Source: United Nations General Assembly

Date: 24 Dec 2008

The United Nations General Assembly today approved an almost 17 per cent increase in the current United Nations budget for the 2008/2009 period to $4.87 billion from $4.17 billion, including nearly $500 million for the next six months for peacekeeping operations in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region.

The measure was among a host of resolutions form its Administrative and Budgetary Committee adopted by the Assembly as it wrapped up its work for year, mainly covering internal administration and disciplinary issues, deterring procurement fraud and malfeasance within the World Organization and improving transparency.

“This morning’s decision by the General Assembly enhances the United Nation’s ability to better respond to the needs of the Organization,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement, adding that he was “deeply appreciative” for the additional resources.

The resolutions also set the $4.87 billion figure as a guide for Mr. Ban in preparing the 2010-2011 programme budget to be deliberated in the 64th session of General Assembly, beginning in September.

“Let us use the holidays to recharge our batteries and return in 2009 with renewed vigour,” Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto said in closing the session. “We cannot afford to rest on our laurels after this intensive period. Indeed, we have a busy schedule ahead and there are many important issues that call for dedication and diligence from all of us.”

Budgetary measures adopted ranged from an assessment of about $449.86 million for the first six months of 2009 for the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the provision of $429.5 million for 27 special political missions, the establishment of several posts for the Rule of Law Unit, and $5 million for design work for the integrated compound in Baghdad for the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

On internal administration, the Assembly approved a major shift from the current system of contracts, which, which it said “lacks transparency and is complex to administer,” adopting new contractual arrangements consisting of temporary, fixed-term and continuing appointments, to come into effect under a single set of Staff Rules, effective 1 July 2009.

It requested Mr. Ban to ensure a judicious mix of career and fixed-term appointments, to achieve an appropriate balance between institutional memory, long-term commitment and independence and the ability to bring in fresh insights and expertise, and to dismiss non-performing staff.

On the administration of justice within the UN, the Assembly adopted the statutes of the UN Dispute and Appeals Tribunals, as of 1 July, emphasizing that all possible use should be made of the informal system of justice in order to avoid unnecessary litigation.

Regarding the Procurement Task Force of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the Assembly recognized that its commitment to preventing and deterring fraud could not be sustained in the long-term by an ad hoc body. It noted Mr. Ban’s intention to transfer the Task Force’s remaining caseload to the Investigations Division of OIOS at the beginning of 2009, and requested him to ensure that OIOS has the expertise and capacity within its approved structure to effectively investigate allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in procurement.

Source: JoongAng Daily

Date: 26 Dec 2008

“We Are Friends.”

It was with this motto that the soldiers of Korea’s Zaytun Division set foot in the war-torn regions of northern Iraq in September 2004.

In keeping with their peace-keeping name - Zaytun means “olive” in Arabic - the contingent of the Republic of Korea Army set about building 280 public facilities such as schools, fresh water wells and health clinics. They treated more than 88,000 local patients and gave vocational training to about 2,300 people.

Both sides benefited from the Zaytun mission: the people of northern Iraq from the reconstruction programs and peacekeeping missions, and the Korean troops, who brought back insights and memories.

The JoongAng Daily met with some of the members of the Zaytun Division who returned home on Dec. 19 to find out more about their mission and what they learned about northern Iraq.

Literacy classes bring hope

After a father becomes seriously ill, his daughter buys medicine for him. But because she doesn’t know how to read and write, she can’t make out the proper amount of medicine that her dad should take, or how it should be taken.

With her father’s life at stake, will the girl be able to save him?

This was the basis of a skit performed by local students at a recent literacy class ran by the Zaytun Division, part of a program that ran from December 2004 until the Korean troops came home last week.

It was a simple skit that stressed the importance of literacy, but Major Lee Jae-sik of the Zaytun Division cherishes it as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.

Lee was dispatched to Iraq in May this year as a coordination officer at Zaytun’s Civil Military Coordination Center in Irbil.

“Korean service members did a lot of vocational training, but I’d like to praise the literacy program in particular. The literacy rate in the region is just 40 percent and it’s much lower for women,” Lee said.

