996 and 30 April 1997 was USS1.3 billion. Since the beginning of UN peace-keeping operations in 1948, there hove been 1503 fatalities involving military, civilian,international and local personnel.

The United Nations has appointed Jamsheed A. Marker as the Secretary- General's Special Representative far East Timor: Mr. Marker was formerly Ambassador of Pakistan to the UN.

Contact: Jamsheed A. Marker, Special Representative for East Timor, Department of Political Affairs, Room S-3235E, United Notions, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 1395.

WFPHA congress on health planned

The world is undergoing tremendous change, which affects every aspect of human health and well-being. As the 21st century approaches, it is imperative to carefully consider the impact-either positive or adverse-of these changes on the health of the world's people.

The eighth International Congress of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), to be held in Arushao (Tanzania) from 12 17 October, will bring together actors in public health from ground the world to discuss these impacts. The congress, entitled Health in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges, will also aim to identify measures that are essential for improving global health during the 21st century. Participants will discuss issues including:

• health policies and the strategy of Health-for AII through primary health care;

• population issues and demographic trends;

• environmental and occupation health

• social, economic and political determinants of health;

• the role of community, NGOs and grassroots organizations, and

• gender, race and ethnic perspectives.

The congress, hosted by the Tanzania Public Health Association, is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). WFPHA is an international NGO composed of multi-disciplinary public health associations representing 55 countries.

Contact: National Congress Organizing Committee, c/o Tanzania Public Health Association, PO Box 7785, Dar es Sallam, Tanzania, telephone +255-51/36236 or 151371, fax +255-51/30660 or 31864, e-mail <tpha@tan. healthnet; org>.

Environmental performance of companies

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to help improve environmental performance in companies in developing countries. Through their collaboration, UNDP and WBCSD will aim to assist developing country industries attain higher levels of environmental performance and improved environmental management.

WBCSD will provide experts from within its members to companies in developing countries that want specialist support to improve their environmental performance. WBCSD membership, which includes a cross-section of 125 leading international companies aiming for high environmental standards, has a regional network of 15 national business councils located in the developing world.

Contact: Christine Elleboode, Communications Manager, WBCSD, 160 route de Florissant, OH1231 Conches Switzerland, telephone +41-22/839 3141, fax +41-22/839 3181, e-mail <[email protected]>, web site (http://www. wbcsd ch).

 

 

 

Information about the European Year Against Racism can now be found online at the web site http://www.europeanyear1997.org

NGO follow up to food summit discussed

About 40 NGO participants gathered in Geneva from 1-4 May to discuss follow up to the World Food Summit, held in November 1996 in Rome.

The meeting, organized by Food First Information Action Network (FIAN) of Germany and the World Association for Nutrition and Human Rights (WANAHR) of Norway, brought together NGOs from around the world. Also participating were officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Centre for Human Rights, and experts from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Participants focused on the possibility of developing a code of conduct on the right to food. The code would be aimed at guiding government actions but would also address the role of business and civil society in securing people's right to food. NGOs at the meeting said the code is a useful strategy, but only as one element in their follow up to the summit. They said although the code would be hard to enforce, it would be useful as a way to bring together policies that could inform national legislation and other national and international strategies to strengthen the commitment to the right to adequate food.

The code is based on the summit's plan of action objective 7.4, which calls on governments to "clarify the content of the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, as stated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights." The primary responsibility for this work is given to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Other NGO on-going and possible follow-up strategies discussed at the meeting included a legally binding convention on the right to food security; strengthening existing guidelines for reporting on the right to adequate food at the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; planning advocacy strategies before the next round of multilateral trade folks on agriculture, due in 1999 at the World Trade Organization; and looking at national legislation and actions to combat food insecurity. There was also some discussion about linking with existing work on the impact of structural adjustment programmes. NGOs also discussed how to prepare their input to the November meeting of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which is planning to prepare an interpretative note on the right to adequate food.

Contact: FIAN International Secretariat, PO Box 102243, D-6 9012 Heidelberg, Germany, telephone +49-6221/830620, fax +49-6221/830545, e-mail <fian-is@oln. comlink. apc. org>.

Globalization and development roundtable

Globalization, linked to liberalization and institutionalized in the World Trade Organization (WTO), has been left unchecked and has resulted in uneven development that benefits a few and marginalizes a great many. This process should not be made into a prescriptive norm for countries to abide by.

These were the general views that emerged during a recent roundtable on Globalization, Sustainable Development and the South. The roundtable was held in New York by the Malaysia-based Third World Network and the Group of 77. Participants said the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the General Assembly special session in June should address globalization as a central issue. They also said there should be commitment to examine this process from the perspective of sustainable development in order to move it away from narrow commercial or notional interests.

Contact: Third World Network, 228 Macalister Rood, 10400 Penang, Malaysia, telephone +604/229 3511, fax +60-4/226 4505, e-mod <[email protected]>.

CCIC holds annual general meeting

The Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) held its annual general meeting from 22-24 May in Ottawa.

CCIC President and Chief Executive Officer Betty Plewes introduced a ten-point agenda for poverty eradication, known as the In Common programme. It has emerged from the work of the CCIC Task Force on Building Public Support for

In dedication to Paulo Freire

Paulo Freire, a pioneer in linking literacy with social justice issues, died on 3 May at the age of 75 in Sao Paulo (Brazil). Freire was best known for his theory of "conscientization" in education, which links people's illiteracy-to their lock of consciousness of their oppression as a long term strategy for transformation, empowerment and liberation. The theory, which helped to bring popular education to communities with high illiteracy roses, achieved its greatest impact in the 1960s and 1970s. In Brazil, it grew from an education trend to a forge political movement.

Freire was the author of over 25 books on educational themes including Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which was translated into several languages and received international acclaim. During his 16 years in exile from his native Brazil after the 1964 military coup, Freire worked in Geneva for the World Council of Churches and at the University of Geneva. In 1986 he received the UNESCO Education for Peace Prize for his literacy campaigns throughout the world, especially in Africa. Among his legacies is the Instituto Paulo Freire (founded in 1992 with offices in 18 countries), which is dedicated to investigating and disseminating educational cultural and communication themes.

Sustainable Human Development, set up in 1995. The initiative seeks to create more public policy space; inject a sense of urgency into public response to global issues, while maintaining a longterm perspective; build synergy between the diverse policy and engagement activities of the international sector, contribute to the public's ability to see the "big picture" through a policy framework bringing together different strands of international policy concerns; link policy and advocacy activities; strengthen NGO strategies and capacities to engage and mobilize Canadians by experimenting with new methods, such as public deliberation and best practices; respond to public concern to "make a difference" by helping to identify possible choices and actions; and compose an appropriate division of labour between the CCIC secretariat and members to ensure that the council's work complements member activities.

Representatives from over 70 organizations contributed ideas on the policy framework for the programme, and strategies to engage the domestic NGO sector and other adore. Ms. Plewes said the programme is organized ground a platform called An Agenda for Poverty Eradication, since "poverty eradication is a prerequisite for sustainable human development," and "conditions that sustain poverty are a human creation." She said people acing alone and even in concert cannot ensure the end of poverty. "It requires government action through fair tax policies, the building of social safety nets and investment in people. Government alone cannot change the values and behaviours that perpetuate poverty. And the private sector has an important role to play."

Contact: CCIC, 7 Nicholas Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario KIN 7B7, Canada, telephone +1613/241 7007, fax +1-613/241 5302.

On 23 May the Canadian Council for International Cooperation presented its annual International Cooperation award, which recognizes voluntary sector initiatives and selects recipients on the basis of their demonstrated commitment to sustainable human development.

The Global Citizenship category award went to the Montreal Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), for its Hands Up trainers' guide on children's rights, published in English, French and Spanish..

The Peacebuilding category award went to the Sierra Club of British Columbia, in partnership with the Salvadoran Centre for Appropiate Technology, for Project GAIA, which includes the establishment of 0 "Forest of Reconciliation" in the Guazapa region outside San Salvador.

Joel McClellan (US) has appointed Executive Secretary of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response, a group of forge humanitarian NGOs in Geneva. Mr. McClellan has NGO field experience, including emergencies and over ten years experience in representation work with UN humanitarian agencies.

Rob van Drimmelen has been appointed General Secretary of APRODEV in Brussels, the network of development NGOs related to the Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches. He replaces Martin Bax, who retires in August.

Building canadian democracy

A group of Canadian national organizations and coalitions representing much of Canada's charitable and voluntary sector have joined forces to strengthen legislative and regulatory frameworks to support their work. According to the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), which serves as the representative of the NGO community within the coalition, the initiative's aim is to halt competition among the groups for policy dialogue time with the federal government, help redefine the roles and relationships of both the voluntary sector and the federal government, and combine forces in the voluntary sector to achieve the organizations' similar goals. The group has already achieved concrete results in meetings with the Canadian Finance and Revenue Ministers and secured positive changes in tax laws related to charitable organizations.

