Good News Agency – Year II, n° 20
Weekly - Year II, number 20
– 21 December 2001
Managing Editor: Sergio Tripi,
Ph. D.
Rome Law-court registration
no. 265 dated 20 June 2000.
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non governmental organizations, and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day.
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perspective based on unity within diversity and on sharing. Via Antagora 10, 00124 Rome, Italy. E-mail: s.tripi@tiscalinet.it
Contents:
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International legislation
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Health
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Human rights
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Energy
and safety
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Peace
and safety
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Environment and wildlife
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Economy
and development
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Culture
and education
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Solidarity
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(TOP)
Measures on terrorism, human
cloning passed by General Assembly
12 December - In a
series of actions on legal matters, the United Nations General Assembly today
decided to establish a panel to study the elaboration of an international
convention against the reproductive cloning of human beings and called for
continued work on a draft accord against terrorism.
Acting
on the recommendation of its legal (Sixth) committee, the Assembly approved without
a vote a resolution envisaging the start of formal negotiations on an
international convention on the issue once agreement was reached on a
negotiating mandate. The treaty was proposed by France and Germany, whose
representative told a committee debate that the threat posed to human dignity
by reproductive cloning was a sufficient reason in itself for the international
community to strive for a legally binding instrument against it.
The
resolution on cloning was one of 21 decisions and resolutions adopted today on
the reports of the Sixth Committee.
By another resolution, the
Assembly decided that its own Ad Hoc Committee on terrorism should continue
work towards a comprehensive convention on the subject at a session to be held
from 28 January to 1 February 2002. The Ad Hoc Committee would also continue
its work on a draft convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear
terrorism. (…)
Senegal:
report on implementation of Rome Statute
7 December - The Organisation
Nationale des Droits de l'Homme (ONDH) organized a highly successful conference
on the implementation of the Rome Statute into Senegalese law on October 23-26,
2001. This conference was organized in collaboration with the Lawyers Committee
for Human Rights (LCHR) and the Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme
(FIDH) and took place with the support of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of
Canada and the assistance of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Final
Report is available for download.
http://www.lchr.org/IJP/inl.htm
Mozambique: Government targets
corruption
7 December - This week the
Mozambican government announced the formation of a special unit to fight
corruption. The new unit would be made-up of magistrates who would be trained
in Botswana, which has extensive experience and success in fighting corruption,
Attorney-general, Joaquim Madeira, was quoted as saying. He said the new body
would first focus on corruption in the judiciary. Political analysts said the
new body could lead to the prosecution of many people within government who, up
until now, have been considered "untouchable".
International donors have in
recent months placed increasing pressure on the government to weed out
corruption in government structures and to treat the scourge as a national
priority.
(TOP)
2002
UN Commission on Human Rights: Geneva, 18 March-26 April 2002
7 December - The fifty-eighth
session of the UN Commission on Human Rights will be held from 18 March to 26
April 2002 in Geneva. The International Catholic Commission on Migration and
December 18 encourage all ECOSOC accredited NGOs to prepare a written statement
on the human rights of migrants from their own perspective. Written statements
submitted by NGOs and government delegations are issued as UN documents and
made available as such to member and observer governments and NGO participants.
Further details: http://www.kabissa.org/kfn/newsletter.php?id=4590
Contact: mkanervavuori.hchr@unog.ch
World congress against the exploitation of children – Japan, 17-20
December
13 December - The second world
congress against the sexual exploitation of children will be held in Yokohama, Japan from 17 to
20 December (the first was held in Stockholm in August 1996). The event has
been organized by the Japanese government, the United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef), Ecpat (an organization engaged in the
struggle against every form of the commercial sexual exploitation of children),
and non government organizations supporting children's rights. It is estimated
that in the world today there are two million child prostitutes or children
subjected to various forms of sexual exploitation. The
International Campaign for the Prevention of Child Trafficking and Please Disturb (a site for the
prevention of sexual tourism) will be presented during the Congress. In the
last meeting in Stockholm 122 states pledged
themselves against the violence of children but to date only one third of these
have applied suitable programs of national intervention.
(TOP)
Yugoslavia/Kosovo: "Women Facing War": ICRC
holds multiethnic round table
13
December - (…) At a round table organized by the ICRC in Pristina on 1
December, eleven prominent members of civil society, representing different
communities - Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Bosniac and Ashkali - met to air their
views and exchange ideas on the theme "Women as positive actors in
defusing violence and preventing armed conflict". The event was
part of the international campaign launched this year by the ICRC and marked by
the publication of a major study on the impact of armed conflict on women,
entitled "Women Facing War".
http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/
10
December -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan and General Assembly President Han
Seung-Soo today received the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded jointly to the
Secretary-General and the United Nations. The Secretary-General, upon receiving
the Prize, said, "In the 21st Century I believe the mission of the United
Nations will be defined by a new, more profound, awareness of the sanctity and
dignity of every human life, regardless of race or religion." (…)
In a statement issued on 12
October 2001 in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it had decided to
award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001 in two equal portions - to the UN and to
its Secretary-General, Kofi Annan - "for their work for a better organized
and more peaceful world."
The Committee said the end of
the cold war had at last made it possible for the UN to perform more fully the
part it was originally intended to play. Today the organization is at the
forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world, and of the
international mobilization aimed at meeting the world's economic, social and
environmental challenges, the statement said.
As Secretary-General, Kofi
Annan has been pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization, according
to the Nobel Committee. "While clearly underlining the UN's traditional
responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligations
with regard to human rights," it said. "He has risen to such new
challenges as HIV/AIDS and international terrorism, and brought about more
efficient utilization of the UN's modest resources. In an organization that can
hardly become more than its members permit, he has made clear that sovereignty
can not be a shield behind which Member States conceal their violations."
(…)
UNIFEM
sponsors roundtable on women's leadership in rebuilding Afghanistan
United Nations, December 7 - The United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) will convene an international roundtable on
women's leadership role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan from December
10-11 in Brussels. Co-sponsored by the Government of Belgium, the meeting will
provide a unique opportunity for Afghan women to voice their priorities and
hopes for the future of their country to members of the international community.
(…)
http://www.unifem.undp.org/pr_afghanistan.html
Second Moving
Beyond Missile Defense Workshop Held in Shanghai, China
Moving Beyond
Missile Defense, a project of the International Network of Engineers and
Scientists Against Proliferation (INESAP) and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
(NAPF) joined with Center for American Studies at Fudan University at Shanghai
in holding its second international workshop in Shanghai, China from 30
November to 2 December, 2001. The workshop brought together more than 30
experts in the science, technology, policy, military and security fields from
China, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the UK and the
US. The goals of the workshop were to review and assess plans to develop
and deploy missile defense programs and their potential impact on global
security and regional security in North East Asia.
The Sunflower
(TOP)
IFAD strengthening its support
for combating rural poverty in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus
Bucharest Workshop will challenge governments and donors to foster innovative strategic programmes
Rome, Bucharest, 7 December - A two day Regional Rural Poverty
Assessment and Strategic Opportunities Workshop for Eastern Europe, the Balkans
and the Caucasus will be held in Bucharest, Romania, on 11-12 December. (…)
The Workshop will discuss the causes, variations and specific features of rural
poverty in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus. (…)
The IFAD Rural
Poverty Report 2001, officially launched earlier this year by Mr Kofi Annan,
Secretary -General of the United Nations, will also be presented in the course
of the Workshop. The Report argues that, to be successful, poverty reduction
policies must focus on rural areas and stresses the need for increased
investment in agriculture if the Millennium Summit target of halving poverty by
2015 is to be met. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2001/01-44.htm
Niger: Grain surplus recorded,
government says
7 December - Niger harvested a
cereal surplus of nearly 300,000 mt this year, The PanAfrican News Agency (PANA)
reported a government statement as saying. This contrasts strongly with a
cereal deficit last year that affected more than one-third of Niger's 10
million inhabitants, forcing thousands of people to leave their villages in
search of food.
