The prize committee acknowledged Tavakoli for his “non- violent fight for freedom of speech and democracy.” The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, commenting on the win, said: “The Student Peace Price is this year awarded to a young and brave person.” The Peace Prize’s website wrote: “The winner of the Student Peace Prize has thus become a symbol and a representative for Iranian students and political activists alike.”

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, who spoke at the announcement ceremony in Norway, said in an interview: “The Iranian authorities think that by keeping Majid Tavakoli in prison they can silence his voice. But, today we proved the Iranian authorities wrong. Maid’s voice is stronger than ever. His words have been spread around the world. Majid’s win demonstrates that the Iranian student movement is not forgotten and that the world supports the legitimate demands and rights of Iranian students.”

Majid Tavakoli is currently held in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. He was majoring in shipbuilding when he was violently arrested on December 7, 2009, Iranian National Student Day. He was reportedly arrested after delivering a speech at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran. Sources have said Tavakoli’s speech criticized high-ranking regime officials, including Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran.

The Student Peace Prize is awarded biennially, on behalf of all Norwegian students. Majid Tavakoli will be honored with a ceremony during ISFiT (International Student Festival in Trondheim) and will also receive a personalized monument in Jomfrugata in Trondheim, as a part of the “Walk of Peace”.

MORE INFORMATION ON MAJID TAVAKOLI

He was initially transferred to Evin prison and endured long periods in solitary confinement, subjected to physical and psychological torture. He was transferred to Rajai Shahr prison in August 2010. He has launched multiple hunger strikes in prison, leading to the deterioration of his health. There were reports in 2010 that he was suffering from abdominal bleeding.

He was first arrested in 2007 for protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presence at Amirkabir University. He was held in prison for 15 months and tortured. He was arrested again in March 2009, during a memorial ceremony for Mehdi Bazargan. He endured 115 days in solitary confinement in Evin Prison before his release on bail.

The Tehran Appeals Court sentenced Majid Tavakoli to a total of nine years in prison: 5 years for “Association and collusion with the intent to act against national security”, 1 year for “Propaganda against the regime”, 2 years for “Insulting the Supreme Leader”, and 6 months for “Insulting the President”. In November 2011, the Tehran Appeals Court issued an additional 6 months for a fresh charge of “Propaganda against the regime”.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

The new U.N. report ranks the leading causes of child death as pneumonia, premature birth, diarrhea, childbirth complications and malaria. The report also shows that as deaths to all children under age five have dropped, those occurring in the first month of life have declined more slowly. As a result, newborn deaths now account for 43 percent of child deaths — up from 36 percent in 1990. Overall, the vast majority of child deaths — 83 percent — now occur in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia.

Save the Children said it is a critical time for Americans to help maintain momentum following a “Child Survival Call to Action,” convened in June by the U.S. government together with UNICEF and the governments of India and Ethiopia. Healthier children are the foundation for more productive, prosperous and stable communities, which benefit everyone, the agency said.

“We know where the children are that still need basic care to survive birth complications and childhood disease, and we know how health workers can save them,” Miles said. “It’s an issue everyone can get behind because every beat matters.”

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

Re: Nepal: Play an important role to protect child rights

Dear Prime Minister,

I share your hopes for a peaceful, democratic future for Nepal and its people.

Nepal has been a State Party to Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) since 1990, I want to take this opportunity to call on you to ratify the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Right of the Child on a communications procedures, adopted on 19 December 2011 by the General Assembly in its resolution 66/138. The signing ceremony is scheduled for 28 February 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland and thereafter at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

This new Optional Protocol will enable children, or their representatives, who claim that their rights have been violated, to bring a complaint to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in cases where domestic remedies have been exhausted. This procedure recognizes the rights of the child as forming an integral part of the human rights framework. It will be the only complaint mechanism covering the full range of rights guaranteed under the CRC and should significantly contribute to empower victims whose rights have been violated under the CRC in seeking remedies.

Since joining the United Nations in 1955, Nepal has made being an active member of the UN a key pillar of its foreign policy. In addition, Nepal has further shown its commitment to the rights of the child by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in 2006 and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict in 2007. The ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the CRC would further enhance the image of Nepal as a positive player in the international community. It would also send an important message to the world that Nepal is fully committed to the protection and promotion of child rights both at home and internationally.

The new Optional Protocol does not impose new substantive obligations on the government of Nepal, but assists it in fulfilling its obligations under the CRC. I believe that the speedy ratification of the Optional Protocol should be possible as a result of this. On the occasion of its Universal Periodic Review, Nepal accepted recommendations by numerous States, including Egypt, the Philippines, Azerbaijan and Cuba concerning the need to strengthen measures protecting child rights, notably through the development of a robust juvenile justice system. The communication procedure established by the Optional Protocol would assist Nepal in upholding these commitments. It complements the government reporting to the CRC and, as the Optional Protocol takes effect where the local remedies have failed or are non-existent, will encourage State Parties to develop such domestic remedies and mechanisms for the promotion and protection of child rights and in order to provide effective remedies.

Nepal was highly praised by the international community on her ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict in year January 3, 2007. This important treaty, which has been ratified by 113 other states worldwide, establishes the age of 18 as a minimum for any direct participation in hostilities or for compulsory recruitment or any recruitment by non-state armed forces.

I call on you to show leadership on this issue, becoming a party to the new Optional Protocol. Your government would reassert its commitment to respect and protect the child rights and to fulfill the obligations it accepted when it became a party to the CRC. Furthermore, this represents an opportunity for Nepal to play an important role at the forefront of efforts to protect child rights in South Asia.