Every year six million Canadians dedicate time to voluntary work, according to the group, which amounts to None billion hours of responsible citizenship." Some 70,000 charitable organizations are registered in Canada, with revenues estimated in 1993 at 86.5 billion Canadian dollars or 13% of Canada's GDP, and the voluntary work force employs some 9% of Canada's overall work force. Government is the main source of revenue for voluntary organizations, from which registered Canadian charities receive 56% of their revenue. However during the past decade the group says such funding has been cut, at the same time government has increased expectations of the voluntary sector to deliver services. The group says this has resulted in a "precarious balancing ad that risks undermining the very nature of Canadian society" and its democratic values of tolerance, compassion and civic participation.

Among other things, the group is working toward inclusion in the government budget of statements on a "social well-being index," which will draw attention to how social capital complements the performance of the market; the launch of a national youth service; and changes so that voluntary sector representatives can participate in public policy decision making the same way that business and union representatives do. Other areas of work include developing mechanisms for dialogue with the federal government, defining and regulating charitable activity, and enhancing voluntary sector accountability.

Contact: Notional Voluntary Organizations, c/o CCIC, 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario KIN 7B7, Canada, telephone +1-613/238 1591.

NGOS meet on mental health

The first general meeting of the NGO Committee on Mental Health was held on 8 May at UN headquarters in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI). A statement by Dr. J.A. Costa e Silva, Director of the Division of Mental Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse, announced WHO's "best practice" programme. Entitled "Nations for Mental Health," the programme will explore and demonstrate the most effective ways of implementing techniques and strategies for mental health care and mental health promotion, as an integral part of international development work.

Dr. Leon Eisenberg of Harvard University stressed the interconnectedness of health problems and underlying social conditions, such as war, poverty and discrimination. Noting that mental health has deteriorated worldwide, in contrast to basic health, he discussed key clinical initiatives to upgrade the quality of mental health services; systematic efforts to assess the global burden of alcohol and drug abuse; coordinated efforts to improve national gender policies, interdict violence toward women and empower them; and broad initiatives to control the causes and consequences of violence.

The primary aim of the committee, which was established by the Board of the Conference of NonGovernmental Organizations in Consultative Status with ECOSOC (CONGO) in January 1996, is to promote psychological well-being, work toward improvement of mental health care services, and advocate and educate about preventing mental illness. The committee, chaired by Nancy Wallace of the World Federation for Mental Health, is working with the UN and its specialized agencies to ensure the inclusion of mental health issues within a broader context of concerns, such as vulnerable populations, human rights, poverty, violence, the environment, and substance abuse.

 

 

Uganda will become the first country to receive debt relief under the Heavily indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt initiative (see Go Between 60). The relief will reduce the country's debt by US$338 million in net present value (NPV) terms. The HIPC debt initiative, which was agreed to at the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September 1996 (see page 25), seeks to reduce the debt burden of poor. countries to sustainable levels and release resources for programmes that reduce poverty and promote growth.

The relief package, which represents 19% of Uganda's overall debt burden, will be delivered in April 1998, subject to Uganda continuing its strong programme of reform and social development. The World Bank will provide a portion of the relief in advance by making grants of US$75 million over the next year.

Richard Kaijuka, Uganda's Minister of Planning and Economic Development, welcomed the package. "This debt relief," he said, "will help us put more resources into our National Poverty Eradication Plan, especially President Museveni's recent initiative for universal primary education, providing basic health care and improved nutrition to ourpeople, and the overall enhancement of rural development."

However, some NGOs such as Oxfam and the European NGO Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD), have raised concerns that the debt initiative should have forgiven a much greater share of Uganda's debt and should be implemented more quickly. According to Oxfam the one year delay will cost Uganda some US$193 million in lost debt relief, which is twice its education budget, despite the fan that the country has been implementing structural adjustment programmes for ten years. The World Bank, which refutes the US$193 million figure, says the debt servicing cost to Uganda over the next year (roughly US$30 million) will be covered by the planned US$75 million in International Development Association (IDA) grants.

In a conference hosted by the UN's Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa at the beginning of April, a number of African finance ministers called for quick and more flexible application of the HIPC initiative to the growing number of potential HIPC beneficiaries in Africa who face debt levels far in excess of their servicing capacity. They also voiced their concerns at the stringent conditionality and eligibility criteria of the initiative and the methods used to calculate the level of debt relief needed to reach debt sustainability. Without flexibility, the initiative could end up "like the mountain that gave birth to a mouse," said ECA Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako.

33^rd Session of organization of African Unity

In June heads of state and government attending the 33rd session of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit adopted two decisions that stress the concerns among African leaders-for issues related to sustainable development in Africa.

In a decision on support and encouragement from Africa and the OAU for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the summit called upon member states "to continue to support fully UNDP and other agencies' operational activities in Africa particularly within the framework of the United Nations Decade for the Elimination of Poverty, the United Nations Special Initiative for Africa, the UN New Agenda for Africa and the Cairo Declaration for Economic and Social Development of Africa." In a decision dealing with the UN system-wide Initiative on Africa, the summit urged member states "to implement the Initiative by assuming, in a concerted manner, their share of responsibility."

This summit was also the opportunity for the heads of state and government to formally launch the African Economic Community (AEC), which is aimed at realizing continental economic integration and gradually creating a common market. The summit called for increased trade and cooperation among member states as Africa moves toward eradicating the worse aspects of poverty, hunger and disease.

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary- General, told participants that he was "proud of the close cooperation between the OAU and the United Nations, especially that a new era is now in prospect, Africa's third wave." He urged Africa's leaders to "make this third wave one of lasting peace, based on democracy, human rights and sustainable development. Mr. Annan sold that "finally the success of the third wave hinges on instituting sustainable development throughout Africa and the United Nations is committed to playing its full part in the struggle for sustainable development."

Contort: Zaharia Fellah, UNDP,1 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-212/906 5305, fax +1-212/906 5364.

DAC on conflict and governance

At its high level meeting on 5-6 May, Development Assistance Committee (DAC) ministers and senior officials endorsed a new set of guidelines on conflict, peace and development cooperation on the threshold of the 21st century. Following a recommendation in 1996, most DAC members have introduced, or are introducing, specific anticorruption measures in aid procurement practices.

The meeting also gave new attention to work to help integrate poor countries, including those in Africa, into globalized trade and investment systems.

The meeting examined implications of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment and emphasized the importance of DAC input into wider OECD work on the linkages between the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD countries. At the meeting, a five year progress assessment on cooperation for sustainable development was released in advance of the June special session of the UN General Assembly to review implementation of Agenda 21.

Contact; Roberto Bensky, OECD 2 rue Andre Pascal, F-75775 Paris Cedex 16, France, fax 331/45 24 16 50, web site (http://www.oecd.org/dac)

Senior officials of ministries of local government, local government leaders and NGOs of 15 Asian countries met on 5-8 May in Islamabad (Pakistan) far a Roundtable on Good Local Government and Sustainable Development (Asian Region). The roundtable was sponsored by, among others, the government of Pakistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Roundtable discussions resulted in suggested actions for local government capacity-building programmes at the country and regional levels. Recommendations focused on issues such as good governance, financial arrangements, community empowerment, education and training, partnerships, networking and communication.

Five UN agencies have agreed to work together to strengthen primary education in India, particularly for girls and children from disadvantaged communities. The cooperating agencies are: the UN Development Progremme (UNDP), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the International Labour Organization tag).

The joint effort will aim to increase community participation in school management, improve teacher and student performance, raise awareness of children's rights, and increase student attendance. The initial working budget is expected to be US$20 million.

The United States may reorganize 25 foreign affair community by merging two independent foreign affair agencies into the State Department, and aligning a third more closely with it.

 

Under the Clinton administration's plan, which must be approved by Congress, the US Information Agency (USIA) and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) will become port of the State Department.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), while remaining independent, will be more closely tied to State. Its director will report to the Secretary of State, instead of to the President as under current low. The plan would take two years to be fully implemented.

Participants also called for making local government mare open and accessible with participatory perspective planning, participatory budgeting, and more public awareness. They said education and training for local government capacity building should be comprehensive and inclusive of local administrators, elected officials, and central government and local communities, including the private sector. Education and training should also be oriented toward marginalized groups, such as the poor and women, in order to enhance their opportunities to participate in local decision making.

Contact: Dolgor Solongo, UN Deportment for Development Support and Management Services, Room DC1-932, 1 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-272/963 4684, fax + 1212/963 2916, e mod <[email protected]>.

Forum on southern Africa ends

The United States says it will contribute US$81 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in response to 25 emergency appeal for 1997. The funds will be used in ICRC's humanitarian assistance programmes ground the world.

A three-day Regional Forum on Poverty Eradication in Southern Africa ended on 15 May by adopting the Windhoek Declaration and Pragramme of Action on Poverty Eradication. The forum, organized by several United Nations Information (entree in the region in consultation with local partners, was attended by 150 delegates from NGOs and community-based organizations, regional and international organizations, and representatives of the governments of Angela, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and Zambia.

The Windhoek declaration calls attention to problems afflicting the southern African region, such as mounting income disparities, inadequate and unaffordable education, high illiteracy rates, poor health conditions, and increasing organized crime and violence against women and children. It also calls attention to the plight of refugees in the region, asylum seekers and economic migrants.

The forum's programme of action appeals to governments to assume primary responsibility for reviewing and creating poor-friendly polices and environments in the areas of health, agriculture, education, housing, land and food security. It says meaningful community involvement should be promoted in the design and implementation of these. policies, and funds for programme implementation should be. allocated to non-governmental and community-based organizations. Other recommendations of the programme of action include:

• governments should formulate strategies for the regulation of bilateral multilateral foreign aid and decentralize political and administrative power to the local level;

• poverty eradication should be elevated to top regional focus in southern Africa's public and private media; and

• the private sector, NGOs and external partners should be enlisted in efforts to alleviate poverty.

Contact: United Nations Information Centre, Private Bag 13351, Windhoek, Namibia, telephone +264-61/233034, fax +264-61/233036.

Clothing code of contact agreement

A coalition of clothing and shoe industry representatives, . consumer groups, labour organizations and NGOs have announced their agreement on a code of conduct designed to uphold workers' rights in the United States and overseas.

The code of conduct, which participating businesses have adopted voluntarily and will require their contractors. to adopt; includes:

• a prohibition against child labour;

• a guaranteed minimum wage or prevailing industry wage; and.

• a cap on mandatory overtime and other basic workplace rules.

US President Bill Clinton, who announced the agreement on 14 April, said it "will improve the lives of millions of garment workers around the world. Human rights and labour rights must be part of the basic framework under which all businesses compete."

Parties to the agreement include companies such as Nike Phillips-Van Heusen and Reebok, as well as the International Labor Rights Fund and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. The agreement provides for independent external -monitors to conduct reviews of company policies and practices, bath within the United States and internationally. It also provides for an internal monitoring system, so that each company can ensure that the code of conduct is enforced in its own facilities, as well as those of its contractors.

In the next few months participants said they plan to form on association to recruit new members and develop a mechanism or "seal of approval" label for products, so that consumers can know which companies abide by the code.

Contact; US Information Service, 11 route de Pregny, (H-1292 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/749 4358, fax +41-22/749 4314, Web - site (http://www.usia.gov/).

Conference on sustainable development

Over 400 participants from 22 countries and 15 international organizations reviewed progress on implementation of sustainable development principles in economies in transition at a meeting in Minsk (Belarus). The International Conference on Sustainable Development of the Countries with Economies in Transition, held from 16-18 April, was attended by economic and environmental ministers, and officials of governments and international organizations. During presentations they emphasized the importance of economic reforms, promoting market and integrating economic, social and environmental policies.

"Notwithstanding the numerous difficulties that countries with economies in transition are facing today," said a conference statement, "needs were apparent for a continuous shift to sustainable development to resolve socioeconomic problems, satisfy the needs of current and future generations and to protect the environment in pursuance of the principles of the declaration and the provisions of Agenda 21 adopted at the United Notions Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. Efforts in that direction would contribute to the attainment of a further goof, namely the integration of economies in transition into the world economy."

The conference was organized by the government of Belarus and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Deportment for Development Support and Management Services, Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), and Denmark's Ministry of Environment and Energy.

Contact: Kaj Berlund, Director, Environment Division, ECE, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/917 2370, fax +41-22/917 0107.

UNDCP project in central Asia

A new project in three Central Asian countries, developed in consultation with the UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), aims to step up control of illegal drug trafficking along the smuggling routes connecting the northern region of Afghanistan with Russia and Eastern Europe. The subregional low enforcement project, launched in May, is designed to strengthen interdiction capacities through cross-border cooperation among the low enforcement agencies of Kyrgyzston, Tojikistan and Uzbekistan.

The three republics are in the middle of a newly-expanding trafficking route linking Afghan opium producers to Russian and East European markets. The project focuses on the trafficking route leading from Khorogh (Tajikistan) to Osh (Kyrgyzstan). The route is over 1500 kilometres long and records a traffic of more than 2000 trucks per month. It is widely believed to be the most commonly-used way to smuggle a forge portion of the opium produced in Afghanistan, estimated of over 2400 metric tons annually. UNDCP says escalating illicit traffic in the region endangers local people's health and odds to the politico!, economic and social instability there.

The project, budgeted at ground US$2 million, aims to support cross-border cooperation between low enforcement agencies of the neighbouring provinces of the three countries, strengthen the drug control capacity of border posts, and improve telecommunications facilities. The project is the first to be implemented under a memorandum of understanding signed a year ago on 4 May 1996 between UNDCP and five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Signs of vitality in african investment

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed James Baker 111 his personal envoy to the Western Sahara. Mr. Baker former US Secretary of State, has been asked to help settle differences between Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO over the former Spanish territory in the Sahara.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Africa are moving into service industries, particularly in manufacturing and the finance and insurance sectors, and leaving behind a traditional concentration on the region's primary commodities. These are some of the conclusions of a report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on World Investment Directory on Africa, which surveys 53 African countries. The report says the liberalization of investment and bode regimes is also responsible for a new phenomenon: the emergence of African transnational corporations (TNCs).

African TNCs are based in, among other countries, South Africa, Morocco and Zambia. Although they remain relatively rare and small in size, with on outward FDI stock of US$25 billion in 1994, the report says this "shows that there are firms in Africa that con be competitive internationally, not only through bode but also through production in foreign markets."

FDI flows to Africa, although still modest in absolute terms (US$4.5 billion in 1996), are responsible for a significant shore of gross domestic capital formation and gross domestic product (GDP). Foreign direct investment represents 4 8% of capital formation-which is approaching levels recorded in Asia and Western Europe-and 10% of GDP, compared with about 13% in other ports of the world. However, overall volumes of FDI for Africa remain low. Between 1991 and 1995, Africa attracted only 5% of total FDI flows to developing countries and 2% of world FDI flows. Moreover FDI remains concentrated in just a handful of countries. Nigeria and Egypt accounted for over half of FDI into Africa during the first half of the 1 990s, and Morocco was the third largest recipient during the some period. Africa's least developed countries (LDCs) are worse off. They received less than one-fish of total inflows to the continent during the lost two decodes, of which two-thirds went to Angola for the oil industry and to Liberia for shipping.

The report says one noteworthy development is the interest South East Asian countries are beginning to show in Africa, mainly South Africa. For example, a Malaysian state-owned company has announced that it will spend US$436 million to purchase a controlling stoke in a forge South African oil refinery. Asian investors hove also shown on interest in South Africa's neighbouring countries, such as Botswana, from where they con produce at low costs and export to South Africa.

Contact: Karl P Sauvant, Chief, Research and Policy Analysis Branch, Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development, UNCTAD, Palais des Notions, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/907 5707, fax +41-22/907 0194, e-mail <[email protected]>.

For a copy of the report, contact: UN Publications, 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2-853, New York NY 10017, USA, fax +1-212/963 3489, e-mail <[email protected]> or UN Publications, Palais des Notions, OH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax +41-22/9170027, web site (http.//www.un.org).

 

 

 

In April the heads of three UN agencies appealed to the international community to support efforts aimed at eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM) In addition, an international survey by the Netherlands has shed new light on FGM, which is estimated to be practised on between 85-130 million girls and women. And women from East Africa, participating in on NGO-organized seminar, hove also rolled for on end to FGM.

The three UN heads, Ms. Carol Bellamy of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr. Nafis Sadik of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), also unveiled a joint plan to bring about a major decline in FGM in ten years, and completely eliminate the practice within three generations. According to the agreement, teams will assist governments in developing and implementing clear national policies for the abolition of female genital mutilation, including (where appropriate) the enactment of legislation to prohibit it.

"The elimination of this unsafe and unjustifiable traditional practice, based on misconceptions and myths," they said, "will improve considerably the health status of millions of women and children in the developing world, particularly in African countries. It will also become a major contribution to the promotion of human rights and gender equity."

The three agencies plan to emphasize a multidisciplinary approach and teamwork both within the countries where FGM is practised as well as at the regional and global levels. This teamwork will bring together; governments, political and religious institutions, international organizations, NGOs and funding agencies in their efforts. The basis for cooperation at country level will be national "interagency teams" supported by international organizations.

"Our joint plan provides the crucial momentum to once and far all eliminate FGM, a dangerous and potentially life threatening procedure that affects millions of girls each year," sold Carol Bellamy. "Progress has been mode recently with groundbreaking legislation to stop this practice in countries such as Cameroon, Egypt and Burkina Faso. We must keep the pressure up everywhere to ensure that every girl's right to a safe and healthy life is fully protected."