Guinea: ADF support for
sustainable social development
7 December - The African
Development Fund (ADF) has approved a loan of about US $25.56 million and a
grant of just under US $2.24 million for a sustainable social development
project in Upper and Central Guinea.
The objective of the project
is to help reduce poverty by supporting the implementation of Guinea's National
Poverty Reduction Strategy and enhance governance at the local government
level, the African Development Bank (ADB) said. It seeks to facilitate access
by the poor to basic socio-economic services and develop productive capacities,
especially those of women and youths.
The project will support 57
urban districts and rural communities in preparing and implementing sustainable
development programmes. (…)
West Africa: UN plans to set
up West Africa office
7 December - The United
Nations plans to establish a West Africa subregional office in Dakar, Senegal,
in January for three years. It would be run by a Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for West Africa.
"Among its tasks, the
Office would assist the work of the Economic Community of West African States
and the Mano River Union (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone). It would also
carry out good offices roles and special assignments in countries of the
subregion on Mr. Annan's behalf, including in conflict prevention and
peace-building efforts, as well as report to Headquarters on key developments
of subregional significance," the UN news service reported.
Viet
Nam cuts poverty rate by nearly half, says new report
7 December - Viet Nam's
poverty rate fell from well over 70 per cent in the mid-1980s to around 37 per
cent in 1998, according to the new National Human Development Report
2001. This is one of the sharpest declines recorded by any developing
country.
The report, prepared with
support from UNDP, credits the Government's Doi
moi (renovation) process for this and other human development gains. Its
main components include a transition from central planning to a "market
economy with a socialist orientation" and an open-door policy to
facilitate integration with regional and global communities.
The report notes, however,
that poverty fell more rapidly in the 1990s in urban areas than rural areas,
where 90 per cent of the poor live, and there is a widening gap between rich
and poor. (…)
Rome, 6 December - Over the next two decades,
aquaculture will contribute more to the global food fish supplies and will help
further reducing global poverty and food insecurity, according to
"Aquaculture in the Third Millennium" a new publication released
today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Aquaculture's contribution toward global fisheries
landings continues to grow (31.3% in 1999) and it continues to dominate all
other animal food producing sectors. Total aquaculture production in 1999 was
about 42.77 million metric tons, valued at 53.56 US billion dollars.
Since the FAO Technical Conference on Aquaculture,
(Kyoto, 1976), aquaculture has gone through major changes, ranging from
small-scale homestead-level activities to large-scale commercial farming. (…)
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/OIS/PRESS_NE/PRESSENG/2001/pren0196.htm
Programme
offers grants for research on Internet and development in Asia-Pacific
6 December - To strengthen
research on Internet policies and applications for development problems in the
Asia-Pacific region, an initiative by UNDP and several partners is offering
grants to fund projects in this sector. The Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
R&D Grants Programme also funds research projects on the outcome
and social impact of policies on ICT and Internet networking in the region.
"Our idea in developing the programme is to encourage and stimulate the
use of information and communications technology to improve a country's
economy, as well as reduce poverty," said Vijay Parmar, deputy regional
coordinator of the Asia
Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP). UNDP funds APDIP,
and the UN Office of Project Services
(UNOPS) implements the programme. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
Croatia
banking breakthrough spurs loans to small businesses
5 December - Banks in Croatia
wary of lending to small and medium sized businesses are loosening their purse
strings, thanks to an initiative by UNDP and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Participants from five
Croatian banks took part in a recent workshop at the Jadranska bank in Šibenik
to learn techniques for lending to small businesses, including evaluating and
processing business plans, instruments for risk management, loan collateral and
guarantees, handling complaints, time management, granting credit and
follow-up. UNDP and UNOPS organized the session in cooperation with the Netherlands Management Cooperation Programme, which arranged
for two Dutch bankers with extensive experience in working with small and
medium sized business, Piet de Vries and Jan Zandbergen, to carry out the
training. The Netherlands programme and the Government of Norway funded the
workshop. (…)
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
Impact of research results on sustainable agriculture:
IFAD/CropLife International partnership initiative for development
Rome, 3 December – The International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) and the CropLife International will be addressing a Press Conference in Brussels to present a number
of examples of joint ventures that demonstrate how tangible results in rural
poverty reduction can best be achieved through joint public and private sector
efforts. The examples are from the Latin America and Caribbean region and
emphasize the importance of private-public sector synergies of agricultural
solutions that would ensure food security and sustainability for small holder
farmers. This would help improve the triple bottom line of economic viability,
social responsibility and environmentally sound approaches.