The two-hour literacy classes ran four times a week for four years. More than 7,000 people have graduated from the program. In the beginning, Zaytun oversaw everything from hiring the teachers and supervisors to providing the necessary stationery and facilities, but since May 2007 the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government took over hiring.

“I learned how important education is regardless of nationality and ethnicity. It’s amazing how students are eager to learn. It reminded me of night school in Korea in the old days,” Lee said.

Night school has a long history in Korea. The schools emerged during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) because people wanted to get an education free of Japanese interference.

They became even more popular after the Korean War (1950-1953) because people wanted a better life for themselves and their children.

Korea’s experience with war and its aftermath has taught it how to get back on its feet and deal with rebuilding, Lee says.

“I think one of our notable achievements in Iraq was spreading our passion for education and a strong desire for a better life. These ideas stem from the postwar Saemaeul revival movement,” he says, referring to the New Village movement instigated by the late President Park Chung Hee to modernize rural communities in the 1960s and ’70s.

“When I was serving in Korea, I didn’t really feel that I was helping others. But in Irbil, I was proud that although I’m from a different country, I could give help to the people there,” said Lee.

“If I ever return, I hope I’ll see that more schools, libraries and other public facilities have been built.”

The power of cultural exchange

Captain Yoo Kyung-hwa, 27, has mixed memories about her deployment to Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan with the Zaytun Division in May of this year. She returned to Korea last week.

“My daughter had just celebrated her first birthday and everyone said I was such a cold-hearted mom to leave her,” Yoo says. “Whenever I missed my baby and my husband, I looked up at the sky, which is so beautiful in Irbil, seemingly filled with many more stars than in Seoul.”

Yoo was part of the eighth batch of Korean troops dispatched to Iraqi Kurdistan, where she worked as an information officer, publicizing the work of the Zaytun troops and liaising with the media in Korea and Iraq.

“There are about 30 media outlets in Irbil. Most of them are small compared to the major media groups in Korea. But they were very interested in what the Zaytun Division was trying to achieve. On average, there were about 600 media reports about Zaytun every year, half of which were in Irbil’s media.”

If Yoo discovered one thing in Iraq, it was the power of cultural exchange, she says. One of her closest local co-workers was Ali Kawes Wali, a 41-year-old interpreter who had assisted the Zaytun troops since they arrived in Iraq in 2004.

Despite the difference in age and background, Yoo says she and Kawes Wali made a strong team. Both were keen to learn the other’s language and culture. Yoo says it was only possible to do her job well because she and Kawes Wali were determined to understand and appreciate each other’s cultural heritage.

“Although I am not a believer in Islam, I respect Islamic culture and beliefs. I think that is one of the reasons why our troops were well-received by the local people,” Yoo says.

As a young mother herself, Yoo fondly remembers her encounters with the children of Irbil. Whenever members of the Zaytun Division completed a Green Angel Operation, code name for reconstruction support work, they had a small celebration with residents.

“The children I met there were so innocent and hopeful despite all they’d been through. When we were leaving, I remember them clinging to our vehicles and giving us the thumbs up,” Yoo says.

“Before being dispatched to Iraq, my job was military education. I taught soldiers how our country developed from the ruins of war with the help of overseas troops and that we should also help other countries in need the same way,” Yoo says.

Back in Korea, she now dreams of one day re-visiting Irbil with her daughter and her husband, once Iraq recovers from the wounds of war and the travel ban on the country is lifted.

Witnessing the democratic process

The year 2005 was an historic one for Iraq. After more than 20 years of dictatorship, the Iraqis participated in three major elections that year - voting for an interim government in January, a constitutional referendum in October and the new National Assembly elections in December.

It was also a meaningful year for the 3,000 members of the Zaytun Division deployed to the region, one of whom was Lieutenant Chang Young-joo, 27, who served as an English-Korean interpreter in Iraq from August 2005 to March 2006.

Chang said he felt he had witnessed history in progress during his eight-month tour of duty. Among the many missions he participated in, he distinctly remembers the elections in October and December when he worked with members of other coalition forces to maintain security for voters.

“Although it’s not my country, it was overwhelming to be there at that moment. These were the first steps of Iraq’s democratization process,” Chang recollected.

“Our mission was to help Iraq’s eligible voters cast their votes safely. We made sure the polling stations were clear of threats, tally sheets were delivered and collected safely and the area at the time of the elections was secure.”

