WHO urges more focus on tropical diseases

Seventeen tropical disease -- including leprosy, Chagas and dengue fever -- affect 1 billion people around the world, but are largely neglected by governments and pharmaceutical companies, according to a report from the World Health Organization. The prevalence of the diseases among impoverished populations creates little incentive for the private sector to invest heavily in developing treatments despite the fact that some of the diseases could be eradicated as early as 2015. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/14) , CBC.ca (Canada)/The Associated Press (10/14)

• UN head assesses future of peacekeeping 
• Freed miners are given lavish gifts, invites 
• World's envoys review biodoversity protections 
• DR Congo troops are accused of rape, murder 
• Europe missile shield is on course 
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• UN head assesses future of peacekeeping
  Different UN agencies should work together to provide a more comprehensive and enduring approach to peacekeeping efforts throughout the world, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday. He also stressed the importance of women to post-conflict recovery, adding that "conflicts leave states severely weakened and social structures decimated." United Press International (10/14)

• Other News

• Member country contribution shortfalls leave UN budget gap
  Google/Agence France-Presse (10/14)

• Security Council extends Haiti mission over security concerns
  The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (10/14)

• Freed miners are given lavish gifts, invites
  The 33 men rescued after 69 days from a Chilean mine are being presented gifts from the world over, among them $10,000 per person and a weeklong vacation to Greece. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Thursday invited the miners to play soccer later this month at the presidential palace. The New York Times (free registration) (10/14) , The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (10/14)

• WHO is alarmed by skin-disease spread in Afghanistan
  Tens of thousands of Afghans -- predominantly women and children -- have contracted the disfiguring skin disease cutaneous leishmaniasis and the number of cases is increasing, the World Health Organization says. The disease, transmitted by the bite of sand flies, threatens the health of 13 million Afghans. BBC (10/14)

• Other News

• Strikes in France are targeting oil industry
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/14)

• World's envoys review biodoversity protections
  An international agreement on methods to protect plant and animal species and a treaty on access to natural resources will be the main focus of a two-week meeting beginning in Japan on Monday. UN officials warn governments have failed to meet 2010 targets to halt biodiversity loss and new agreements must provide stronger protections. Reuters (10/15)

• Controversial head of UN climate group to stay on
  The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change opted Thursday to keep its chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, despite criticism over errors in recent climate-change reports. The group said it would be more careful to ensure conclusions are supported by statistical analysis and would note when the conclusions are disputed by scientists. The Wall Street Journal (10/15)

• Other News

• Volunteers use WWI ship records to map climate change
  BBC (10/13)

• Swiss finish drilling world's longest tunnel
  Al-Jazeera (10/15)

• DR Congo troops are accused of rape, murder
  Soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo are committing "rapes, killings and lootings" in the same villages whose inhabitants already have been victimized by rebels, Margot Wallstrom, special representative for sexual violence in conflict, told the UN Security Council on Thursday. She called on the Congolese government to investigate the attacks and arrest the perpetrators. BBC (10/14) , Al-Jazeera (10/15)

• China squeezes dissidents as meeting opens
  Chinese authorities have detained or placed under house arrest several high-profile dissidents ahead of a major Communist Party Central Committee meeting that opened today. The move comes in the wake of a Nobel peace prize win for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and increased pressure on the party to initiate political reform. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (10/14)

• Other News

• Report: U.S. is detaining Afghans in "black jail"
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (10/14)

• Europe missile shield is on course
  Officials are confident that NATO next month will vote to participate in a U.S. government project to erect a missile defense shield for much of Europe. The shield, which would ostensibly guard against attacks from Iran, has yet to garner the support of Turkey, a NATO member. The Washington Post (10/14)

• Iran leader lambastes Israel from border
  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke Thursday to tens of thousands of supporters of Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group, at the Lebanese town of Bint Jbiel on the border with Israel. "The world should know that the Zionists will perish," the Iranian leader said as Israeli attack helicopters circled in the skies. The Christian Science Monitor/The Associated Press (10/14)

• Elders launch Mideast tour to bolster peace process
  Former Irish President Mary Robinson will lead a delegation of The Elders, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, on a tour of the Middle East beginning Saturday to lobby for support of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The Elders delegation is expected to visit Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Reuters (10/14)

