 Annan appoints new head for UN refugee agency
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has tapped former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to become the next high commissioner for refugees at the UN, replacing former Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers who resigned in February over allegations of sexual misconduct. The former head of Socialist International and longtime supporter of various nongovernmental organizations will take over one of the most high-profile positions at the UN in Geneva. Click here to read the recommendation report. International Herald Tribune/Associated Press (5/25), The New York Times (free registration) (5/25), CBC.ca (5/25) 
Wolfensohn ready to assist Palestinians with economic aid plan
James Wolfensohn, the outgoing World Bank president and soon-to-be special international envoy to the Israeli withdrawal process from Gaza, said the Palestinian Authority must reform its financial institutions if it hopes to gain economic support for its programs and increase financial aid. Wolfensohn said without financial security, Palestinians would find it difficult to implement the kind of social development needed for peace, and he pledged his commitment to assisting Palestinians with an economic aid plan. Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv, Israel)/Reuters (5/25)
Widespread investigation analyzing Hariri assassination
Investigators from as many as 40 countries will participate in a probe surrounding the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, said the head of the United Nations commission established to investigate the killing. Detlev Mehlis said his investigators would follow Lebanon's code of criminal procedure to determine "who planned, facilitated and carried out this terrible crime against totally innocent people." Click here to read the UN News Centre report. Ya Libnan (Lebanon) (5/25), Reuters (5/25)
Feature: How to run the World Bank
Foreign Policy Magazine compiles advice from five of the world's top development experts for incoming World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who is slated to take over the post next week. From maintaining the "brand" of the World Bank established by Wolfowitz' predecessor James Wolfensohn to the importance of microfinance and economic growth, the experts offer differing opinions on which direction the former deputy secretary of defense should lead the organization. FOREIGN POLICY (Washington, D.C.) (free registration) (5/25)
Brazil continues push for Security Council seat
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is working with Japan, Germany and India to push for a permanent UN Security Council seat for his country. Brazilian analysts say they project the support of about 100 countries for the bid. Reuters (5/24)
UN peacekeepers fight tough battle in Haiti
Despite the presence of United Nations peacekeepers, violence continues to plague parts of Haiti, where rival gangs have now joined forces to fight against the peacekeepers. Local citizens, many of whom have been caught in the crossfire, and human rights groups are asking the UN to use less force and instead push to disarm the gangs peacefully. Newsday (5/25)
Sudan food program needs more funding, WFP says
The United Nations World Food Programme says it needs more funds to feed the more than 6 million people facing starvation in Sudan. WFP says it has raised less than one-third of the funds it needs to feed people in the southern and eastern parts of the country. AlertNet.org/Reuters (5/25)
SPOTLIGHT: UN-U.S. RELATIONSHIP: Prospects brighten for Bolton confirmation
John Bolton's nomination for ambassador to the United Nations may benefit from an aura of compromise resonating around the U.S. Senate after an agreement on judicial nominations. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., predicted Bolton would be confirmed by next Monday. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (5/25)
 Voinovich lobbies against Bolton: After agreeing to send John Bolton's nomination to the full Senate for a vote, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, is now lobbying his colleagues not to approve Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations. The Sun (Baltimore)/Los Angeles Times (free registration) (5/25)
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 WHO warns on polio cases in Yemen, Indonesia
The World Health Organization reports the polio outbreak in Yemen could eventually paralyze more than 200 children. Meanwhile, 14 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Indonesia ahead of a massive vaccination campaign expected to get under way next week. The WHO hopes to eradicate the polio virus by the end of the year, but has been faced with a number of setbacks in past months that many health officials believe were triggered in Africa and continue to spread in Asia and the Middle East. AlertNet.org/Reuters (5/24), The Scotsman (Edinburgh) (5/25), Los Angeles Times (free registration) (5/25)
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 Commentary: First lady must push harder for women's rights
While first lady Laura Bush spoke some kind words about women in the Middle East and striving to translate more children's books into Arabic, she failed to provide a voice for the importance of women's rights in the evolving landscape of the region, writes Anne Applebaum in The Washington Post. "Any political system that does not limit the state's ability to dictate the behavior and beliefs of its citizens, male or female, is at risk of backsliding into totalitarianism, no matter how often its citizens go to the voting booths," Applebaum writes. The Washington Post (free registration) (5/25)
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 Editorial: Save the ecosystems to save ourselves
The Asheville Citizen-Times writes in this editorial that "Humankind is running out of time and that the challenges we face are formidable." The editorial is in response to the recent release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which revealed recent, rapid changes in biodiversity which may threaten humankind's future. The paper encourages people to work to "understand the dramatic changes that result from our consumption, our culture, our institutions and our habits" so changes can be made to "preserve life as we know it for the generations that come after us." The Asheville Citizen-Times (N.C.) (5/25)
Where there's water, there's a way
Newsweek takes a look at some of the issues discussed at the World Economic Forum held in Jordan. While political issues were part of the focus of the forum, economic stability and environmental issues, such as a pact signed by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority to study the feasibility of moving water from the Red Sea to the diminishing Dead Sea, offered some hope that the region could work together on common goals. Newsweek (5/25)
Arctic officials push EU on global warming fight
Three native leaders from the Arctic Council were at EU headquarters yesterday asking for aid to protect their land. The effects of global warming on the Arctic region have worsened and could lead to increased flooding and erosion, a recent Arctic Council-backed study revealed. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (5/25)
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 Egyptian opposition faces uphill battle on reform
As Egyptians prepare for a referendum on new rules that would allow opposition candidates to partake in upcoming presidential elections, a Washington Post report outlines some of the current challenges facing groups aiming to do so. Increasingly blatant government restrictions on organizing public meetings and other elements crucial to electoral politics have led many in the Egyptian opposition to call for a boycott of the referendum until such restrictions are removed. BBC (5/25), The Washington Post (free registration) (5/25)
Sharon tells American Jews Gaza withdrawal will proceed
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobby in Washington D.C., the planned withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank would proceed despite large opposition from some Israelis and American Jews, so long as Palestinian leaders improve efforts to crack down on attacks. While Sharon said such progress continues to come up short, the American security envoy to the Palestinians, Lt. Gen. William E. Ward, said "essential steps" had been made, though more work needs to be done. The Miami Herald/Associated Press (free registration) (5/25), The New York Times (free registration) (5/25)
Iran nuclear talks reach critical point in Geneva
European negotiators sought to present a united front in preliminary negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions ahead of a high-level meeting scheduled for today in Geneva -- an event some say could determine whether or not Iran chooses to resume enrichment activities in violation of a November 2004 agreement between the parties. Diplomats from France, Germany and the U.K. have threatened to take the matter to the United Nations Security Council, but are hoping to maintain the freeze until after Iranian presidential elections scheduled for next month. The New York Times (free registration) (5/25)
Amnesty: U.S.. torture tactics guide rest of world
In its annual report released yesterday, Amnesty International said countries around the world did not do enough to protect human rights during 2004. The organization was particularly critical of the U.S., saying torture and other tactics allegedly used by the U.S. against detainees gave "a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity." BBC (5/25)
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You cannot have security if you do not have hope for the Palestinians, and if you do have hope for the Palestinians, you have a lot better chance of security."
--James Wolfensohn. Click here to read the complete story. |
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