Wednesday, 11 February 2004
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Greek and Turkish Cypriot Leaders to Continue Talks at UN

Leaders from both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides of Cyprus meet for a second day of negotiations Wednesday. The discussions come amid efforts by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to reunite the divided Mediterranean island. Advisor to the Secretary-General, Alvaro de Soto, says Mr. Annan had separate meetings with the two leaders followed by a direct meeting.

"It was a constructive discussion. The Secretary-General has asked them to stay on and to take the morning off for reflection and they will be meeting again."

The Secretary-General has said he hopes this initial round of meetings in New York would lead to agreement on a work programme for later talks in Cyprus.

AIDS Envoy Urges Wealthy Nations to Do More to Fight the Disease

The UN's special envoy for AIDS in Africa has called for a dramatic increase in spending to fight the disease. Stephen Lewis told a meeting of leading AIDS scientists that wealthy nations must make up for a "decade of financial abstinence" to battle the global epidemic. He said cash-starved programmes like the Global Fund are needed to help countries not benefiting from the United States programme of direct assistance to 12 African countries. Lewis described the programme by the World Health organization to bring AIDS drug treatment to 3 million people in poor countries by 2005 as the "single most important and dramatic development in years".

UN Agencies Predict Bumper Cereal Crop for Sudan

Two United Nations food agencies have predicted a record cereal harvest of more than 6 million tons for Sudan. A joint report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme says production is about 60 per cent higher than last year's and should result in a large surplus. But the report warns that despite the bumper harvest and favourable prospects for peace in southern Sudan, more than three million people in Sudan would need targeted food assistance during 2004, mainly due to unrest. The report says the recent escalation of conflict in the Darfur region alone is estimated to have resulted in substantial loses of cropped areas and led to the displacement of over a million people.

WFP Helps Palestinian Farmers by Purchasing Olive Oil

Palestinian farmers are about to benefit from the efforts of the World Food Programme. WFP says it is buying more than a million dollars worth of Palestinian olive oil in an effort to assist local farmers. WFP says the 400 tonnes of oil would be purchased from more than two thousand selected poor farmers. According to WFP's Country Director in the Territories, Jean-Luc Siblot, by purchasing the oil directly from the farmers, the UN food agency is able to assist the most vulnerable in the Palestinian Territories while helping the local economy of the West Bank.

"It will provide a source of income for the farmers and will enable them to survive with this amount of money."

The olive oil would be delivered to beneficiaries living in Gaza and in the south of the West Bank who cannot afford to purchase the oil due to its high cost and unavailability on the markets.

Colonialism - A Relic of the Past: UN

Colonialism is an anachronism in the 21st century. That's what Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Special Committee that deals with decolonization. The Secretary-General says while decolonisation is a UN success story, the organization's work is not yet finished. He says that over the past year, the committee has consulted with some administering Powers on a series of actions that would trigger a process of decolonisation for the non-self-governing territories.

"The aim must be to promote their political, economic and social development and determine the final status of each territory within the framework of the three options envisaged in the resolution: free association, integration with another State, or independence."

There are 16 non-self-governing territories remaining on the Committee's list.

UN War Crimes Prosecutor Says Karadzic, Mladic in Belgrade

Chief United Nations war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, says former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his general Ratco Mladic are hiding in Belgrade. The two were indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in 1995 for genocide and other war crimes. Ms. Del Ponte urged the European Union, Russia and the United States to increase pressure on Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to hand over the fugitives.