| |  | |  EU seeks mandate for ground troops in Libya Misrata, the city in western Libya besieged by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, is at the heart of UN efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, as well as Western efforts to ultimately remove the strongman and end the fighting that has raged since a popular revolt swept the country. The European Union is seeking UN approval of a plan to send 1,000 troops to Misrata to secure sea and land corridors for the delivery of relief supplies. The Guardian (London) (4/18), Reuters (4/18)     
|  |  | What we are trying to do in Syria, through our civil society support, is to build the kind of democratic institutions, frankly, that we are trying to do in countries around the globe." U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner. Click here for the full story. |
|  | "Syria represents a second generation of democratic revolution in the Middle East, one in which both sides are better organized and likely more determined." UN Dispatch | |
- Israel urged to return to peace talks
A Palestinian diplomat at the United Nations says that negotiators are continuing to try to reach a peace agreement with Israel by September, when the issue of Palestinian statehood is expected to be put to a vote at the world body. The Israeli government is under growing pressure from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations to continue negotiations. The Palestinian Authority may pursue recognition on a separate track -- asking the UN to endorse a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Google/The Associated Press (4/19), Los Angeles Times (4/19) - UN panel urges prosecution of Sri Lanka "war crimes"
A UN panel is recommending the prosecution of Sri Lankans responsible for what it calls "credible allegations" that tens of thousands of civilians were killed, and war crimes were committed, during the final months of the government's war with the Tamil Tigers. According to an excerpt of the panel's report, leaked to Sri Lankan newspapers, a "wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law" were committed by both sides. Reuters (4/18) - New campaign targets malaria eradication
The United Methodist Church has allied with the United Nations Foundation, the World Health Organization and other major partners to run the Imagine No Malaria campaign. The campaign features a dedicated website, television and print ads, billboards and social media interaction. The campaign aims to raise $100 million to help eradicate malaria by 2015. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/18) - MSF says malaria treatment could save 200,000
 Data from recent medical trials in Africa show that the lives of nearly 200,000 people could be saved annually if countries with high rates of malaria treated patients with a pricier, yet more effective drug. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres today said the drug, artesunate, was not only better, but easier to use than quinine, a cheaper medicine commonly used in poor countries. Reuters (4/19) - Partnership leverages technology to raise health capacity
 Capacity building solutions for health issues in the developing world can use the success attained by social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, and mobile telephone companies to overcome infrastructure and cost challenges, Joel Selanikio, founder of DataDyne, says in this interview. DataDyne, with funding and communications support from the United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Technology Partnership, is working to create technology to support global health initiatives and the development community. The Guardian (London) (4/19) - Diplomats, traders seek clarity on Libyan oil trade sanctions
United Nations Security Council sanctions against Libya make it difficult for traders to assess how Libyan oil products from area controlled by anti-government rebels can be brought to market. UN diplomats and traders are seeking guidance from the council's sanction committee. Reuters (4/19) - U.S. tries to scuttle Syrian bid for UN rights council
The United States is opposing the candidacy of Syria, currently running unopposed in elections scheduled for May, for the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council. On Monday, a State Department official said it would be "inappropriate and hypocritical" for Syria to sit on the council while its security forces kill hundreds in an effort to put down continuing anti-government protests. Google/The Associated Press (4/18) - Emergency evacuation ferries migrants out of Libyan city
Migrant workers rescued from the besieged Libyan city of Misurata on Monday on tourist boat chartered by the International Organization for Migration brought little with them after weeks of waiting near the city's abandoned port. Most had been sleeping out in the open and had to contend with robbery, meager food supplies and violent clashes between rebels and Moammar Gadhafi's forces. Workers from Ghana, Nigeria and the Philippines were among the almost 1,000 migrants involved in the evacuation. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/18) - Syrian forces open fire on protesters
Syrian security forces opened fire on protesters in the city of Homs today in a bid to force an end to demonstrations, while officials categorized protesters as members of militia group out to destabilize the country. Seventeen protesters were killed in a similar operation Sunday night and human rights activists say more than 200 have died since protests erupted across the country last month. Reuters (4/19), BBC (4/19) - Belarus cracks down, despite weak opposition
Some Western officials find it odd that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is cracking down on his political opponents at a time when they pose no real threat to his authority. In the aftermath of a bomb attack on a Minsk subway station this month, authorities in Belarus have increased security forces presence on the streets and detained hundreds. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (4/18)
- Ted Turner to receive Boisfeuillet Jones Award
Philanthropist and media pioneer Ted Turner is being honored at this year's 11Alive Community Service Awards with the Boisfeuillet Jones Award. The 11Alive Community Service Awards are given by WXIA-TV to honor outstanding Atlanta-area volunteers. The station sites Turner's "historic $1 billion pledge" which founded the UN Foundation in support of "the goals and objectives of the United Nations to promote a more peaceful, prosperous and just world." Click here to read more via WXIA-TV. |
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