• Dutch tolerance is questioned as new government takes power
  The swearing in Thursday of a new Dutch coalition government has given cause for many citizens to wonder whether the ceremony also marks the end of an era of tolerance. Four months of negotiations have resulted in a tougher line on immigrants, Muslims, the European Union and foreign tourists. TIME (10/14)

• Other News

• New Somali prime minister to focus on security
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/14)

• OPEC elects Iran as next to hold presidency
  BBC (10/14)

Technical Manager, Global Sustainable Tourism Council United Nations Foundations Washington, DC Communications Manager, Global Sustainable Tourism Council United Nations Foundations Washington DC, DC Chief of Party - Macedonia Institute for Sustainable Communities various, Macedonia Director of International Programs American Refugee Committee Minneapolis, MN

• What do you think is the most important global role of the United Nations?
  

  Preventing and resolving deadly conflicts	54.78%
  Taking the lead in efforts to address climate change	11.26%
  Promoting gender equality, women's rights and the advancement of women and girls	11.26%
  Delivering humanitarian aid to areas in crisis	10.51%
  Establishing common standards of practice for international trade, business and international law	10.32%
  Helping to reverse the spread of HIV, malaria and other major diseases	1.88%

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Over 200 million people to join in Global Handwashing Day UN Radio

Chile celebrates as miner rescue progresses

Rescuers had successfully extracted more than a dozen of the 33 miners trapped in a Chilean gold and copper mine by this morning, 69 days after an underground collapse trapped the men. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera joined family members, rescue workers and well-wishers to welcome foreman Florencio Avalos, the first miner to emerge. Rescue workers hope to extract one miner per hour and complete the rescue operation by Thursday. The miners will be monitored for physical and mental health concerns over the coming weeks and months as they work to heal from the long ordeal. Los Angeles Times (10/13) , CNN (10/13)

• Germany pushes Security Council changes 
• UN is concerned over rise in sexual violence 
• UN examines rich countries' climate fund pledge 
• Retired Chinese officials call for a free press 
• Congo school to train African peacekeepers 
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• Germany pushes Security Council changes
  Germany already has begun lobbying for large-scale change on the UN Security Council a day after it was selected as one of the body's new non-permanent members. The election on Tuesday of five new rotating members -- including India, South Africa, Colombia and Portugal -- could result in a larger, more inclusive council, as well as pose challenges to U.S. emphasis on sanctions and human rights. Deutsche Welle (10/13) , ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (10/12)

• UN urges help for Kenya over pirate prosecutions
  Kenya needs other countries to come forward and assist in the prosecution and detention of Somali pirates, says Jack Lang, the United Nations special adviser on piracy law. Kenya has negotiated prosecution deals with the U.S., European Union and China in the past, and one possible way to ease the burden could be to have pirates serve out their sentences back in Somalia. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (10/12)

• UN is concerned over rise in sexual violence
  Incidents of sexual violence are increasing around the world despite concentrated awareness campaigns by the United Nations and others, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women warns. More than one-third of women around the world have faced sexual, physical or emotional abuse -- most at the hands of a partner or family member, according to UN figures. Google/Agence France-Presse (10/12)

• Polio campaigners fear loss of confidence
  The battle to eradicate polio has hovered close to victory for two decades, raising concerns within the health community that failure remains possible and the struggle could erode confidence in the world's ability to tackle other diseases. Vaccination programs have helped cut the number of polio cases by 99% since 1988 and the disease remains endemic in just four countries, but campaigners fear donor fatigue is taking hold and may spill over into efforts to battle malaria, HIV/AIDS and measles. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/13)

• UN head backs ban on child marriage
  Developing countries must ban marriage to children because it often results in injuries during childbirth that are expensive to treat, as well as chronic conditions that cause young wives to be ostracized from their communities, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday. A UN report says it would cost some $750 million over the next five years to treat new and existing cases of obstetric fistula, a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged labor that particularly affects girls giving birth in adolescence. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• Other News

• Focusing on cities is critical to reducing disaster risks in Asia
  IRINNews.org (10/12)