What is Female Genital Mutilation?

WHO estimates the number of girls and women ground the world who have been subjected to female genital mutilation at over 130 million, with a further two million girls annually at risk. A report by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that between 85-115 million girls and women have been affected. According to the Netherlands report Visions and Discussions on Genital Mutilation of Girls: An International Survey, FGM involves removing some or all of a woman's genitalia, in the severest form of FGM, all external sexual organs are cut away, leaving just a small opening for urine and menstrual fluid to pass through. Apart from the immediate fear and pain associated with the practice, consequences can include prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and death.

The Netherlands report says FGM is practised in about 20 countries in Africa, several countries around the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, in the Eastem Mediterranean, and by some ethnic groups in Australia, India Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan. According to the report, only six countries-Central African Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan and the United States-specifically refer to genital mutilation in their regulations and lows. WHO says most of the girls and women subjected to FGM live in 28 African countries, "although some live in Asia and the Middle East. They are also found in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States among immigrants from these countries."

WHO says the age at which FGM is performed varies from region to region. It is performed on infants a few days old, female children and adolescents, and even occasionally on mature women. In general, most girls are mutilated between the ages of four and twelve. FGM is normally performed by traditional practitioners with crude instruments, such as knives, razors, blades and broken gloss, usually without anaesthetics. Among more affluent sectors of society, it may be performed in a health core facility.

Consequences of FGM

The health consequences of FGM depend on the type and severity of the procedure performed, the skills of the practitioner, the cleanliness of tools and the environment, and the physical condition of the girl or woman concerned. "The practice of FGM often leads to complications, according to WHO. "Short term complications include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissue. Haemorrhage and infection can cause death. Long-term complications include cysts and abscesses, excessive score, painful sexual intercourse, urinary tract infection, infertility and childbirth complications.

East african women feeders call for end to FGM

A call to end the traditional practices that hurt women and girls, such as FGM, was issued by women from East Africa attending a fiveday seminar in Ethiopia from 31 March-4 April. The seminar was sponsored by the Lutheran World Federation, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.

Participants in the Seminar on Harmful Traditional Practices discussed raising awareness and developing a strategy to eradicate FGM, early childhood marriage, body markings, removal of baby teeth and food taboos, among other things. They urged global mutual support to stop traditional practices that harm the lives of mothers and children, and they called on churches to recommend that governments pass lows against female genital mutilation. Participants also asked churches to integrate teachings on harmful traditional practices and equality of all human beings into their education curricula; find alternative income generating activities for practitioners of FGM; and collaborate with other social agencies in the struggle against harmful traditional practices.

Contact: Igor Rozov, Health Communications and Public Relations, World Health Organization (WHO), 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, telephone +4122/791 2532, fax+41-22/791 4858, web site (hthp://www.who.ch).

For the Netherlands report, contact: JMW Spreeuwenberg, Women and Development Division, Social and Institutional Development Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 20061, 2500 EB The Hague, Netherlands telephone +31-70/348 6472, fax +31-20/348 4883.

For the East African seminar, contact: Musimbi Kanyoro, Office for Women in Church and Society, Lutheran World Federation, PO Box 2100, CH-121 1 Geneva 2, Switzerland, telephone+41-22/791 6439, fax +41-22/791 6401, email<[email protected]>.

 

 

 

Gaps and failures in reproductive health rare, combined with widespread discrimination and violence against women, amount to a massive violation of human rights, according to The State of World Population 1997 report, published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Go Between summarizes the report's findings and recommendations.

To enable individuals to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, the report stresses the need for gender equality and increased investment in education and primary health care. The report says these rights-are key to women's empowerment, and "are also critical to the economic and social life of communities, nations and the world."

Effects of Denying Sexual and Reproductive Rights

The report documents the effects of denying sexual and-reproductive rights. These include, among other things:

- 585,000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes;

-there are about 200,000 maternal deaths per year because of the lack or failure of contraceptive services

-70,000 women die each year as a result of unsafe abortions (many of which could be avoided if safe and effective means of contraception were freely available); and

-120 million women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation, and another two million are at risk each year.

Reproductive Rights, Health Needs and Development

"The international community has agreed repeatedly that reproductive health is a right for both women and men," said Dr. Nafis Sadik, UNFPA Executive Director. "The challenge now is to make this right a reality for every individual." The first chapter of the report highlights the relevant guarantees in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, among other covenants and conventions. Reproductive and sexual rights are also implied by long-established human rights to life and survival; liberty and personal security, equal treatment; education, information, development, and the highest attainable standard of health. The chapter also describes relevant agreements reached at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women to protect reproductive and sexual health. A growing number of countries are also incorporating sexual and reproductive rights into their constitutions, legal codes and institutional procedures.

The second chapter of the report examines the burden of poor health related to reproduction and sexuality. It also address a number of the major causes and some of the solutions, including reproductive health services. Chapter three addresses the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents, rights in marriage and childbearing, violence against women-in the home, in the streets, and in war or natural disasters-and trafficking in girls and women.

Chapter four deals with sustainable development, defined by, among other things, a better quality of life for all people, regardless of gender. "This implies a development agenda," says the report, "that focuses directly on meeting the needs and hopes of individual men, women and children. Empowering people to escape from poverty and accelerate overall development will require the recognition of exercise of their basic rights."

Recommendations

The fifth chapter of the report calls for greater attention to human rights, especially the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment. This requires legal reforms, better enforcement of existing laws, new procedures to document violations, education about human rights, and alliances among institutions concerned with rights. International assistance programmes should also give greater priority to human rights goofs.

To combat poverty, which prevents the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights, the report advocates increasing women's access to credit and economic resources. It stresses the value of both general education and specific education on sexual and reproductive health and calls for greater investment in primary health care, particularly for sexual and reproductive health. It says health services should be restructured to focus on the reproductive and sexual health needs of clients, including under-served groups, such as the poor, women, rural dwellers, adolescents, indigenous people, the disabled, migrants and refugees. It calls for the use of new guidelines, standards of conduct and evaluation methods, and it says NGOs and the private sector should help design, implement and monitor programmes.

Implementing the ICPD Progromme of Action

The State of World Population 1997 contains a special section based on reports from UNFPA field offices. It describes national implementation of. the ICPD Programme of Action, such as revisions of population and development policies and related institutions, legal and constitutional reforms to protect women's rights and promote gender equality; and reorganization of health services to address the full range of reproductive health concerns. The report notes that while many developing countries have made important progress, many others suffer from a shortage of funds and trained personnel.

Many countries where national population policies were in place before the Cairo conference hove modified them to embrace the ICPD approach. This group includes countries such as Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, the Marshall Islands, St. Lucia and Zambia.

A number of governments that had no formal population policy in 1994 have since formulated comprehensive policies reflecting the Cairo agreements, or are in the process of doing so. They include Botswana, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Namibia, South Africa, Syria, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The report says evidence shows developing countries are prepared to commit the resources needed to meet the goofs of the lCPD. The question remains whether richer nations are prepared to do the same, since annual global expenditures are still well below half the US$17 billion that ICPD estimated will be required in 2000.

Contact: UNFPA, 220 East 42nd Street, New York NY 10017, USA, telephone +1-.212/297 5026,fax +1212/557 6416, e-mail <[email protected]>, web site (www.unfpa.org/swp97e/toc.html).

 

 

 

The Human Development Report 1997, published by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), says much of the world's population has benefited from major advances in economic opportunity sod human well-being. The report argues that given unprecedented progress in human and economic development over the past 50 years, eradicating extreme poverty at the beginning of the 21st century is a feasible, affordable goal.

The report, which focuses on poverty, provides an extensive overview of global poverty trends; an assessment of the scale of today's poverty problems worldwide; priorities for tackling poverty at the country level, and a global agenda for supportive anion. The report's human development index ranks countries according to a composite index of life expectancy, educational attainment and a decent standard of living.

The report says that gains in economic opportunity and human well being in the developing world have covered as much distance in the past 30 years as the industrialized world did in a century. "The dramatic record of poverty reduction in the 20th century shows that we should raise our sights, not downsize our vision for human development," said Richard Jolly, Special Adviser to the UNDP Administrator and principal coordinator of the report. "Extreme poverty could be banished from the globe within one or two decades. A score of countries are on track to do this, including some of the largest, like China, and some of the most dynamic, like Chile, Malaysia, Mauritius and the Republic of Korea."

Some Positive Achievements

The report says income poverty rates for roughly half the developing world hove been reduced by 25% or more in just 20 years. China and another 14 countries, with populations that add up to more than 1.6 billion people, have halved the proportion of their people in income poverty in less than 20 years. Also, human poverty rates have been reduced in over 100 developing countries, and key indicators of human development have advanced strongly over the past few decades. For example, since 1960 in little more than a generation, child death rates in developing countries hove been more than halved. Life expectancy has increased by more than a third, and malnutrition rates have declined by almost one third. The proportion of children in primary school has risen from less than half to more than three fourths, and the share of rural families with access to safe water has risen from barely one tenth to about threefourths.

By the end of the 20th century, some three to four billion of the world's total population of 5.7 billion will have experienced substantial improvements in their standard of living, and about four to five billion will hove access to basic education and health.

Not all have benefited

However, the report warns that not everyone has benefited from these achievements. Women and children are particularly affected by poverty-not only do women make a smaller income than men, but they are more constrained by their reproductive and household responsibilities. They also have less access to fond, credit and employment opportunities, which con help them and their children escape poverty.

Also, many of the poorest and least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere hove gained much less than the developing countries as a group. South Asia has the most people affected by poverty, and it has the largest number of people in income poverty-over 500 million. Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest incidence of poverty and the most rapid growth in poverty-about 220 million people are in income poverty. In Latin America human poverty is less pervasive than income poverty, but both are still growing and income poverty affects 110 million people.

The countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States hove seen the greatest deterioration in the post decode, from four million people below the income poverty line in 1987-1988, to 120 million today, or about one fourth of the total population. And three new global pressures are creating and recreating poverty: violent conflicts, HlV/AIDS and environmental degradation.

Recommendations The report, which recognizes that each notion needs to adopt its own prescription for reducing poverty, identifies six priorities for action. They are:

• initiate people-centred policies that give individuals, households and communities expanded access to economic, social, political, environmental and personal assets;

• work toward gender equality, both as on end and as a means to eradicate poverty;

• focus on pro-poor growth in the approximately 100 countries from the developing world, Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States where growth has been foiling;

• improve the management of globalization, including better bode policies and fair terms for poor countries to enter markets

• create a politico! environment so that poor people and poor communities con be heard, rather than suppressed and oppressed; and take special action to prevent economic reversal, such as peace building efforts in war-torn countries.

The additional cost of achieving basic social services for all in developing countries is estimated at about US$40 billion a year over the next ten years. This sum is less than 0.2% of world income of US$25 trillion. The amount needed to close the gap between the annual income of poor people and the minimum income at which they would no longer be poor is estimated at another US$40 billion a year. Thus, providing universal access to basic social services and transfers to alleviate income poverty would cost about US$80 billion, which is less than the combined net worth of the seven richest men in the world.

"The [report's] most important massage," sold UNDP Administrator James Gustave Speth, "is that poverty is no longer inevitable. The world has the material and natural resources, the know-how and the people to make a poverty-free world a reality in less than a generation. This is not woolly idealism but a practical and operationally achievable goal."

Contact Division of Public Affairs, UNDP, 1 UN Plaza, New York NY 10077, USA, telephone +1-212/906 5000, fax +1212/906 5001, e mad <[email protected]> or UNDP, Geneva Executive Centre, 11-13 chemin des Anemones, CH-1219 Chatelaine, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/979 9537, fax +4122/979 9001.

 

 

 

As the "green shoots of economic recovery" push upwards across Central Europe and parts of South Easterrn Europe and the Baltics the social crisis for vulnerable children remains unchecked, according to a report from the International third Development Center of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Go Between summarizes the findings of Children at Risk in Central and Eastern Europe: Perils and Promises.

The report warns about the plight of children in public care, as well as children at risk in families and the community. It also discusses ways of preventing risks, especially the potential role of family support policies.

Children at Risk in Public Core There are currently about one million children in public care across the 18 countries monitored in the report. Most of these children are living in largescale institutions, such as infant homes, orphanages, homes for the disabled and hospitals. Care in these institutions at the beginning of the economic and political transition period carried major risks for children, including high death rates, a downward spiral of disabilities, emotional harm, and the withering of family ties.

"With the exception of a very few countries in Central Europe," says the report "numerous difficulties-e.g. divided ministerial responsibilities, dwindling financial resources, uneven support for reforms-have inhibited any major improvements in institutional care or a shift to more humane placement options." And in some countries, such as Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, the public child protection system has virtually collapsed.

Children born during the recent transition years face a higher, rather than reduced risk, of entering public care. Since 1989, in ten out of the 14 countries of Central and Eastern Europe in which data are available, the rates of infants and toddlers living in institutional care have actually risen. In eight of the countries, the rates of children aged 0-3 years placed in infant homes have gone up substantially: between 35%-45% in Romania, Russia and Latvia, and by as much as 75% in Estonia. "The persistence of greater vulnerability far children and families in countries that have shown economic growth over the last few years is a clear warning that many types of childhood risk will riot vanish with economic recovery," says the report. It says only Hungary, despite its somewhat disappointing economic record, has been able to avoid higher institutionalization or fostering rates.

Children at Risk in Families and the Community

The increasing rates of children in public care is also an outcome-and thus a barometer-of the higher risks many children face in families and the community during the transition years. Many families with children have had to cope with a devastating deterioration in their material conditions. "Clearly the main-but not only-risk factors that have emerged most dramatically are poverty and social dislocations," says the report.

While in Central and South Eastern Europe unemployment and losses in family benefits have especially penalized families with children, in the countries of the former Soviet Union child poverty is increasingly associated with sky-rocketing wage inequality and increases in the number and share of single- parent households. Although most families find ways to manage with the increased hardships, coping strategies may heighten risks for children. In Poland, nearly one in ten 7-9 year olds were left without adult supervision for more than two hours per day in the mid-1990s, a several fold increase over the beginning of the decade. And some countries show evidence of growing child maltreatment, including use of child labour.

Children exposed to war, and those forced to leave their homes because of armed conflicts in the region, are among those most exposed to risk in the countries surveyed. Thousands of children have been killed and millions more have suffered severe hardship which has left many of them traumatized. For example in the beginning of 1996 in Georgia, although hostilities ended several years ago, there were 268,000 persons registered as refugees or internally displaced-one-third of them were below the age of 16. Of these almost 90,000 virtually homeless children, about i 700 had disabilities and nearly 8000 were homeless.

However, the main killer of parents over the transition period has not been war. "Rather," says the report, Nit has been the silent accumulation of factors like poor nutrition, alcoholism, smoking, stress in the workplace and at home, less safety in the streets, less protection from the cold and infectious diseases, and so on." In fact, crude mortality rates have increased in 15 of the 18 countries monitored in the report.

Other risks for children include higher family-breakdown ratios, increases in the proportion of births to unmarried mothers, and increased divorce rates. Health and education risks for children have also increased, since parents can no longer count on universal public health and education systems to screen and check for potential child health and educational problems with the same effectiveness and coverage as before. Drinking and smoking trends among young people have not improved, and the mortality rate among adolescents due to accidents, poisoning and violence has increased in many of the countries. The transition has also witnessed a marked growth in the incidence of infectious diseases, such as diphtheria and tuberculosis, commonly referred to as "diseases of poverty."

Preventing Risks

Reforms to family and child programmes can only be effective if more proactive support is made available. "This necessitates," says the report, "the development of a full new infrastructure of family support which has at its core flexible social services that can respond within a wide continuum of need for low- to high-intensity-care." However, professional social work and care personnel will not be enough. Social services need to develop in a coordinated way with the health, education and juvenile justice systems, and the "voice of the child" needs to be better heard in this process.

National and local governments must also forge new partnerships with each other, and with the voluntary and private sectors, in order to address threats of risks. "A fresh approach to social policies," concludes the report, "can achieve more than saving the children most at risk: it is an investment for the future of all the children who are to harvest the new shoots now breaking ground in the countries covered in this report."

Contact: Cincia lusco-Bruschi International Child Development Centre, UNICEF, Piazzo Santissima Annunziata 12,I-50122Florenre, Italy telephone +3955/234 5258, fax +3055/244817.

 

 

After a two-month hiatus, the General Assembly's subgroup on NGOs reconvened in New York on 25 April. It met again on 5 May, this time in an open meeting with NGOs and GA President Razali Ismail (Malaysia) in attendance. Go Between summarizes discussions at the meeting and the status of the subgroup.

"If the NGOs are here today [an 5 May], it is only because they should have been here from Day One " said Ambassador Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), chair of the subgroup, "and the GA President is here only because the working group has not been able to deliver anything."

GA President Razali expressed his astonishment and dismay at what he called the subgroup's lack of progress, and he said that the subgroup faces disbanding if it does not swiftly prove capable of reaching some kind of agreement on the participation of NGOs in the UN. "I don't think you really know where you are going," he said. He challenged the subgroup to "prove me wrong" and pointed out that in the General Assembly, the same governments had created little fuss over making arrangements for NGOs to participate at the highest levels of the UN during the upcoming Special Session of the UN General Assembly to review and appraise the implementation of Agenda 21, which will involve heads of state and government.

"The question of NGO participation has become a political football in this group," he continued, "and that plays into the hands of governments who don't want anything to happen with NGOs."