As one of the representatives of the troops in Irbil, Chang reported every two hours on the security situation in his area via video conference calls with representatives from other regions in Iraq.

Baby steps toward peace and development they may have been, Chang says, but they were vital steps. He saw the dire conditions that many of the local people had to endure every day and the deprivation that the children suffered.

Each step took the people closer to a better life, he says.

“Living [in Korea], we tend to take for granted things like fresh water. I remember going to villages in Iraq that had no access to potable water. It was heartbreaking to see children drinking from muddy, contaminated sources,” he says.

When Chang heard that Zaytun was finally pulling out of Iraq - there had been a gradual decrease in the size of the division and only 600 troops were left when the troops came home last week - he was saddened.

He feels there is so much more that Zaytun could do there for the Iraqi people.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a country reborn, move forward one step every day, and being able to play a part in that historic metamorphosis,” Chang continued.

“The whole question of whether the war in Iraq was the right or not is not that important at this stage. Iraq is in a difficult, transitional phase not just because of the aftermath of the war, but more because of the sectarian conflicts and violence.”

But Chang has some regrets. He would like Korea to have played a bigger role in the mission of coalition forces in Iraq even if it had cost lives.

“As soldiers, we shouldn’t be afraid of death. I wish Korea had participated in actual military operations in other parts of Iraq, instead of just the limited, peace reconstruction role in Irbil.

“It would’ve been a great opportunity to improve our military prowess in the long run.”

By Kim Hyung-eun Staff Reporter [hkim@joongang.co.kr] (c)JoongAng Ilbo, The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the written permission of JoongAng Ilbo.

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Date: 23 Dec 2008

A nation like Rwanda, which has seen such deadly violations of human rights, should show the world that it welcomes review of its record. - Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

(New York, December 23, 2008) - The Rwandan government should reverse its decision barring Human Rights Watch’s senior adviser on Africa, Dr. Alison Des Forges, from Rwanda, Human Rights Watch said today.

Rwanda has not previously excluded any Human Rights Watch staff member from the country since the organization began monitoring its human rights actions in 1991. Des Forges, who has been working to promote human rights in Rwanda for Human Rights Watch for 17 years, won the prestigious MacArthur Award for her reporting on the 1994 genocide.

“A nation like Rwanda, which has seen such deadly violations of human rights, should show the world that it welcomes review of its record,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “We’ve asked Rwandan authorities why they have excluded this highly respected human rights advocate but haven’t gotten any official response. Unofficially the only explanation we have been given is that they don’t like our criticism.”

The Rwandan government first refused Des Forges entry to Rwanda at a border crossing with Burundi on September 4, 2008. She was refused a second time on December 2, when she flew to Rwanda to attend an international conference on legal aid for the poor. On that occasion, Rwandan officials prevented her from leaving the plane, and she returned to Belgium.

On December 3, the Rwandan authorities delayed for a day another Human Rights Watch staff member at the Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, border crossing. She finally received permission to enter Rwanda in the evening.

In October, the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation gave Rwanda a US$25 million grant to support its efforts to strengthen civic participation, promote civil liberties and rights, and improve the judicial system.

“Rwandan officials see the awarding of a Millennium Challenge Corporation grant as a victory,” said Roth. “But they should also see it as a call for needed improvements in their policies.”

In addition to monitoring human rights, Human Rights Watch has worked to see justice delivered on behalf of victims of the 1994 genocide and of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rwanda. Des Forges has provided expert testimony in 11 genocide trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), including that of Col. Theoneste Bagosora and two others found guilty on December 18. She has testified also in genocide trials in national courts in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Canada.

On several occasions, most recently on December 12, Human Rights Watch called on the prosecutor of the tribunal to ensure it carries out its full mandate by examining alleged cases against the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the dominant force in the current government of Rwanda.

In the past, staff members of other international organizations, journalists, and academic specialists thought to be critical of the government have also been refused permission to enter or work in Rwanda.

“By barring one of our staff, the Rwandan government is sending a message to others seeking to promote human rights in Rwanda that if you do your job too well, you also risk being kept out of the country,” said Roth. “That’s not the way for a government to improve its human rights record.”