• UN examines rich countries' climate fund pledge
  Wealthy countries are in a position to raise $100 billion a year beginning in 2020 to aid developing countries tackle climate change using tools such as carbon pricing and emissions taxes, a United Nations advisory committee chaired by Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg says. International climate treaty talks have been plagued by a pervasive sense of distrust between wealthy and developing countries. Wealthy countries agreed to provide the funds at the 2009 Copenhagen summit, but have yet to produce a plan to honor the commitment. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• Toxic spill casts light on other Danube dangers
  The recent spill of toxic sludge in Hungary has drawn attention to other potential threats to the region, particularly the Danube river, which runs some 1,800 miles through 10 countries and serves as a lifeblood for much of Europe. Officials have identified 160 hot spots, a quarter of which are high-risk, that are "ticking time bombs" of environmental disasters waiting to happen. The Guardian (London) (10/12)

• Retired Chinese officials call for a free press
  Former Communist Party officials in China on Tuesday demanded complete freedom for the country's media and that the National People's Congress erase censorship procedures that give an "invisible black hand" to the government. The group says its demands, which were censored from all Chinese media, arose from an awareness that censorship violates the country's constitution. The New York Times (free registration) (10/13)

• Custom often trumps law in Indonesia
  Traditional systems of customary law in Indonesia have seen a resurgence since 1998, when dictator Suharto stepped down, especially kasepekang, a punishment of ostracism and exile in Bali that applies to descendants of those said to have made transgressions. Customary village justice has even displaced national law in some areas. The New York Times (free registration) (10/12)

• Other News

• HRW: Arrest, prosecute DR Congo general for war crimes
  Bloomberg (10/13)

• Congo school to train African peacekeepers
  The French government has founded a school in the Republic of Congo intended to train soldiers from more than a dozen African countries for peacekeeping operations across the continent. The National Regional Engineering School also will train the soldiers in skills such as masonry, plumbing, carpentry and electrical wiring. IRINNews.org (10/12)

• Most are choosing ransom over rescue in kidnappings
  Militants in Afghanistan and the North Africa are making big money from ransoms paid by Western European governments for the release of kidnapped foreigners, including aid workers. Neither the United Kingdom nor the United States will negotiate ransoms with terrorists, whereas more than $25 million was paid between 2008 and early 2010 for the release of citizens from Spain, Canada, Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany -- undercutting policies of anti-terrorism spending. TIME (10/12)

• West Africa's progress is stifled by organized crime
  The growth of organized crime across West Africa threatens to derail the region's development and economic efforts, and government need to work together to address the scourge, regional experts warn. Illegal trade in drugs, weapons and people has flourished since the end of conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mauritania -- aided by widespread corruption and patchy law enforcement. Observers worry flourishing criminal enterprises will scare away foreign investors lured by the region's natural resources and political stability. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• Other News

• U.S. increases focus on Afghan security force trainings
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/12)

• Suu Kyi chooses not to vote in Myanmar elections
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (10/12)

• U.S. could lift Taliban from blacklist for peace
  Google/Agence France-Presse (10/12)

• Kyrgyz balloting is a role model for Central Asia
  The Economist/Asia view blog (10/12)

Director of International Programs American Refugee Committee Minneapolis, MN Chief of Party - Macedonia Institute for Sustainable Communities various, Macedonia Systems Engineer United Nations Foundations Washington, DC

• What do you think is the most important global role of the United Nations?
  

	Preventing and resolving deadly conflicts
	Promoting gender equality, women's rights and the advancement of women and girls
	Delivering humanitarian aid to areas in crisis
	Establishing common standards of practice for international trade, business and international law
	Taking the lead in efforts to address climate change
	Helping to reverse the spread of HIV, malaria and other major diseases

• 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.

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TB to be eliminated by 2015...if support is scaled up: WHO UN Radio

ICRC: Afghan health concerns rising

Deteriorating security conditions in Afghanistan are preventing aid agencies reaching populations in need of food, medical care and other necessities, the International Committee of the Red Cross warns. Ongoing conflict is taking a heavy health toll, causing not only civilian casualties, but greater numbers of wounded and individuals suffering from preventable diseases such as tetanus, the ICRC says. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• Latin American democracies are tenuously rooted 
• Chile gears up for miner rescue attempt 
• Climate deal unlikely in Mexico, says former envoy 
• Nordic countries world leaders on gender equality 
• Israeli moves spur debate over end game 
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• Latin American democracies are tenuously rooted
  Democracy is fragile in Latin America, and threatened by income disparity, drug violence, police corruption and inefficient courts, according to a UN report released today. Some three decades after military dictatorships ruled much of the region, there still "is a problem in the quality of our democracies," says UN Assistant Secretary-General Heraldo Munoz. Google/The Associated Press (10/12)