Background: ECOSOC Decision 297 and Interpretative Statement

Ambassador Kamal chairs the subgroup, whose parent body is the open ended General Assembly Working Group on the Strengthening of the UN System (WGUNS). The subgroup was set up on 23 January 1997 in response to decision 1996/297 of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which recommended that the General Assembly "examine, at its fifty-first session, the question of the participation of non governmental organizations in all areas of the work of the United Nations." At the time of adoption, a number of governments, especially the United States and the Russian Federation, expressed concern about the implications of such a recommendation.

Consensus was reached only through the addition of an interpretive statement, read into the record by the President of ECOSOC, which says the recommendation "falls within the competence of the General Assembly as set forth in Article 10 of the United Nations Charter." Article 10 specifies that, "The General Assembly may discuss any questions or any matters within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided for in the present Charter, and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the Members of the United Nations or to the Security Council or to both on any such questions or matters."

Article 12 sets limits on what may be acted upon by the General Assembly as follows: "While the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests."

Status of Work in the Subgroup As of 5 May and after over ten meetings in a six month period, the subgroup was still grappling with the intractable question of its mandate and programme of work. Governments' interpretations of the interpretive statement differed so widely that it was impossible to define the subgroup's scope of work. In addition, what many described as the acrimony and mutual mistrust surrounding attempts to define the mandate made achieving a spirit of compromise increasingly difficult.

The problem surfaced early on during the process of establishing the subgroup, when the United States and the European Union interpreted the statement to mean that the subgroup should examine the participation of NGOs in the plenary and six main committees of the UN General Assembly only. (As a concession, they allowed consideration of participation of NGOs in special sessions of the General Assembly.)

The Joint Coordination Council of the Group of 77 and NonAligned Movement (JCC viewed this position as a retreat on the agreement reached in ECOSOC decision 1996/297. According to the JCC, all areas of the work of the UN meant throughout the entire UN system. Therefore, to deal with the shifting interpretations, the JCC insisted on spelling out the mandate in detail before work could begin.

"The one side wants an iron-clad guarantee that we will not address anything beyond the GA and its main committees," observed the subgroup chair, "and the other side wants an ironclad guarantee that we will address everything. I cannot deliver either one." The representative of Mexico said that all committees should be discussed, and Nit is perfectly conceivable that we may decide that some bodies, particularly those with limited membership, will not be appropriate areas for NGO participation. But nothing should be precluded from consideration." Concurring delegations included Canada, Brazil and Australia.

NGO Views

NGOs, who hove expressed frustration with the delay, pressed governments to begin work immediately. Throughout this process, NGOs have been interacting formally and informally with member states. On 30 April, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC (CONGO) organized a day-long briefing on the question of NGO participation, with the participation of Ambassador Kamal, Under-Secretary-General Gillian Sorenson and reform coordinator Maurice Strong, as well as 0 number of NGOs. They addressed on audience of representatives of NGOs, governments and the UN secretariat and agencies.

Non-governmental organizations hope that they will now be able to attend future sessions of the subgroup. In addition, governments say they are eager to hear from NGOs that do no, have permanent representation at UN headquarters in New York, Geneva or Vienna on the wide-ranging and complex questions surrounding NGO participation in "all areas of the work of the JN."

 

 

 

The overall process of United Nations reform is being undertaken in many areas, including the Security Council. Go Between summarizes recent meetings of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation On and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council.

Much attention has been focused on the meetings held in March, April and May by the open-ended working group. On 20 March GA President Razali Ismail (Malaysia), choir, presented the first comprehensive text to the group containing concrete recommendations on issues such as the number of seats by which the council should be expanded, both in the permanent and nonpermanent categories; the basis on which they should be selected; and what decision-making powers they should hove, including the question of the veto. The text also contained proposals to improve transparency in the functioning of the council and a timeframe, with final action to be token as early as the first quarter of 1998.

States hove not come to agreement on these issues, and some, particularly members of the non-aligned movement, hove protested about being bound by a timeframe. The proposals mode by President Razali helped to move the work of the working group and the deliberations of the member states to more concrete positions on Security Council reform. Reactions to the proposals hove clarified the differences in the positions of the member states on, among other things, the size of expansion of the Security Council, how permanent seats would be distributed, the use of the veto, and the nature of regional representation.

Representation on the Council

Two interventions by Singapore during the working group meeting in May focused on attitudes of the current five Permanent Members of the Security Council (P-5) to the reform process, and questioned whether the P-5 was sincere about council reform. Singapore's strongly-worded interventions recoiled that France is the only permanent member to hove expressed a clear statement of support for developing countries to be included in on enlarged permanent category, together with Germany and Japan. Singapore invited the other permanent members (United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and Chino) to state, preferably in writing, their support for permanent membership with full powers for developing countries. Members of this working group," sold the representative of Singapore, "deserve the courtesy of clarity."

Participants in the working group meeting also showed on interest in regional representation of permanent seats on the council. Chile sold that President Razali's text indicates that three of the five new permanent seats will be assigned to developing countries. These will be the three geographic regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, with one country from each region. However, the new seats will be assigned to countries from specific regions, not to the regions themselves. "This distinction is on important one Chile stated, "in that the proposal creates a false impression of regionalism." Other countries raised the question of whether such on arrangement would apply only to the developing regions, or to the two proposed industrialized states seats as well (widely assumed to be Germany and Japan).

In a concluding address to the working group on 9 May 1997, President Razali summarized the status of negotiations. With regard to the Security Council's size, he coiled for a convergence on a figure greater than 21 and not more than 26. He noted that the argument put forth mainly by the P-5, that 20 or 21 would lead to efficiency and that any number beyond that would hove the opposite effect, hod been challenged. "The question con be asked ."he sold, "whether efficiency of decision making is merely a function of the time required to arrive of them, or whether it is also a function of enhanced legitimacy of authority by rectifying the imbalance of representation. Similarly, is the concern over numbers beyond 21 about efficiency, or is it about having to deal with different equations of voting alliances in a reformed Council?" With regard to expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, he noted that this hod been endorsed by the majority of governments.

The Question of Veto Power

With regard to decision making, the veto was intensely scrutinized, with some countries against giving veto power to new permanent members. Others support the immediate eradication of the veto itself. In the opinion of President Razali, the session demonstrated that many countries would not accept differences or discrimination between the P-5 and the incoming permanent members. If there is no way of curtailing or eliminating the veto, President Razali noted, nit is argued that new permanent members must hove the some rights."

Transparency and Democratization

Concerning enhancement of transparency and democratization in the working methods and procedures of the council, President Razali noted that with the exception of the veto issue, there were no serious contradictions and it was recognized that working procedures were of on evolving nature, so that legislating working procedures for the council would be difficult.

On the question of regional representation, President Razali noted that Africa has developed its own process for regional representation within the continent, although this process is not necessarily "for export" to other regions. He stated that it is recognized that regional seats are a way of overcoming the problem of choosing only one representative, and that the region may evolve its own method of choice before the matter is token to the GA. However, he cautioned that questions hove yet to be asked concerning how rotation and the pursuit of sovereign equality con be reconciled with criteria such as contributions to the UN and commitment to international norms. As Go Between goes to press, the working group was scheduled to convene in mid-June in New York to continue its examination of these issues.

Background on Overall Process of UN Reform

The UN Secretary- General's reform process is being pursued by Maurice Strong in his capacity as Executive Coordinator for UN Reform (see Go Between 63). The intergovernmental process for UN reform is being carried out primarily in five working groups of the UN General Assembly. The Secretary- General's "track two" long-term and strategic issues are expected to be announced in July, and some results from the working groups are anticipated by the end of the 51 st session of the GA in September.

 

 

 

On 21 May the UN Security Council held a debate on protection for humanitarian assistance to refugees and others in conflict situations. Representatives of member states and humanitarian agencies railed for strategies to protect humanitarian staff, while also addressing the underlying causes of conflicts.

Discussion at the meeting centred on the difficulty of providing international military support for humanitarian assistance operations while ensuring that humanitarian workers are perceived as impartial.

Challenges Facing Humanitarian Actors

Yasushi Akashi, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, said the most compelling and problematic challenge facing humanitarian actors in contemporary conflict zones is the difficulty of providing assistance in abusive and hostile environments, where civilians are directly targeted and the work of relief agencies deliberately obstructed. He noted that the international community, when redefining "protection needs," is in effect redefining "threats to international peace" as set out in the UN Charter. He acknowledged a growing recognition that "security" concerns first the well-being of people, which is as important as ' the security of states. He also said the concept of sovereignty is fundamentally linked to the ability of states to respect and safeguard the security of their own citizens.

Soren Jessen-Petersen, Director of the New York Liaison Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stressed the shortfalls in international responses to humanitarian crises. He noted that despite efforts of humanitarian agencies, millions of forcibly-displaced persons are currently neither protected nor assisted. He said increasingly politicized and militarized refugee populations are being created by conflicts that generate massive and rapid refugee movements.

