UNREPORTED
News on the United Nations System at Work
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FAO Photo
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Malnutrition Increases
Most cities in developing countries face the prospect of increased malnutrition and health risks, warns the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Around 50 per cent of the urban population in Africa and 40 per cent in Latin America lives in poverty. In Calcutta, the proportion of urban poor is around 70 per cent. The agency calls upon Governments, city and local authorities and the private sectors to improve access to safe and affordable food by advancing food supply and distribution systems.
Food and Nutrition Home Page
Sub-Saharan Africa Is Poorer
Sub-Saharan Africa is poorer than two decades ago because of declining aid, terms of trade, mounting debt and ineffective adjustment policies, according to an UNCTAD report, “Economic Development in Africa: Performance, Prospects and Policy Issues”. It states that the region’s marginalization is mostly due to 80 per cent of its exports of oil and non-oil commodities, whose prices have been declining relative to exports from the rest of the world. It recommends financing development through a doubling of aid flows, a bolder approach to debt relief, and a review of adjustment and poverty reduction policies.
UNCTAD
Environmental Threat to Arctic
By the year 2050, up to 80 per cent of the Arctic will be affected by mining, oil exploration and other man-made impacts if the industrialization of the wilderness areas continues at current rates, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports. The region’s rich and abundant wildlife, especially reindeer, caribou, polar bears, wolves and brown bears, will suffer from development, which in turn will threaten the very existence of indigenous people who rely on hunting and herding to survive.
UNEP
New Substances May Damage Ozone
A range of new chemicals on the market replacing banned substances may have the potential to damage the ozone layer, reports UNEP in the wake of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The 1987 Montreal Protocol does not control the new substances - ranging from fire extinguishers to cleaning fluids - despite their wide use. UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer urges countries to carry out immediate assessments of the new chemicals and ban those shown to have ozone-depleting potential.
The Ozone Secretariat
World’s Most Unequal Regions
Latin America and the Caribbean did not improve income distribution during the 1990s and remain the “most unequal in the world”, states a report by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Entitled “Social Panorama of Latin America 2000-2001”, it reveals that the wealthiest 10 per cent of the region’s households hold a share of total income that averages 19 times higher than that received by the poorest 40 per cent. Statistics from countries of the region indicate that, except for Costa Rica and Uruguay, the richest tenth of all households appropriate more than 30 per cent of income.
ECLAC
New Health Measures against Floods and Drought
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a series of measures in response to the health problems related to floods and droughts. Almost 2 billion people were affected by natural disasters in the 1990s, with floods and droughts accounting for 86 per cent of them. WHO recommends early-warning systems to detect rises in mosquito-borne and diarrhoeal diseases, as well as improvements in sanitation and a good infrastructure for drainage and disposal of human waste.
WHO
Efforts to Cut Maternal Deaths
Deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth still affect more than 500,000 women a year in developing countries, WHO reports. In sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal mortality is the highest, only about 40 per cent of women are likely to have an assisted delivery. Moreover, there is significant under-reporting and misclassification of maternal deaths. The UN goal - that 80 per cent of women have assisted delivery by health care workers - is expected to be attained by 2005 in Latin American and Caribbean countries, 2010 in the Middle Eastern and North African countries, and around 2015 in Asian countries.
Making Pregnancy Safer
Needs of Refugee Children Still Unmet
Despite progress in assisting refugee children separated from their families, the basic needs of many such children remain unmet, said Secretary-General Kofi Annan. One key challenge is the lack of adequate human and financial resources to address identified needs. Stressing the need for better interagency coordination and more effective registration systems, the Secretary-General urged Member States to become party to the UN Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The instrument enhances the legal protection of refugee children against military recruitment and other forms of exploitation.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Indigenous People Still Discriminated
Indigenous people in Guatemala still face racial, ethnic and cultural discrimination, even though the Government has signed a human rights agreement, reports the UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA). The Mission says that the influence of armed conflicts is still obvious and that State authorities should give priority to eradicating them.
MINUGUA
Treaty against Corruption
Ninety-five UN Member States have decided to forge a legally binding international convention against corruption, according to the Vienna UN Information Service. The treaty will address many aspects of the problem, including preventive measures, criminalization, sanctions and remedies, as well as provisions on jurisdiction, seizures, protection of witnesses, transfer of illicitly obtained funds abroad, return of such funds, and a range of international cooperation measures. Such a comprehensive instrument with the force of international law has been unprecedented. The General Assembly is expected to authorize a specially established committee to complete a draft convention by the end of 2003.
The Anti-Corruption Tool-Kit
And other news of interest
Grant Requests for Torture Victims Rise
Grant requests in 2001 to the UN Trust Fund for victims of torture totalled $1 million more than in 2000, a pattern seen for the past few years. The Fund currently stands at $8 million, but is still far short of the $11 million requested by groups aiding torture victims. It receives voluntary contributions from Governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals, then disburses grants to projects worldwide to provide psychological, social, legal and humanitarian assistance. Contributions are expected to total $12 million in 2002.
Attitudes on Ageing Must Evolve
As life expectancies continue to increase worldwide, policies and studies on ageing must be better integrated into development efforts, said Secretary-General Kofi Annan. By mid-century, the ratio of older people in society will double from one in ten persons to one in five. The Second World Assembly on Ageing (Madrid, April 2002) offers an opportunity to raise international awareness of the goals of enabling older people to participate fully in the decisions affecting their lives. Princess Infanta Doņa Cristina of Spain, President of the International Foundation of Care for the Disabled, was named Goodwill Ambassador for the Assembly.
Global AIDS Fund to Be Disbursed
As contributions to the Global AIDS and Health Fund, an initiative of the Secretary-General, poured in, the United Nations and its partners finalized the Fund’s technical aspects to make it operational by the end of 2001. Starting with the founding contribution of the United States, the Fund has received nearly $1.5 billion in commitments from a wide range of donors. Its goal is to build on the existing high-level political commitment to mobilize additional resources and channel them to developing countries dealing with HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
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