• Brazil's Marta joins ranks of goodwill ambassadors
  Brazilian football star Marta Vieira da Silva has been named as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador to help advocate for women's empowerment as part of poverty components of the Millennium Development Goals. The four-time FIFA women's player of year -- known affectionately as simply Marta -- joins other star athletes including Maria Sharapova and Zinedine Zidane as goodwill ambassadors. Google/The Canadian Press (10/11) , United Press International (10/11)

• Chile gears up for miner rescue attempt
  Rescuers are set to begin extracting miners trapped in a Chilean gold and copper mine since Aug. 5. The rescue will involve paramedics traveling down to the miners in a narrow capsule through a shaft to oversee efforts to pull the miners one at a time to the surface via the capsule. While the capsule has successfully completed unmanned tests, a rescue of this type has never before been performed. CBC.ca (Canada)/The Associated Press (10/12)

• EU urges trade concessions to Pakistan
  The European Union is proposing that countries grant trade concessions to Pakistan -- including cuts in tariffs, and greater access to markets -- in order to help the country recover from the floods that have affected at least 20 million people. Textile manufacturers in Pakistan, however, say EU concessions will mean little unless prime goods, such as bed linen and knitwear, are declared duty-free. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• U.S. funds Africa medical training
  The U.S. will provide $130 million to medical schools in a dozen African countries over the next five years to help train medical providers on critical skills for surgery and infant care. American officials hope the program will help Africa combat chronic brain drain that has left the continent's medical facilities constantly battling to identify qualified staff. The New York Times (free registration) (10/11)

• Other News

• French strikes over proposed pension reform intensify
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/12)

• Yemen launches mass maternal, neonatal tetanus vaccination drive
  IRINNews.org (10/11)

• Climate deal unlikely in Mexico, says former envoy
  Differences between the world's top polluters, China and the United States, make a climate agreement unlikely at talks slated for next month in Cancun, Mexico, says a former UN special envoy on climate change. "The [recent] climate meeting in Tianjin clouded prospects," said Han Seung-soo. "Opinions are so divided." Reuters (10/12)

• Scientists examine population effects on climate
  As the world's population grows over the coming decades, demographics altered by factors such as urbanization and aging communities will affect greenhouse-gas emissions and the pace of climate change, scientists report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The movement of people from rural to urban locales could lead to 25% increase in emissions for developing countries, the scientists forecast. Aging populations will deliver significant emissions cuts by 2050, but not enough to solve the world's climate problems. BBC (10/12) , AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/11)

• Other News

• Water scarcity is destabilizing parts of Asia
  AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/11)

• Hezbollah leadership becoming climate-change campaigners?
  AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/11)

• Nordic countries world leaders on gender equality
  Nordic countries led by Iceland and Norway are performing the best in promoting gender equality, according to the latest annual Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum. The index -- which measures countries' performances in education, politics, employment and health -- found the lowest gaps globally to be in the areas of health and education. Yemen had the widest gaps recorded, followed by Chad and Pakistan. BBC (10/12)

• Iran arrests, expels Western journalists
  Two Western journalists have been arrested in Iran for allegedly working without proper accreditation, while working documents were seized from a longtime correspondent for a Spanish publication. The two unnamed journalists, believed to be affiliated with the mass-market German tabloid Bild am Sonntag, had interviewed the son of a woman sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery. Los Angeles Times/Babylon & Beyond blog (10/11)

• Other News

• France executes ICC warrant for Rwandan over DR Congo crimes
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/11)

• Israeli moves spur debate over end game
  Recent maneuvering by Benjamin Netanyahu is clouding understanding of the Israeli prime minister's intentions, particularly his sincerity in peace talks with Palestinians. His offer on Monday -- to freeze construction of settlements in the West Bank in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state -- can be seen both as invigorating talks and burdening Palestinians with their failure. The New York Times (free registration) (10/11)

• Bosnia must bridge divides to flourish, U.S. says
  Nationalist politics and ethnic hatred must ease in Bosnia before it could ever hope to join either NATO or the European Union, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today. She added that reforms are necessary "that would improve key services, attract more foreign investment, and make the government more functional and accountable." Google/Agence France-Presse (10/12)

• Kashmir is locked down in face of renewed protests
  Indian authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew on residents in the Kashmir valley in order to stave off unrest that has resulted since June in the deaths of 110 people. The separatist leader who had scheduled a rally for today called on the majority-Muslim residents to defy the curfew. AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/12)

• Other News

• U.S. tries to soothe China military tensions
  The New York Times (free registration) (10/11)

• German leader reignites Muslim integration debate
  Spiegel Online (Germany) (10/11)

Chief of Party - Macedonia Institute for Sustainable Communities various, Macedonia Systems Engineer United Nations Foundations Washington, DC

• What do you think is the most important global role of the United Nations?
  