Mr. Jessen Petersen stressed that far more could be achieved in such situations if early political and security initiatives were executed alongside humanitarian responses. He cited three conditions that are indispensable for creating the "humanitarian paced" needed for UNHCR operations: staff security, unrestricted access to people in need, and respect for the impartiality and integrity of humanitarian operations. He also said that the Security Council could play an important role by:

• setting the indispensable political parameters for humanitarian action;

• exercising diplomatic pressure when necessary;

• considering military protection of humanitarian operations; and

• recognizing situations in which humanitarian operations might be suspended because of the total disregard for humanitarian space.

Protecting Humanitarian Staff

Stephen Lewis, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), stated that the international community must find better ways to protect humanitarian staff and suggested the use of military force, if necessary. He underscored the importance of integrating humanitarian concerns regarding children in armed conflict into the peace keeping and demobilization mandates issued by the Security Council.

Peter Kung of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cautioned against the expanding military dimension of international humanitarian operations. He sold armed escorts could compromise the non-political and impartial character of humanitarian workers. The ICRC's position is that armed intervention should be aimed at securing an environment for humanitarian action, and the provision of humanitarian assistance should not be linked to progress in political negotiations or political objectives. Instead, it should take place in parallel with a political process aimed at addressing underlying causes of the conflict and achieving a political settlement. Mr. Kung said humanitarian assistance should not become a tool designed to mask the absence of resolve to take appropriate political action or to compensate for the inadequacy of such political action.

Several delegations urged the council to provide for the security of aid workers at the some time that it authorizes humanitarian operations. They said conflicting parties should be held to the letter of international humanitarian law, and those legal regimes should be backed up by the threat of targeted sanctions, military engagement and international criminal prosecution.

The representative of Chile said' the safety of humanitarian workers in the field should be at the centre of the council's attention, since international humanitarian agencies and NGOs are often the only international actors to be found in conflict areas.

Other Related Issues Sweden and Canada urged the creation of a "rapid deployment" capability to assist in separating military groups from bona fide refugees. This problem was raised by the representative of Rwanda, who said the crisis in Zaire could have been averted if the international community had disarmed the perpetrators of genocide who were widely believed to have taken over refugee camps in Goma. France and several other delegations expressed regret that the council had not authorized the dispatch of humanitarian/peace keeping operations to eastern Zaire late last year. Guinea-Bissau noted what it called an international "double standard" on authorizing humanitarian operations in Africa.

The representative of the United States said the UN cannot send peace- keepers into every emergency and added that the presence of armed forces can complicate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The United Kingdom also cautioned against the provision of protection for humanitarian assistance without the consent of warring parties, since the assistance can be interpreted as a political act that might alter the balance of forces.

China felt that humanitarian activities should be undertaken only by relevant departments and agencies of the UN, and it said that the Security Council ' should concern itself with the settlement of political and security-related issues. Cuba felt that military forces are being deployed to intervene in local conflicts under the pretext of humanitarian assistance. Japan stated that council -mandated humanitarian operations should have clearly-defined and realistic terms of reference. India urged the council to address the root causes of refugee flows, and it noted that most conflicts have their origins in poverty, lock of development and intolerance.

 

 

 

The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded their week-tong annual spring meetings on 29 April in Washington DC. Go Between summarizes the major discussions and outcomes of the meetings.

The IMF's Interim Committee, which met on 28 April, was chaired by Finance Minister Philippe Maystadt (Belgium). Major issues considered by finance ministers and central bank governors at the meeting included: global economic prospects and recent adaptations of IMF surveillance of the policies of its member countries in response to the globalization of financial markets; a proposal to amend the IMF Articles of Agreement to give the IMF a mandate to promote capital account liberalization; the status of the eleventh general review of the IMF quotas, a special "equity" allocation of special drawing rights (SDRs); financing to continue the IMF's enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF), which is the IMF's confessional financing facility for poor countries engaged in growth-oriented macroeconomic and structural adjustment; and the associated IMF-World Bank debt initiative (see page 14) to reduce the external debt burden of heavily indebted poor countries (HlPCs).

The World Bank/lMF Development Committee, which met the following day under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Mohamed Kabbaj (Morocco) discussed proposals to strengthen support for development cooperation, including ways to enhance effective use of declining flows of official development assistance; progress in implementing the HIPC initiative; resources for the bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and ways to facilitate private involvement in infrastructure. The meeting of ministers of the intergovernmental Group of 24 (G 24) developing countries met on 27 April and was chaired by Antonio Casas Gonzalez, President of the Central Bank of Venezuela. The Group of 10 (G 1 0) industrialized countries, which met on 28 April, was chaired by Gerrit Zalm, Finance Minister of the Netherlands.

Liberalization of Capital Markets

IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus told a press conference that, "What you have here under paragraph 7, dealing with the liberalization of capital accounts, is history. We have now the mandate to add to our Articles of Agreement the 'unwritten' chapter in Bretton Woods." Paragraph 7 of the Interim Committee communiqué affirms that the liberalization of capital account transactions offers substantial economic benefits to the world economy, and it recognizes the fund as "uniquely placed to promote the orderly liberalization of capital movements." Therefore, committee members agreed that the Articles of Agreement should be amended "to make the promotion of capital account liberalization a specific purpose of the Fund and to give it appropriate jurisdiction over capital movements."

G-24 ministers underscored the importance of reaching consensus an the need for flexibility an a wide variety of issues including a clear and workable definition of capital account transactions to be covered under such on amendment, the advantages of permanent price-based controls; consideration of restrictions introduced for prudential reasons; the need for flexibility to impose restrictions under specific circumstances, and the confidence that IMF assistance would be available to members facing volatile capital flows. To reflect these concerns, the Interim Committee communiqué stresses that, "The scope of such jurisdiction [over capital movements] would need to be carefully defined and sufficient flexibility should be allowed through transitional provisions and approval policies." Specific recommendations on key elements of an amendment will be considered at the time of the committee's next meeting in September in Hong Kong.

IMF Surveillance/Banking Supervision

The monetary and financial sector features centrally in the concept of surveillance, which refers to the IMF's responsibility for on-going review of its members' policies. The Interim Committee supported the IMF's heightened attention to banking and financial sector problems and emphasized the importance of close collaboration with the World Bank and other international organizations and groups. The Interim Committee, in support of increased transparency of IMF surveillance, welcomed the IMF Board of Governors' decision to allow the release, on a voluntary basis, of press information notices following Article IV consultations with individual IMF member countries. These notices will consist of two parts: a factual background section and an assessment corresponding to the summing up of the board's discussion.

Ouota Increase sod "Equity Allocation" of SDRs

The Interim Committee made little progress on the Eleventh General Review of Quotas including proposals far expanding the IMF's capital base and its overdraft facility for central banks. The Managing Director's proposal is to increase the US$200 billion capital base against which it lends money, as well as each country's share of paid-in capital, which are known as quotas. According to the fund, consideration of a quota increase is driven by recognition that the IMF requires sufficient liquidity over the medium term to cope with potentially large-scale crises in a globalized monetary system. The committee also discussed, but failed to agree on, plans for a new allocation of. special drawing rights, an international reserve asset created by the fund.

Initiative on Partnership for Capacity Building in Africa The committee welcomed an initiative by African governments concerning effective institutions and sustainable transfer of skills, including fostering local ownership. The ministers, stressing the importance of a better enabling environment for private investment, also emphasized the need for adequate Official development assistance (ODA) and noted that rising private capital flows cannot fully substitute for ODA in terms of promoting growth and alleviating poverty. The G-24 endorsed the recommendation to set up a Trust Fund far Capacity Building and to mainstream capacity building within the bank's operational procedures.

WTO-World Bank Agreement

On 28 April World Bank President James Wolfensohn and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Renato Ruggiero signed a formal agreement of cooperation to provide a basis far the two organizations to "coordinate their efforts to further integrate developing countries into the global economy." G 24 ministers welcomed the agreement and called for early implementation of market access measures for developing country exports, strengthening of WTO technical assistance pragrammes, and full implementation of the Marrakesh decisions taken at the adoption of results of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.

Further information is available on the IMF and World Bank home pages at (http://www.imf.org) and (http://www.worldbank.org/). To subscribe to the IMF Survey, contact: Publication Services, IMF Box XS700, Washington DC 20431, USA, telephone +1-202/623 7430, fax +1-202/623 7201, e-mail <[email protected]>.

 

 

 

Implementing 21:NGO Experiences from Around the World

This collection of NGO contributions, published by NGLS, highlights dimensions of Agenda 21 implementation at the local level that might not otherwise be captured by international dialogue. In their articles, contributors describe NGO projects and other activities focused on UNCED follow up, and how UNCED's new approach to sustainable development affected thinking, programmes and strategies.

