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Monday, 30 August 2004
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UN sanctions committee against Al-Qaida/Taliban at critical juncture

The UN Security Council Committee dealing with sanctions against Al-Qaida and the Taliban wants to win the struggle against terrorism, but it is still far from achieving that goal. And according to the committee chairman, Ambassador Heraldo Munoz of Chile, the sanctions committee is at a critical juncture. He warns that if the committee doesn't strengthen the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, it runs the risk of those sanctions falling into irrelevance.

"We need to be ahead of the terrorists, not behind them. And they have had a great deal of flexibility to adapt to our sanctions."

Ambassador Munoz says the sanctions have resulted in more than $130 million of frozen financial assets and economic resources of individuals or organizations linked to Al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Rape and harassment still common in Darfur: UN

There is a chronic protection crisis in Darfur which is inadequately addressed by the humanitarian agencies, the donors and the government of Sudan. That according to the UN special advisor on displacement Dennis McNamara. Speaking at a Nairobi press conference, Mr. McNamara says the population is traumatized and humiliated. He says despite the best efforts of the African Union, the UN and non-governmental organizations, there's constant pressure and harassment by the authorities in Darfur on displaced populations to go back to insecure villages. We have more from UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"Secondly, McNamara said the problem of sexual violence and rape against women and girls is widespread and of immense proportions. Attacks occur most frequently during trips to collect firewood and victims claim their attackers are the Janjaweed militia.

Mr. McNamara warns that there's no functioning independent national justice in Darfur at present and that means perpetrators of sexual violence are not prosecuted by the courts.

UN expresses serious concern on enforced disappearances

A United Nations human rights group has expressed serious concern on the phenomenon of disappearances that continues to occur in a number of countries. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances expressed its concern in a message marking International Day of the Disappeared. The group said "while in the past disappearances were mainly associated with the state policies of authoritarian regimes, nowadays they occur in the context of much more complex situations of internal conflict generating violence, humanitarian crisis, and human rights violations." The group called on all governments to suspend immunity for security forces and armed groups behind such disappearances.

Annan calls for end to ethnic-based hostilities in Great Lakes region

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on the Governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to put an end to ethnic-based hostilities and abuse that have afflicted the people of the sub-region for so long. In a new report on Burundi, Mr. Annan says the world was horrified by the massacre at the refugee camp in Gatumba. He says the United Nations has received reports that Rwandan ex-FAR/Interahamwe and Congolese Mayi Mayi elements as well as Burundian FNL elements may have all been involved in the massacre. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric says these reports are being investigated as requested by the Security Council.

"In the report, the Secretary-General also expressed concern over the slow pace of the Burundian peace process, particularly in regard to negotiations on post transition power-sharing and security sector reform as well as the electoral timetable."

The Secretary-General called on all the Burundian parties to work together to fulfill their commitments to complete the transitional process and hold elections by October 31.

UN Envoy in Kosovo seeks Serb participation in general elections

The new UN administrator for Kosovo Soren Jessen-Petersen met Monday with top Serbian officials over key general elections in the UN-administered province. A UN spokesman says the aim of the visit was "to develop a good working relationship with Serbian leaders and discuss priority issues for Kosovo such as security and return" of Serbs who fled the province. The spokesman says "Mr. Jessen-Petersen has repeatedly stated that staying out of the democratic process would damage the interests of the Serb community" in Kosovo. General elections in Kosovo are scheduled for October 23.

North Korea faces serious environmental challenges: UNEP

Urgent investment is needed in North Korea to deal with serious environmental problems that have depleted the country's forests, contaminated water supplies and polluted the air. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in its first environmental report on North Korea says deforestation and water pollution have contributed to shortfalls in food production.