|
UN Calendar |
|
April 7
World Health Day
April 9
April 12
Commission on Population and Development meets in New York through April 16.
April 19
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues meets in New York through April 30.
April 25
World Malaria Day
April 28 |
|
|
| UN Washington Online |
 |
|
| |
|
|
UN proposes drawdown of 2,000 UN peacekeepers from DR Congo
Despite continued violence and human rights abuses by both rebels and the army, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has made sufficient progress over much of its vast territory for the 20,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force to withdraw up to 2,000 troops by June.
"The Democratic Republic of the Congo has made notable progress, considering the formidable challenges it has overcome during the past 15 years," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report to the Security Council on the mission, known as MONUC. Mr. Ban recommends that the mission be extended for another year from its current expiration date of May 31.
 "The country has come a long way, emerging from what was widely described as 'Africa's First World War,' which involved nine foreign armies and numerous domestic and foreign armed groups fighting on its soil, and ending the balkanization that threatened its very existence," he adds, proposing that the Council immediately authorize a drawdown of 2,000 troops by June 30 from the more stable, mainly western and central provinces.
MONUC has helped restore a measure of stability and democratic process to a country torn apart by years of civil war and revolts that resulted in the greatest death toll since World War II - some 4 million people killed by the fighting and the attendant starvation and disease it produced.
But Mr. Ban highlights the "significant challenges" still facing the national government, including continued fighting with rebels in the Kivu provinces in the east, where human rights violations are rife, weak government institutions, the urgent need for training and reform in the national army and police, and socio-economic hardship in urban areas, compounded by the global financial crisis, that remains a source of potential instability, including in Kinshasa, the capital.
Related Headlines
|
|
UN chief outlines new role over natural resources, promotes human rights during Central Asia tour
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed a major United Nations role as "a cure-all" for resolving tensions in Central Asia over the use of water, energy and other natural resources where exploitation by one country can affect the development of another.
 "The question is how to use common resources for common prosperity," Mr. Ban told a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, after meeting with President Emomali Rahmon on the fourth leg of a five-nation Central Asian tour, calling the issue "a matter of pressing and crucial importance" to all five countries. "That is why I am visiting Central Asia, before tensions grow worse."
The five-nation tour also includes stops in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
"Whether it is oil and natural gas or water, this method should be used fairly and harmoniously, it is in the interest of neighboring countries. This is a collective responsibility, both of the leaders of Central Asia and the international community. In our discussions, we agreed that the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy offers a cure-all," he said.
Throughout his tour, Mr. Ban has also urged governments to further strengthen human rights and justice institutions, comply fully with international human rights laws and the many treaties to which it is a signatory, to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and to cooperate with the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
|
|
Security Council congratulates Iraqis on successful elections
The United Nations Security Council congratulated the people and government of Iraq on a successful parliamentary election, and said it looked forward to the certification by the Supreme Court of the results.
 In a press statement issued by Ambassador Emanuel Issoze-Ngondet of Gabon, which holds the rotating presidency for March, members of the Council called for the political entities "to respect the certified election results and the choices of the Iraqi people."
In addition to the Iraqi government and people, the 15-member body also congratulated the Iraqi Security Forces and the Independent High Electoral Commission for the successful holding of the March 7 polls, in which more than 6,000 candidates competed for 325 seats in the Council of Representatives.
Despite risks of violence and concerns that voters would be deterred from casting ballots, at least 12 million Iraqis turned out to vote.
The Council recognized the international assistance provided to the country, and commended the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), as well as Special Representative Ad Melkert, for providing technical assistance and support throughout the electoral process.
Related Headline
|
|
Week in Pictures
One of the world's worst environmental disasters
April 4 - A view of rusted, abandoned ships in Muynak, Uzebkistan, a former port city whose population has declined precipitously with the rapid recession of the Aral Sea. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday witnessed the shrinking Aral Sea - a sight which he said underscores the need for collective action to save the planet's resources. "It was shocking," Mr. Ban told reporters. "It really left with me a profound impression, one of sadness that such a mighty sea has disappeared." The Aral Sea was once the world's fourth largest lake. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
_______________________________
International Donors Conference for Haiti  | |
|
About the United Nations in Washington
As the United Nations office in Washington, D.C, the UN Information Center serves as the focal point for UN news and information to advance understanding of the UN and its work, and to serve as a resource for United States government officials, NGOs, civil-society organizations and the American people.
United Nations. It's your world.
|
|
|