IFAD’s projects are designed
to promote the economic advancement of the rural poor, both through empowerment
and improvement of the productivity of on- and off-farm activities. CropLife
International is led by companies such as Aventis, BASF, Bayer, DuPont etc. in
the plant science industry and contributes to these projects with its expertise
in crop protection and biotechnology to developing agricultural solutions and
technology packages. (…)
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2001/01-41.htm
(TOP)
Russian Federation / Northern Caucasus: Winter
assistance for the residents of Grozny
13 December - As civilians face their third winter of displacement in Chechnya and the
northern Caucasus, the ICRC is pursuing its assistance programme for the most
vulnerable, paying particular attention to their shelter and clothing needs so
as to ensure that they are prepared to face harsh weather conditions in
relative comfort and dignity. In Grozny alone, the ICRC, in cooperation with
the Chechen branch of the Russian Red Cross, assists over 17,000 civilians.
Moreover, each month the ICRC provides the elderly and disabled with 12 loaves
of bread each, in addition to rations of oil, tea, sugar and soap. Since 1997
roughly 30,000 civilians have received such aid and in 2002 the ICRC plans to
increase the number of beneficiaries in Grozny and other major urban centres to
50,000. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/
Afghanistan: ICRC assists Bamyan Hospital
13 December - "When we visited the hospital last week," says Dr Daniel
Brechbuehler, the ICRC medical co-ordinator for Afghanistan, "there was
nothing. Even the beds, mattresses and lights had been looted." Bamyan
Hospital normally serves between 15,000 and 20,000 families in the region. But
for the moment the closest hospital is in Kabul, an eight to ten hour drive
away. (…)
The
ICRC has offered to re-equip the hospital and restore it to full operational
capacity. It has already provided emergency medical supplies sufficient to
treat 1,000 patients for three months. The ICRC will also provide the hospital
with a complete two-table operating theatre including surgical, anaesthetic and
sterilization equipment and supplies. (…)
http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/
Mozambique: Debt relief
agreement with France
7 December - In a related
development, the Mozambican and French governments this week signed an
agreement under which an estimated US $26 million of Mozambique debt to France
would be cancelled. The agreement takes the form of a contract redirecting the
money from debt servicing into poverty reduction programmes. The contract is
for an initial three-year period. Bernadette Leforte, French ambassador to
Mozambique, said France hoped to follow the contract with another one after the
three-year period, until Mozambique's entire debt to it was wiped out.
Rwanda: Number of vulnerable
households down almost 50 percent
7 December - The number of
vulnerable Rwandans without proper shelter has dropped by almost 50 percent
since 1999, according to a survey by the Ministry of Human Settlement in
collaboration with the UN Development Programme, the office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as donors and other development
partners. A 14-day 'Rapid Assessment of Immediate Shelter Needs' survey that
ended on 21 October showed that 191,844 Rwandan households were still living
under sheeting and grass-thatched shelters compared to 370,000 in 1999.
The survey attributed the
downward trend to five factors, among which was that displaced and other
returnee populations recovered their properties. Some other factors were that
non-governmental organisations - funded by France, Switzerland and Canada -
built more homes; government urging of the public to build their own shelters,
as well as UNHCR and WFP provision of food-for-work programmes to resettle
homeless families.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=17126
Rwanda: UNICEF lays out
humanitarian action plan for 2002
7 December - The United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners plan to spend some US $10.9
million for humanitarian action in Rwanda during 2002, according to a UN
Children's Fund report made available to IRIN on Thursday. This effort is part
of a broader UNICEF goal to ensure that the rights of all children are
realised, and in this way "support Rwanda's transition from emergency to
long-term human development".
