| |
- UN rethinks Iraq facility plan
Plans to build a $100 million high-security facility to house United Nations personnel in Baghdad may be dropped in favor of renting an existing facility after U.S. troops vacate in 2011. The UN wants to increase security for operations as U.S.-led international military forces depart Baghdad, Kirkuk and Basra, and is considering diverting construction funds toward hiring security details. Security for Iraqi operations has been an important issue for the UN since the devastating 2003 attack on Baghdad headquarters that killed senior diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (9/2)       - There is hope in Somalia, says UN official
After a recent tour of the Horn of Africa, UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe says that there is hope for Somalia -- a country that faces existential threats in the forms of poverty, lack of infrastructure and insurgent violence. Pascoe says that despite recent heavy fighting that has claimed dozens of lives, the government there has improved its efforts to battle al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-affiliated militant group. He says that the UN will continue to support African Union peacekeepers but did not pledge UN troops on the ground in the foreseeable future. CNN (9/2)  - Single-dose treatment may change malaria battle
A new single-dose drug treatment from Novartis can effectively end malaria infections in mice, researchers report in the journal Science. The drug -- NITD609 -- demonstrated effectiveness against the two most common malaria parasites and drug-resistant strains. Researchers hope to begin human trials this year. Reuters (9/2) - New filter system provides cheap, clean water
South African researchers have designed an inexpensive filter that can purify water directly from a bottle. A tea-bag-sized filter fits inside a tube that can be placed atop a water bottle, providing drinkers with filtered water every time they pour a cup. Researchers hope the new system can significantly affect the lives of 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to clean drinking water. BBC (9/1)  | - UN: Climate aid website to help build trust
Donors and recipients can now track climate-change aid pledges and projects on a new United Nations-backed website. Wealthy countries promised at the Copenhagen climate summit to provide developing countries with $30 billion in aid between 2010 and 2012 to help mitigate the effects of climate change. UN officials expressed hope the site and public accounting of which countries are following through on pledges will help build trust before the next international summit in December. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/3) - The economics of African wildlife
A study by the UN Environment Programme and the London Zoological Society finds that populations of big animals in African national parks have fallen 59% since 1970 -- a result of poaching and encroaching human settlements. Part of the problem is the way land is used in much of rural Africa -- small tracts of land or shambas are increasingly being subdivided and developed for habitation and farming, putting human populations in collision with wild animals. Also, governments have been slow to create economic incentives for local populations to aid in conservation efforts. The Economist (9/2) - UN calls on Europe to stop Iraqi deportations
Marking what may be the third coordinated round of deportations in Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called for European countries to stop deporting Iraqis. After the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the U.K. deported 61 Iraqis -- three of whom may have been Iranian. The UN fears for the safety of Iraqis who fled the war-torn country -- as well as the precedent that Europe could set for Jordan and Syria, host to some 1.6 million Iraqi refugees. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/3)  | - North Korea readies for transfer of power
Kim Jong Il is expected to call a major political gathering of the Workers' Party in the coming days to elect leadership and cement a transfer of power to his son Kim Jong Un. North Korean media has increased coverage glorifying Kim's leadership and has reportedly begun circulating poems and songs about his son in the run-up to the meeting. The New York Times (free registration) (9/2) , Bloomberg (9/2) - Long road ahead for Mideast talks
Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed on a basic framework Thursday and to continue peace talks in the coming weeks, but avoided a list of substantive issues that could derail the effort once again. Palestinians are watching closely to see whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will extend a settlement construction ban in the West Bank as sign for the fate of negotiations. A loose coalition of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a dozen other militant groups denounced the talks as useless and threatened a wave of attacks against Israel. The New York Times (free registration) (9/2) , Al-Jazeera (9/3) , BBC (9/2)  | |  | | | | | | | | Communications Officer, mHealth Alliance | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director of Performance Measurement | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program | HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | New York, NY | | Executive Assistant | Social Science Research Council | Brooklyn, NY | | Deputy Director, Women and Population | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Executive Director, Europe and Central Asia Division | Human Rights Watch | London, United Kingdom | | PROGRAM ASSISTANT FOR UNAIDS COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSULTATION FACILITY | International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) | Toronto, Canada | | | |  | |  | |
- World leaders will gather in September for a UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. What issue should be at the top of the agenda?
| Climate and energy |  43.12% | | Education |  20.99% | | Child health |  13.32% | | Gender equality |  11.51% | | Preventable diseases |  11.06% | - Register now for the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C.
The 2010 mHealth Summit brings together leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations to share information and experiences related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research and policy.Featured speakers include Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation; Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Dr. Julio Frenk Dean of Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health; and Ted Turner, Chairman, UN Foundation. The mHealth Summit takes place Nov. 8 to 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and to register. - UN Wire will not be published Monday
In observance of Labor Day in the U.S., UN Wire will not be published Monday, Sept. 6. Publication will resume Tuesday. |
 | Key Sites
| | |
This SmartBrief was created for eleccion@yahoogroups.com
| | | 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: - Thursday, September 02, 2010
- Wednesday, September 01, 2010
- Tuesday, August 31, 2010
- Monday, August 30, 2010
- Friday, August 27, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Adam Mazmanian
Contributing Editor: Juliette Terzieff | Kriston Dean Capps
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment