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- UN: U.S. dollar is an unreliable global reserve
The U.S. dollar should be replaced as the world's benchmark currency for trade with an International Monetary Fund proposed system of special drawing rights that would create an international reserve of assets made up of several currencies, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs says in a new report. Decreases in the value of the dollar over recent years have hit developing countries' economies hard, prompting growing calls for a more reliable system of international liquidity. Reuters (6/29) , CNN (6/29)       - UNDP launches Agent Orange cleanup project
The United Nations Development Programme has launched a $5 million project to clean up dioxin contamination from Agent Orange at a former air base in Vietnam where U.S. military used to mix and store the defoliant. The U.S. sprayed more than 11 million gallons of Agent Orange, which has been linked to cancer, birth defects and other medical conditions, across southern parts of the country during the Vietnam War. UNDP officials say the project will help address environmental degradation and protect local residents from related health concerns. Google/The Associated Press (6/29)   | - MSF questions WHO measles strategy in Africa
The resurgence of measles epidemics across Africa after 20 years of decreases raises questions about the effectiveness of the World Health Organization's vaccination strategy, Médecins Sans Frontières says. WHO set a target of measles eradication by 2015, but a lack of coordination between agencies and government representatives, and drops in available funding, have allowed the disease to spread in 2009 and 2010, the group warns. The Guardian (London) (6/29) - Oil spill efforts stop as hurricane approaches
The approach of a hurricane has put the brakes on efforts to contain BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with controlled burns, boom placements and flights to spread chemical dispersants on hold. Hurricane Alex is expected to make landfall today bringing more oily waters onto the shores of Louisiana and Mississippi. AlertNet.org/Reuters (6/30) - Rare Russian wildlife is poached for China sale
Illegal trade in animal parts is flourishing along the China-Russia border, with criminal networks trading everything from bear paws and gall bladders, to tigers bones and deer musk for use in traditional Chinese medicines and cooking. Conservationists express concerns the trade creates a situation where critically endangered populations of Amur tigers and Far East leopards may be hunted into extinction. The New York Times (free registration) (6/29) - UNODC: Human trafficking is rising in Europe
Human trafficking of women and girls in Europe is a $3 billion a year industry with the number of victims growing by 50% annually, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warns. Organized criminal gangs tricked poverty-stricken victims from Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America with promises of work and forced them into situations of forced labor or prostitution, UNODC said. Google/The Associated Press (6/29) - HRW: European powers are relying on torture for intelligence
France, Germany and the U.K. continue to use intelligence gained through torture in third-party countries as part of their counterterrorism efforts, Human Rights Watch charges in a new report. The three should immediately end their association with such practices as they are illegal and damaging to the rule of law in the European Union as a whole, the group says. Google/Agence France-Presse (6/29) - Militants target Afghan NATO air base
Taliban militants launched an attack on an air base outside Jalalabad, Afghanistan, used by NATO forces today, igniting a car bomb and firing rocket-propelled grenades in an attempt to breach the gates. The ensuing firefight left eight of the attackers dead. Taliban fighters launched a similar attack on the Bagram air base near the capital Kabul in May. The New York Times (free registration) (6/30) , BBC (6/30) - Al-Qaida reaches out to English speakers
Al-Qaida operatives in the Arabian Peninsula announced plans to launch an online English language current affairs magazine called Inspire to help inform and recruit supporters in Western countries. An Arabic language magazine produced by the group includes content such as profiles of group leaders and interrogation survival tips. The Toronto Star (6/29)  | |  | | | | | | | | Communications Director, Global Health | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Deputy Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Executive Director | Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | | Online Communications Senior Associate, Public Affairs Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Campaign Associate, Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Communications Associate, Public Affairs Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Systems Administrator | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Pledge Guarantee for Health (PGH) Associate | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Managing Director, Thought Leadership | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  | |
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| | | About UN WIRE | | UN Wire is a free service sponsored by the United Nations Foundation which is dedicated to supporting the United Nations' efforts to address the most pressing humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the world today. | | | | | | | | Recent UN Wire Issues: - Tuesday, June 29, 2010
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