Available from: NGLS (see address on front page)

The World Conferences: Developing Priorities for the 21st Century

This edition of the UN Briefing Papers series provides a comprehensive picture of the central role that the UN is playing in helping to realize the global agenda on development, which was forged by member states at each of the UN major conferences between 1990 and 1996. ".

Available from: UN Publications, 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2 853, New York NY 10017 USA, fax +1-212/963 3489, e-mail <[email protected]> or UN Publications, Palais des Notions, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax +41-22/917 0027, web site (http://www.un.org).

Critical Issues for Women in the World of Work: Actions to Overcome Obstacles to Equality

This book, published by the International Labour Organization (ILO), identifies the key labour-related recommendations mode at the international level relevant to ILO's work in the protection and advancement of women workers. The conferences covered include the Fourth World Conference on Women, the World Summit for Social Development, the International Conference on Population and Development, and the International Conference on Human Rights. The book also contains a chapter on implementation and follow-up of these recommendations.

Available from: Office of the Special Adviser on Women Workers' Questions, IL0, 4 route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, fax +41-22/79BB6B5.

Partnership with Non-Government Organizations

This booklet, published by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), provides NGOs with general information about I FAD. It explains IFAD's background mandate, objectives and activities, and it illustrates ways in which IFAD and NGOs hove collaborated on specific projects and programmes.

Available from: IFAD, Via del Serafico 107, 1-00142 Rome, Italy.

Ecodesign: A Promising Approach to Sustainable Production and Consumption

This manual is designed to provide companies with a step-by-step approach to ecodesign. The manual, written jointly by the UN Environment Programme, Rathenau Instituut and the Delft University of Technology, introduces ecodesign for companies and design consultancies interested in product development.

Available from SMI (Distribution Services) Ltd. P0 Box 119, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 4TP UK, fax +44-1438/748844.

Social Change and Conservation

This book discusses the social consequences of protected area schemes and conservation policies. Drawing on case studies worldwide, it critically reviews current trends in protected area management and shows how local people hove been affected. The book argues for a thorough overhaul of conservation thinking and practice.

Available from: UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Palais des Nation, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax +4122/740 0791.

Signals of Change: Business Progress Towards Sustainable Development

This report written by member companies of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, gives on overview of progress since the 1992 Earth Summit. The report aims to dispel the claim that sustainable development has lisle relevance to business. It also contains WBDSD's views on the future for business and other sectors, NGOs and local communities.

Available from: Addison Holmes WBCSD, 160 route de Florissant, CH1231 Conches Switzerland, fax +41-22/839 3131, e-mail <[email protected]>.

In the Company of Partners: Business, Environmental Groups and Sustainable Development Post-Rio

This book, published to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Earth. Summit, focuses on the emergence of business-environmental group partnerships, and gives examples of business people and environmentalists who are working together to find solutions to environmental, social and economic problems.

Available from: The Policy Press, University of Bristol, Rodney Lodge, Grange Rood, Bristol BS8 4EA, UK, fax +44 117/973 7308, e-mail <[email protected].

NGOS, States and Donors Too Close for Comfort?

This book studies the way in which NGO state donor relationships hove changed the role NGOs play in development. The book concludes that there is much evidence to show that NGOs are getting closer to donors and governments, and more distort from the poor and disempowered whom they seek to assist.

Available from: Macmillan Press Ltd. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6X$ UK, fax +44-1256/479476.

Non-Governmental Organisations: Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice

This book provides practical guidance to efforts throughout the Common wealth to improve the effectiveness of NGOs and generate greater cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organizations. It describes what NGOs are and what they do in the world to day, and sets out guidelines to improve their impact and effectiveness

Available from: The Commonwealth Foundation, Malborough House, Poll Mall, London SW1Y5HY, UK, fax +44-171/839 8157.

Reaching Out: A Training Manual for Skills in Communication

This manual which covers the skills required by social activists to communicate, is divided into five parts: oral interaction, written interaction, research, reaching the media and advocacy.

Available from: Consumer Unity and Trust Society, 3-B Carmac Street, Calcutta 700016, India, fax +91-33/297665, e-mail <[email protected]>.

Striking a Balance: A Guide to Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organisations in International Development

At a time of rapid. global change, NGOs involved in international development (NGDOs) are confronted with demands to simultaneously increase the score of their impact, diversify their activities, and improve their performance. This book by Alan Fowler provides a practical guide to how NGDOs con better respond to these expectations, and it provides a useful analysis of the future of NGOs and the current aid system.

Available from: Earthscan Publications, 120 Pentonville Rood, London N1 9JN, UK telephone +44171/278 0433, fax +44-171/278 1 142, e-mail <earthinfo@earthscan. co. uk>.

Oxfam Publications Gender in Development Organisations

Promoting awareness of women's marginalization demands more than on equal opportunities policy, according to this book. It crows together the experience of organizations working to promote women's full participantion in the development process and looks at obstacles to this goof.

The Trade Trap: Poverty and the Global Commodity Markets This book provides on overview of the problems faced by countries that depend on the export of primary commodities, such as coffee and cocoa. It examines the effects of rapid bode liberalization on the livelihoods and natural environments of poor communities and recommends ways in which bode could be regulated to protect their rights. The book also contains a chapter on the outcome of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Available from: Oxfam, c/o BEBC, P0 Box 1496, Parkstone, Dorset BH1 3YD, UK, fax +44 1202/715556.

The Thousand and One Paths to Empowerment: Coping Strategies of Poor Urban Women in Tunisia

This book describes the strategies used by urban women living in difficult economic and social circumstances. The first part consists of descriptions of the lives of these women, told in their own words. The second is a content analysis and shows how adverse economic circumstances con lead to a shift in gender roles and to a process of empowerment.

Available from: Environnement et developpement du monde probe (ENDA Inter-Arabe) 6 rue Imam Tarmadi, Ksar Said II, 2009 Tunis Tunisia, fax +216-1/582783.

Resource Park for Conflict Transformation

This resource pock aims to improve the way people and organizations deal with violent social and political conflict, by increasing their knowledge of conflict and developing their skills in conflict prevention and resolution. The resource pock is available in English and French and will be published in Russian, Spanish and Portuguese.

Available from: International Alert, 1 Glyn Street, London SE11 5HT, UK, fax +44-171/793 7975, e-mail<[email protected]>.

RRN Newsletter

The Relief and Rehabilitation Network (RRN) newsletter features articles, news items, conference reports and information an training courses and publications. Published three times a year, the newsletter is also available on the RRN web site (http:/www.oneworld.org/odi/index.html).

Available from: RRN Administrator, Relief and Rehabilitation Network, Overseas Development Institute Portland House, Stag Place, London SW1E 5DP, UK, fax +44-171/393 1699, e-mail<[email protected]>.

The World Guide 1997/98

The World Guide is a global reference book, which provides analysis from the point of view of Southern countries. Its country listings give detailed profiles, key statistics and indicators with supporting charts, diagrams and maps, as well as sections on major topical global issues. The guide is produced by the Third World Institute in Uruguay, in collaboration with development and campaigning organizations throughout the South.

Available from: Oxfam, c/o BEBC, PO Box 1496, Parkstone, Dorset BH12 3YD, UK, fax +44-1202/715556.

Liaison South

This newsletter is part of a project to increase Southern NGOs involvement in decentralizing European Union cooperation (EUDC). It provides information on the implications of EU-DC on Southern NGOs, and identifies guidelines and mechanisms for implementing decentralized cooperation, based on examples of successful and failed experiments.

Available from: Debjani Das, NGDO-EU Liaison Committee, 10 Square Ambiorix, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium, fax +32-2/732 1934 or 735 0951, email <[email protected]>.

Bridges

This newsletter, published by the Society for International Development (SID), aims to bring SID members closer together by providing the latest information on SID activities worldwide.

Available from: The Society for International Development, 207 Via Paninsperna, 1-00184 Rome, Italy, fax +39-6/487 2170, e-mail <[email protected]>.

InterArction Web Site

This site contains latest news from, and direct links to, over l SO relief, development and refugee agencies and almost 100 web sites. It keeps track of relevant key legislation in the United States, upcoming hearings and meetings, and NGO polity statements. The site also features Monday Development, the InterAction newsletter.

The site ton be accessed at http://www.interaction.org

UNESCO's Tolerance Programme Documents Available an Web Site

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) web site now includes information about its tolerance programme, including relevant UN and UNESCO resolutions and the Declaration of the Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action in French, English and Spanish.

The site ton be accessed at http.//www.unesco.org/tolerance

Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research Web Site

This web site offers information, links and guides to peace research, conflict resolution, Yugoslav and Georgian affairs, and global media. It also captains a complete list of the foundation's publications.

The web site ton be accessed at http://www.transnational.org

National Forum Foundation Network Web Site

This web site is for and about NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe. It includes an amine library and discussion lists, as well as links to sources of information, a calendar of events and job opportunities.

The web site con be accessed at hthp://www.ngonet.org