Financial crisis will
not deter the UN on
anti-poverty fight
|
 United
Nations
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon addressed
the global crisis in
financial markets by
insisting that the UN
will not be deflected
from seeking help for
the world's poorest.
"Banks may be
failing," said Ban.
"But the world's
bottom billion can bank
on us."
Referring to two high-level
meetings at the UN last
month on the campaign
against global poverty,
Ban added, "the
global financial crisis
may have overshadowed
our work, but it did not
dominate it. Despite the
market turmoil, we
raised 16 billion. The
generosity of these
commitments is most
encouraging, given the
economic climate."
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Political
'surge' needed in
Afghanistan, UN envoy
urges
 The
top United Nations envoy
to Afghanistan has stressed
the need for a political
"surge" to boost
the prospects for peace in
the strife-torn nation and
to respond to urgent
humanitarian concerns such
as access for the delivery
of vital food aid.
"None of us can deny
that there are very
serious problems and none
of us can deny that the
security situation has
deteriorated," said
Kai Eide, the
Secretary-General's
Special Representative for
Afghanistan.
At the same time, Mr. Eide
warned against pessimism
and asserted that there is
a strong international
commitment to reverse the
negative trends in the
country. A key element in
doing so is to focus on
the agenda set by the
government and
international partners at
a major meeting in Paris
in June.
Related Headline:
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| UN
peacekeepers in Darfur
ambushed during patrol |
 A
group of peacekeepers
serving with the joint
United Nations-African
Union operation in
Darfur were ambushed on
Oct. 6 while on patrol
in the South of the
war-torn Sudanese
region.
News reports indicate
that at least one
Nigerian UN peacekeeper
was killed.
UNAMID forces and aid
workers, both from the
UN and non-governmental
organizations have
become increasingly
popular targets for
combatants in the Darfur
conflict that has pitted
rebels against Sudanese
Government forces and
allied Janjaweed
militiamen since 2003.
|
| African
women to benefit from new
UN gender equality
initiative |
 Women
in five African
countries will gain new
access to resources and
services under an $8
million, three-year
United Nations
initiative announced
this week.
The initiative "not
only seeks to ensure
local governments'
accountability to secure
women's equitable access
to public services and
productive assets, but
also acknowledges
women's agency in
shaping decision-making
around local plans and
budgets," said Inés
Alberdi, Executive
Director of the UN
Development Fund for
Women.
The initiative will be
rolled out in local
governments in
Mozambique, Rwanda,
Senegal, Sierra Leone
and Tanzania.
|
| Ban
raps poetic, honoring
hip-hop star Jay-Z at gala
ceremony |
 United
Nations
Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon took time off
from his schedule of
meeting world leaders
and diplomats to try
his hand - or rather
voice - at rap at the
50th anniversary
celebrations of the
United Nations
Association of the
United States of
America on Oct. 1.
Rapper Jay-Z was among
the celebrities that
have partnered with
the UN in many
humanitarian
initiatives. Jay-Z's
multimedia "Water
for Life"
campaign was developed
jointly with the UN's
Department of Public
Information (DPI) and
MTV Networks.
"Since one of the
honorees is my man
Jay-Z, I think I'll
try his language
tonight. It is a
foreign language to
me, but one which I
love, so please bear
with me," Ban
said. Then he went on
to rap, "With
Jay-Z there's double
strife/Life for
children and water for
life."
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