Further details: http://www.kabissa.org/kfn/newsletter.php?id=4571
Italy
contributes $5 million for Bethlehem recovery
6 December - The Government of
Italy last week announced a contribution of US$5 million to the UNDP Programme
of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) to help residents and
institutions in the Bethlehem District recover from the devastating impact of
recent violence.
Dr. Gianni Ghisi, Italian
Consul General in Jerusalem, said the contribution covers emergency assistance
and medium-term interventions.
The emergency funds --
$827,000 -- are to be used by the end of the year to rehabilitate
infrastructure, generating opportunities for unemployed workers. (…) Since
1987, the Government of Italy has contributed approximately $55 million to
UNDP/PAPP to help meet development needs of the Palestinian people and support
the Middle East peace process.
http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html
OneWorld US: Congress green
lights AIDS $1.3 billion
US lawmakers yesterday approved legislation that will give a $1.3
billion boost over one year to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic through
bilateral and multinational programmes aimed at education, prevention,
treatment, and research. (…)
DebtChannel: Promise of debt
relief for Burundi
Burundi's donor partners have promised the government US $830 million to
fight HIV/AIDS, reduce the debt service burden and support priority development
programmes. This new undertaking was the outcome of a donor's roundtable for
Burundi held in Geneva. This, and the latest news on debt from around the globe
at the Debtchannel.org.
From: DebtChannel.
Poverty
Mapping Website
27 November - Poverty maps,
integrating data from various sources, quickly provide information on the
spatial distribution of poverty. Poverty maps can improve the allocation
of resources in anti-poverty programs, and make poverty studies more
easily understandable to wider audiences. The new Poverty Mapping
website, at http://www.povertymap.net, provides state-of-the-art
poverty maps and methodology on the global as well as regional and sub-national
levels.
See also PovertyNet's website
on the Geographical Aspects of Inequality and Poverty at :
http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/inequal/povmap/index.htm .
http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/newsl/index.htm
(TOP)
Rome, 4 December
- Three Rome-based UN agencies - the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)
and the World Food Programme (WFP) - have decided to join hands in the fight
against HIV/AIDS, in coordination with the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS). (…)
Cooperation between FAO, UNAIDS and other specialized
agencies including UNDP and UNOPS will help achieve a broad-based response to
HIV/AIDS on issues relating to food security and rural livelihoods. Government
and NGO representatives will present their countries' experiences and
objectives regarding the mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the
agricultural sector. They will identify obstacles toward the attainment of
those objectives and discuss ways to overcome them. Participating countries are
Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. (…)
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/OIS/PRESS_NE/PRESSENG/2001/pren0195.htm
HIV/AIDS Network launches a
search engine
7 December - The HIV/AIDS
Search Engine is a tool for searching the internet for news on medications,
treatments and vaccines. People can log in privately and chat with a counselor
or get answers to questions from an online forum. Users can search through
links using major search engines and news headlines sites. This online service
is particularly targeted at rural locations where HIV/AIDS information and
support is limited.
http://www2.womensnet.org.za/news/show.cfm?news_id=767
http://www.kabissa.org
HIV/AIDS: World Bank appoints new global Adviser
7 December - The World Bank
has announced the appointment of the bank's first global HIV/AIDS adviser,
charged with galvanizing bank efforts in the fight against the spread of the
disease, particularly in developing countries. Medical scientist Debrework
Zewdie of Ethiopia has been appointed as the bank's HIV/AIDS adviser "to
make a difference in developing countries which are struggling with the social
and economic ravages of HIV/AIDS, and to raise global awareness and resources
to combat and prevent the disease," said bank Vice President for Human
Development Jozef Ritzen.
