UNRIC Library Newsletter – May 2006

UN in General

2006 High-Level Meeting on AIDS: Uniting the world against AIDS
31 May — 2 June, United Nations, New York
English: http://www.un.org/ga/aidsmeeting2006/
French: http://www.un.org/french/ga/aidsmeeting2006/
Spanish: http://www.un.org/spanish/ga/aidsmeeting2006/

2006 List of “10 Stories the World Should Hear More About”
http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/
Concerned that some issues continue not to receive sustained media attention or slip off the radar screen, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) has unveiled today a new list of “Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About”. Some stories focus on conflicts that may have been in the media spotlight -- but highlight a perspective that does not usually get much play.

Uniting Against Terrorism: Recommendations for a global counter-terrorism strategy (Report of the Secretary-General)
English: http://www.un.org/unitingagainstterrorism/
French: http://www.un.org/french/unitingagainstterrorism/
Spanish: http://www.un.org/spanish/unitingagainstterrorism/

Peace & Security

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (Background Note: 12 May 2006)
English: http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/bnote.htm
French: http://www.un.org/french/peace/peace/bnote.htm

United Nations Political and Peacebuilding Missions (Background Note: 12 May 2006)
English: http://www.un.org/peace/ppbm.pdf
French: http://www.un.org/french/peace/reports/peace_operations/docs/ppbmf.pdf

Economic & Social Development

35th session of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (15 May - 2 June 2006, New York)
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/35sess.htm

Expanding the field of inquiry: a cross-country study of higher education institutions’ responses to HIV and AIDS (UNESCO report)
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=47466&URL_DO=
DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The report looks at the responses of higher education institutions to the AIDS epidemic. It concludes that for the most part universities have continued business as usual in a world without AIDS. The review asks why there is so little inquiry concerning HIV and AIDS in the higher education environment, which traditionally fosters debates, challenges ways of thinking and offers responses to some of society’s most pressing concerns.

FAO GeoNetwork
http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/
An improved tool to fight hunger and rural poverty by using satellite imagery, spatial databases and interactive maps to help developing countries isolate the causes of food shortages was launched by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The new version of the FAO GeoNetwork, with access to satellite imagery, interactive maps and spatial databases from FAO, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the 64-member Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and others, marks the start of a new era for spatial data sharing among UN agencies.

Fuel for life: household energy and health (WHO report)
http://www.who.int/indoorair/publications/fuelforlife/en/index.html
The report gives an overview of the health impacts of indoor air pollution from solid fuel use and describes solutions to promote health and development in the context of the household energy challenge. Innovative policy approaches and a rigorous acceleration of investments is needed now to save lives and enable development .

Trends in sustainable development: Energy for sustainable development, industrial development, atmosphere & air pollution, climate change (UN/DESA report)
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/trends2006/trends_rpt2006.pdf
The report states that global consumption of energy had been growing less rapidly than industrial and world economic activity. It is a colourful compilation of maps and graphs devoted to the discussion of interrelated challenges being addressed at the 14th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development scheduled for 1 to 12 May.

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
The Forum has unveiled a new Web site in conjunction with its Fifth Session (15 – 26 May 2006). The UNPFII is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development
http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/Alliance/home
A new Web site on the UN Public Private Alliance for Rural Development has been launched by the Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination and represents the outcome of the debate in the ECOSOC High-level Segment in 2003 on the theme of Rural Development and the subsequent Ministerial Declaration. The site contains a wealth of information for all who are interested in the work of the UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development. It includes progress in the implementation of the UNPPA, relevant ECOSOC reports, resolutions, statements, latest news and potential areas for cooperation with the pilot countries.

UNAIDS’ Editors’ Notes for authors
http://data.unaids.org/pub/InformationNote/2006/EditorsNotes_en.pdf
Although this short and simple aide memoire of preferred terminology was originally intended for use by staff members, this guide is now used by the UN system as a whole, nongovernmental organizations, journalists, students, writers and others seeking guidance. The document is now publicly available because, according to UNAIDS, "As language shapes beliefs and may influence behaviours, considered use of appropriate language has the power to strengthen the response to AIDS." Sample entries: "HIV" is now preferred over "HIV/AIDS," unless one is specifically referring to AIDS; "injecting drug user" is now preferred in place of "intravenous drug user."

Human Rights

The end of child labour: Within reach (ILO report)
English: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/rep-i-b.pdf
French: http://www.ilo.org/public/french/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/rep-i-b.pdf
Spanish: http://www.ilo.org/public/spanish/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/rep-i-b.pdf
Child labour, especially in its worst forms, is in decline for the first time across the globe. The report also says that if the current pace of the decline were to be maintained and the global momentum to stop child labour continued, it believes child labour could feasibly be eliminated, in most of its worst forms, in 10 years.

Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns (UNODC report)
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/trafficking_persons_report_2006-04.html
Virtually no country in the world is unaffected by the crime of human trafficking for sexual exploitation or forced labour. The report identifies 127 countries of origin, 98 transit countries and 137 destination countries. It shows that global efforts to combat trafficking are being hampered by a lack of accurate data, reflecting the unwillingness of some countries to acknowledge that the problem affects them.

Humanitarian Affairs

NEWS FOCUS: Chernobyl: 20 Years Later
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=116&Body=
Chernobyl&Body1 =