Secretary-General in Rwanda to discuss upcoming report on DR Congo rights violations
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Kigali, where he met with Rwandan leaders to discuss the soon-to-be-released United Nations report on serious human rights violations committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 1993 and 2003.
The report, compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and scheduled to be made public on October 1, describes a total of more than 600 incidents in the DRC during the 10-year period in which tens of thousands of people were killed.
Mr. Ban, who arrived in the Rwandan capital after official travels in Europe, met with President Paul Kagame and Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo.
The Secretary-General decided to visit Kigali "to speak directly with the Rwandan president and other government officials about their concern" regarding the report resulting from the so-called mapping exercise conducted by OHCHR, according to information provided by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.
The report, which covers not only the war-torn east but the entire territory of the DRC, has the overarching objective of helping the Congolese government to establish transitional judicial systems and fight against impunity.
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New UN humanitarian chief spends first day at work in Pakistan
The newly-appointed United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos arrived in Pakistan on August 7, her first day on the job, to witness the humanitarian response to the flood disaster and encourage more donor support to the millions of people affected across the length of the South Asian country.
 "Humanitarian work is about reaching people affected by crises, providing emergency assistance, and supporting them through the most difficult times," said Ms. Amos, who is also the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
"The floods here in Pakistan have affected almost 21 million people - it is one of the biggest humanitarian crises the world has seen," she said.
UN agencies and their humanitarian partners, working alongside the Pakistani government, have already reached millions of affected people with life-saving assistance and are working to assist many millions more. Organizations responding to the crisis initially requested $460 million from donors to cover basic needs. So far just $294 million has been received - 64 percent of what is needed. |
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UN chief urges investment forum participants to promote MDGs
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged participants at a UN forum to do their part to make international investment work for the development of all humankind, especially in pursuit of the social and economic targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
 In a video message to the four-day World Investment Forum on August 7, held in Xiamen, China, he also highlighted the crucial role of investment in stimulating economic activity, advancing energy efficiency and green technology and responsibly spreading environmentally friendly practices at the corporate level.
Mr. Ban noted that "international investment is high on the agenda of global policymaking - as it should be."
"After a significant downturn in 2009, worldwide flows are expected to recover slightly this year, according to UNCTAD's latest World Investment Report. An even stronger recovery is predicted for 2011 and 2012," he said, referring to the latest investment report of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). "Looking ahead, four issues are especially urgent."
The biennial World Investment Forum brings together policymakers, investment treaty negotiators, investment practitioners, investment promotion agencies, business, academia and civil society.
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Week in Pictures
Angelina Jolie condemns planned burning of Koran
September 7, 2010 - UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie talks to an elderly woman at her flood-damaged home in the northern Pakistani village of Mohib Bandi. While in Pakistan, Jolie joined other UN officials in condemning a Florida church's plan to burn copies of the Koran on the September 11 anniversary. Jolie is travelling as the personal envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. On September 7, she visited Mohib Banda village in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region and areas near Peshawar, including the Azakhel Afghan refugee settlement and the Jalozai camp for internally displaced people (IDP). "It's clear this crisis is far from over," she said. "People have lost everything: their homes, their belongings, their crops and cattle, and their livelihoods. Long after the cameras have gone, people will be struggling to rebuild their lives." Jolie's visit is her fourth to Pakistan since becoming a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. She last visited in November 2005 following the devastating earthquake in northern Pakistan. UNHCR Photo: J.Tanner
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International Peace Day Art Exhibition in Kabul
September 7, 2010 - UNAMA launched its International Peace Day art exhibition in Kabul, Afghanistan, in partnership with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation and 12 young Afghan artists. SRSG Staffan de Mistura (left) highlighted that 70 percent of Afghans are under 25 years old, remarking that "young Afghans are, through their own creativity and their own art, telling us what type of vision we should all be having for the future of Afghanistan." UN Photo: Fardin Waezi / UNAMA
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