Further details: http://www.kabissa.org/kfn/newsletter.php?id=4560
AIDS
and men in Africa
7 December - The Panos AIDS
Programme is working in collaboration with the Society for Women and AIDS in
Africa (SWAA) in three countries, Kenya, Mozambique and Cameroon, on issues
around men and HIV and impact on women. The project targets local
organisations, policymakers and the media --by disseminating information on the
issues and existing projects working with men, and catalysing the development of
new projects. The reports Men and HIV in Mozambique ( in Portuguese) and Men
and HIV in Kenya have been produced in collaboration with SWAA as part of this
project.
http://www.oneworld.org/panos/aids/aidsprog.htm#World%20Aids%20Campaign
http://www.kabissa.org
(TOP)
Biodisel from chicken waste in
UK
(5 December) A British
supermarket chain said today that it would begin fueling its delivery trucks
with chicken waste and used cooking oils. The Asda chain, which
includes 258 stores in the U.K and is a part of the Wal-Mart company, generates
about 36,500 gallons per year of chicken waste and cooking fat that currently
winds up in landfills. But starting in April, the gunk will be
transformed into biodiesel to power the company's trucks. For fact-happy
readers: According to Asda, the U.K. produces as much as 23 million
gallons per year of used cooking oil.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/SciTech/reuters20011205_334.html
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/ha/ha100101.asp?source=daily
(TOP)
Scotland deepens perspectives
for wind and wave energy
10 December - Scotland has
enough potential wind and wave energy to power the entire U.K., according to an
independent study that has been met with excitement by the Scottish government.
Known as one of the windiest spots in Europe, Scotland could apparently provide
almost a quarter of the U.K.'s energy needs from onshore wind farms, without
having to construct the farms on designated scenic areas. Wave and tidal
stream energy could meet the other three-quarters of Britain's power
needs. A second report issued today said Scotland could achieve its goal
of generating 18 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1699000/1699665.stm
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/ha/ha032700.stm?source=daily
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/dogood/climate.asp?source=daily
Largest gift ever to a single
environmental group
10 December - In the largest
gift ever to a single environmental group, the foundation created by Intel
co-founder Gordon Moore announced yesterday that it would give Conservation
International $261 million over 10 years. The money will help the
Washington, D.C.-based group identify and protect biodiversity hotspots, areas
that CI says cover 1.4 percent of the Earth's land mass but contain 60 percent
of the planet's terrestrial species. The group's president, Russell
Mittermeier, said he hoped to use Moore's gift to leverage as much as $6
billion from private and public sources. In 1998, Moore gave $35 million
to CI to help establish the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/12/10/MN66318.DTL
United Nations urged to include oceans and coasts at
World Summit on sustainable development
Paris, December 7 - The goals of next year's World
Summit on Sustainable Development can only be met if effective action to
protect ocean and coastal areas is implemented - and soon. This conclusion was
reached at a five-day meeting of over 400 coastal and ocean experts assembled
for The Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10: Toward the 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg which ended at UNESCO
Headquarters today.
"Sustainable development and poverty reduction
cannot be achieved without healthy oceans and coasts," said the meeting's
Co-Chairs, Patricio Bernal, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Committee (IOC) of UNESCO, and Biliana Cicin-Sain, Director of
the Center for the Study of Marine Policy of the University of Delaware (USA).
"The key question is how to sustain the natural resource base and the
integrity of coastal and ocean ecosystem services, while continuing to expand
economically. We strongly recommend that the United Nations put sustainable
development of oceans - comprising 70% of the Earth's surface - as a central
feature of the World Summit."
The United Nations will convene heads of state for the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in
September 2002, the 10th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit, which was held
in Rio de Janeiro. (…)
http://www.unesco.org/opi/eng/unescopress/2001/01-133e.shtml
World Bank to finance
projects in four countries to fight global warming projects worth US$35 million
will protect the ozone layer
Montreal, December 6 - In a significant move
towards ending developing countries' use of harmful ozone depleting substances
(ODS), the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation
of the Montreal Protocol (MFMP) approved US$35.8 million to completely phase
out the consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) through World
Bank-implemented projects in the Bahamas, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey.
These groundbreaking projects will result in a
permanent global reduction of 7,468 ozone depleting potential (ODP) tons by
2010. (…)
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/news/pressrelease.nsf/
Indonesia to tighten laws
against illegal logging
5 December - Indonesia said
this week that it would tighten its forestry laws to rein in illegal
logging. Under the new rules, companies will lose their licenses to log
in 2003 unless they can prove they are managing forests sustainably.
Enviros cheered the change, though it remains to be seen just how the theory
will translate into practice. This week's move follows a policy shift in
October, when the government banned some log exports to help slow the pace of
logging in the country's tropical rainforests. The World Bank estimates
that Indonesia lost about 3.7 million acres of forest per year from 1985 to
1997; by 2000, the country's forests had been reduced to 49 million acres, down
from 106 million pre-1985.
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/12/03/indonesia.rainforest/index.html
Netherlands Gives Big Backing
to UNEP in Run Up to World Summit on Sustainable Development
Nairobi, 28 November 2001 -
The Government of the Netherlands have almost doubled their contribution to the
core budget of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the year
2001, it was announced today.
The Netherlands, already a
significant financial supporter of the organization, have decided to raise
their contribution to UNEP's Environment Fund by around $2.1 million to a total
of about $4.5 million for this year.
The Environment Fund, which in
recent years has been declining, is UNEP's core funding. It is critical for the
organization's activities in areas such as chemicals, early warning of
disasters, wildlife and environmental law as laid out in UNEP's work programme
and authorised by its Governing Council of 58 nations, the organization's
supreme decision-making body. (…)
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Globalisation and sustainable
development: is ethics the missing link?
A Forum initiated by Mikhail
Gorbachev and Maurice Strong
Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice
Strong are launching the Earth Dialogues to provide a forum for constructive
debate on the world’s most acute problems. In February 2002, leaders of civil
society, government, international organisations, finance, business, religion,
media and academia, along with members of the public, will convene in Lyon to
share their views on how to forge the essential links between Globalisation,
Sustainable Development and Ethics.
The Earth Dialogues will seek to encourage high-level pressure and
guidance in the search for a more just and sustainable model of development in
the globalised world, by: providing a platform for civil society to share its
perspectives with those in powerful positions in order to influence future
decision-making; identifying obstacles to achieving sustainable development;
tracing the links between the environment and human security; articulating
essential principles and values for sustainable development; clarifying the
concept of environmental rights; sharing value-changing best practices and experiences;
considering the contribution of the Earth Charter in defining and strengthening
sustainable development; producing integrated proposals and recommendations for
action and implementation.
http://www.greencrossinternational.net
New York, 7 December - More than 2,000 broadcasters
from over 160 countries will air TV and radio programmes by, for and about
children on Sunday, 9 December, International Children's Day of Broadcasting
(ICDB). Started by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the
International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
(NATAS), the event galvanises some of the most influential broadcasting
organisations around the world in support of children's issues and in
celebration of their huge energy and creative potential.
The fundamental right of children to express opinions and
participate in public discussion is emphasised in the Convention on the Rights
of the Child; ICDB helps make this right a reality. The event provides an
opportunity for children to work with broadcasters, designing studio sets,
setting up cameras and reporting and presenting the news. Programmes produced
for ICDB spotlight the major challenges to children in poverty and in war,
being enlisted as soldiers, being sexually exploited and infected with
HIV/AIDS. (…)
http://www.unicef.org/newsline/01pr96.htm
"The Mystery of the
Four-leaved Clover"
27 November - "The
Mystery of the Four-leaved Clover": this is the name of the video-game
produced by the Italian Department of the Interior and financed together with
the European Union to inform children about legality. The task of the player is
to guide Anthony, the small hero of the video-game, through situations on the
limit between legality and illegality. An internet site, 'Anthony's room', has
been created along with the game where, a part from downloading the game itself
and Anthony's screensaver, the children can express their own creativity and
exchange opinions on assurance and legality.
http://www.poliziadistato.it/pds/primapagina/giocoantonio/index.html
http://www.lastanzadiantonio.it/
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Next issue: 18
January 2002
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