© Copyright, Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA

Source: Reuters Foundation

Date: 25 Dec 2008

By Missy Ryan

BAGHDAD, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Rushing to Christmas mass, Iraqis in their Sunday best hurried into Baghdad’s Sacred Heart church, pausing just long enough so a uniformed security guard could pat them down for suicide vests or dangerous weapons.

The juxtaposition of faith and fear is one that resonates across Iraq, where as violence drops people are cautiously venturing out from homes bunkered by blast walls and sand bags and taking up activities abandoned during years of bloodshed.

Christians, who with Yazidis, Shabaks and others make up Iraq’s fragile minorities, marked perhaps their safest Christmas since 2003 on Thursday, but many still talk of a precarious future in a nation at risk of backsliding into civil war.

Iraqi Christians, believed to number around 750,000, have been targeted like others in Iraq’s 28-million, mainly Muslim population by the horrific violence since the 2003 invasion. Their plight often gains heightened attention in the West.

Reliable figures are hard to find on how many Christians are among the millions who have fled the country, but some Christian leaders warn of a threat to the existence for their community.

A series of high-profile attacks against Christians in the northern city of Mosul this fall prompted the flight of thousands of families and fuelled a fear of being singled out.

“Christians have no political ambitions and they don’t have militias to defend themselves. They are peaceful people,” Thaier al-Sheikh, the pastor of the Sacred Heart church, said as he sipped tea in his rectory.

“Christians have been here longer than Muslims, 600 years longer. We are the roots of Iraq,” he said.

“We want to live in this country; we don’t want anything else. But we want to live peacefully … Unfortunately, today we have the impression that Christians have no future in Iraq,” he said, standing before he donned his gold-trimmed clerical robes.

SEEKING A POLITICAL VOICE

Suspicions that religious minorities had no future in Shi’ite Muslim-led Iraq were aggravated in November by parliament’s decision to give minorities just six out of 440 local government seats in provincial elections next month.

Christians were set aside three seats nationally, with only one in Baghdad — too few in the eyes of many Christians.

The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had sought a greater share of seats for minorities, but many Christians felt slighted when it approved the law with a smaller number anyway.

Like all Iraqis, Christians in Iraq have varying views on the durability of the growing security and the nation’s future.

Amira Daoud, a housewife dressed in smart suede boots and a fur-trimmed jacket, was relieved that the number of bombings and attacks has slowed over the past year.

Yet she takes a practical approach to her daily life: “Of course, there’s still kidnapping. Everyone says to themselves that this could be their day. So we take precautions.”

The displacement of Christians was one reason that attendance at the Sacred Heart church is still a fraction of what it was before 2003, Sheikh said.

With mass underway, hymns waft out of the plain concrete building topped by a simple dome.

Inside, parishioners young and old are packed in pews before an altar garlanded by flowers and lit by softly twinkling lights. Shiny angels dangle around a homemade nativity scene.

Despite the festive scenes, the city outside the church’s walls remains a violent place. Buildings are pocked with bullet holes; men with guns man checkpoints everywhere.

Across the city, in a Shi’ite Muslim area of western Baghdad, a car bomb near a popular restaurant killed four people and wounded 25 on Christmas morning.

Yet Peter Maqdusi insisted that Christians’ millenarian history here means they have no choice but to await a more stable, peaceful Iraq.

“We have made sacrifices and our ancestors have made sacrifices. This is our land,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Aseel Kami; Editing by Michael Christie)

Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Date: 25 Dec 2008

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 25, 2008 (AFP) - The United Nations refugee agency has repatriated more than 5,000 Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia this year, a government body said on Thursday.

The 5,120 refugees, all from south Sudan, were taken home from a camp in the Gambela region in western Ethiopia, the (Ethiopian) Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) said in a statement.

It said half of the 22,000 refugees in the area would be repatriated by next year.

Since 2006, more than 35,000 Sudanese refugees have returned from Ethiopia following the signing of a peace agreement between the ex-rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Army/Movement and the Khartoum government in 2005.

Some two million people died and another six million were displaced in Sudan’s 21-year-old conflict that ended with the signing of the 2005 peace deal.

aar/ach

Copyright (c) 2008 Agence France-Presse
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 12/25/2008 08:52:04 ©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.