	Preventing and resolving deadly conflicts
	Promoting gender equality, women's rights and the advancement of women and girls
	Delivering humanitarian aid to areas in crisis
	Establishing common standards of practice for international trade, business and international law
	Taking the lead in efforts to address climate change
	Helping to reverse the spread of HIV, malaria and other major diseases

• 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.

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Fighting global hunger tops agenda at high-level UN talks in Rome UN Radio

China lifts ban on travelers with HIV/AIDS

Chinese authorities Tuesday announced the lifting of the ban on foreigners with HIV/AIDS entering China, just months after the U.S. lifted similar restrictions. "This decision should inspire other nations to change laws and policies that continue to discriminate against people living with HIV," said Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization. China is expecting tens of thousands of foreign visitors to attend the Shanghai World Expo opening in May. Bloomberg Businessweek (4/28) , CNN (4/28)

• Council urges tougher action against piracy 
• Aid is not reaching all displaced Haitians 
• Germany sparks electric car industry 
• Amnesty: Mexico is failing to protect migrants 
• Security forces, Red Shirts clash in Bangkok 
• Career Center 

• Council urges tougher action against piracy
  The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday calling on individual countries to enact legislation to prosecute and jail piracy suspects and asking UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to examine possible prosecution options at the international level. Pirates continue to prowl waters off the Somali coast and extend their attack zone farther from shore despite the efforts of U.S. and EU joint naval patrols. CNN (4/28) , TIME (4/27)

• Aid is not reaching all displaced Haitians
  The struggle that residents of Port-au-Prince's Avenue Poupelard face to rebuild their lives in the wake of the Jan. 12 earthquake points to the limitations in government and aid agency efforts to help Haiti's population recover. Residents complain that the government offered little aid and failed to deliver on the few promises it did make, while aid agency efforts to provide services like free food were stymied by corrupt local businessmen. The New York Times (free registration) (4/27)

• Baltic countries are at risk for TB
  A decrease in spending on public health because of the global economic crisis may lead to a resurgence of tuberculosis cases in the Baltic region, scientists warn. An examination of similar spending reductions during the recession-plagued end of the Soviet Union demonstrated a rise in infectious diseases, a pattern researchers fear may reoccur. AlertNet.org/Reuters (4/27)

• Other News

• India to test inhalable measles vaccine
  The Times of India (4/28)

• Germany sparks electric car industry
  German authorities are looking to provide massive funding for the development of electric cars to boost the domestic auto industry and help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. But some industry insiders warn emission gains from electric cars are minimal and the vehicles' limited travel distances on a single charge constrains their market potential. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (4/28)

• Other News

• Forest, indigenous peoples are central to carbon battle
  AlertNet.org/Inter Press Service (4/27)

• Amnesty: Mexico is failing to protect migrants
  Tens of thousands of Central American migrants face widespread abuses by criminal groups and little sympathy from officials in Mexico as they await a chance to cross into the U.S. for work, Amnesty International charges in a new report. Mexican officials ignore or take part in the rape, kidnap and murder of migrants, who rarely report incidents over fear of reprisals, the group says. BBC (4/28)

• HRW: Torture was common at covert Baghdad prison
  Detainees at a Baghdad prison, the existence of which was a secret until recently, suffered torture including rape, electrical shocks, whipping, being suffocated and being hung upside down, Human Rights Watch reported. After interviewing some of the 300 detainees, the organization urged the Iraqi government to investigate. The Guardian (London) (4/28)

• Myanmar: Meet the new civilian boss, same as the old military boss
  Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein and 22 other senior government leaders resigned from the military junta in order to run as civilians in upcoming government elections -- and thereby prolong military rule. The elections, the first since 1990 elections won by democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, will not see the participation of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Despite the shuffle, General Than Shwe is expected to remain the most powerful figure in the country and the head of several key ministries. The Guardian (London) (4/27) , BBC (4/27)