Sincerely yours,

AUTHOR: William Nicholas Gomes
URL: www.williamgomes.org
E-MAIL: williamgomes.org [at] gmail.com

Re: CHINA: Public frustration about the government’s denial of basic rights and freedoms, magnified by a lack of rule of law

Dear President of the European Council, Dear President of the European Commission,

I appreciate recent statements by the EU High Representative and the EU Ambassador to China expressing concerns about the deteriorating human rights environment in China, I believe that EU efforts to advance human rights will be compromised and effectively undermined if you fail to reiterate the EU’s human rights concerns and expectations with regards to remedies, both publicly and privately, during the forthcoming Summit.

The Chinese government continues to impose sharp curbs on freedom of expression, association, and religion; openly rejects the principle of judicial independence; and arbitrarily restricts and suppresses human rights defenders and organizations, often with extrajudicial measures. It systematically condones, with rare exceptions, abuses of power in the name of “social stability.” The security apparatus, which remains hostile to liberalization and legal reforms, appears to have steadily increased its power since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Since mid-February 2011, Human Rights Watch has documented a disturbing increase in the Chinese government’s use of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, intimidation, and house arrest to silence those exercising their right to the freedom of expression. In recent weeks, Chinese courts have handed down severe prison sentences to a quartet of writers prosecuted for writings critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Chen Wei received a nine year prison term on December 23, 2011 on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” for publishing government criticism on-line. Three days later, a Guiyang court handed down a 10-year sentence on the same charge to Chen Xi, for similar on-line criticism of China’s one-party rule. Then on January 18, 2012 a Wuhan court sentenced Li Tie to a 10 year prison term for “subversion of state power” for writings which included reference to the official taboo topic of the June 1989 Tiananmen massacre. And on January 18, police charged veteran human rights activist Zhu Yufu with “inciting subversion of state power” for writings including a poem which police interpreted as a call for popular unrest against one-party rule.

Despite the Chinese government’s rhetorical commitments, the legal system in China does not protect the rights of activists and critics. In September 2011 the Chinese government announced proposed revisions to the criminal procedure code that would in effect legalize rather than prohibit disappearances; such a step runs counter to the government’s obligations not to deviate from the standards set out by international human rights covenants it has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Six of the country’s most prominent human rights lawyers — Teng Biao, Tang Jitian, Jiang Tianyong, Liu Shihui, Tang Jingling, and Li Tiantian — were “disappeared” by the police for periods of time ranging from several weeks to several months. Following their releases, some have described having been tortured in custody, and few have resumed their outspoken advocacy.

Other human rights lawyers have been disbarred, or warned by judicial authorities not to take up particular cases. In another recent instance, government officials in Wenzhou ordered lawyers there not to represent civil compensation cases filed by families of victims of the July 23, 2011high-speed rail crash. They relented only after fierce on-line criticism of the move by Chinese netizens.

Despite the Chinese government’s well-documented attacks on human rights defenders and civil society activists in recent years, Chinese citizens are increasingly aware of their rights and more assertive in cases in which those rights are denied. Public frustration about the government’s denial of basic rights and freedoms, magnified by a lack of rule of law, contribute to the more than 100,000 “mass incidents” or protests are estimated to occur annually in China. Those protests heighten the Chinese Communist Party’s concerns about potential threats to its 61-year monopoly on power, which have already resulted in greater budgetary allocations for “social stability maintenance” than national defense.

In addition, we remain gravely concerned about the situation in Tibet, where heavy-handed security measures appear to have fueled tensions between Tibetans and Chinese authorities in the region, contributing to desperate acts of protest by individuals, including sixteen self-immolations. Since the protests of 2008 in the region, the Chinese government has imposed drastic restrictions on Tibetan monasteries in the Aba prefecture of Sichuan province and other parts of the Tibetan plateau. These measures include brutal security raids, arbitrary detentions of monks, increased surveillance within monasteries, and a permanent police presence inside monasteries to monitor religious activities.

While I note and appreciate EU public and private diplomacy about the human rights environment and individual cases in China, Human Rights Watch nevertheless believes that EU efforts in this regard are not sufficiently robust and consistent. These efforts have not been designed to seriously affect change in China’s appalling human rights record or support the forces for positive change inside China, including those courageous individuals who dare to challenge abusive government conduct and demand that their constitutional rights of free expression be respected by their government.

As the “Arab Spring” reminds us, the EU and others must take public opinion into account when formulating policies towards third countries. Significant numbers of people in China, too, are making known their complaints about issues ranging from public health to corruption, from land seizures to access to justice. In doing so, they face a range of possible retributive measures, including torture and imprisonment. The EU has quite visibly demonstrated support for efforts to ensure better respect for human rights around the 2011 public protests in North Africa and the Middle East. It should do no less in response to peaceful public protest and government crackdowns and abuses in China.

I urge you :

• Express the EU’s support for and solidarity with independent Chinese voices by meeting with human rights defenders and civil society activists inside and outside China, such as the writer Liao Yiwu, who is fled to Germany to see refuge from Chinese government persecution;
• Articulate concrete benchmarks for human rights progress prior to holding future rounds of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogues;
  Call for the unconditional release of all those imprisoned and detained solely for the peaceful exercise of basic rights, such as the freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and religion. In particular we also urge that you publicly reiterate the EU’s call for the release of Liu Xiaobo, co-drafter of Charter ’08 and recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Call for the end of extralegal detention or other extralegal limitations on the rights of activists and their families, such as Liu Xia; blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng and his family; and public health activist Hu Jia and his family;
• Call for the Chinese government to reinstate those lawyers disbarred in recent years for their engagement in public interest and human rights cases, and remove other barriers on their ability to practice law;
• Publicly commit that EU member states should not forcibly return asylum-seekers from China who have reason to fear persecution;
  Urge the Chinese government to ensure that respect for internationally recognized human rights is not compromised in the name of public or national security and;
• Urge the immediate establishment of meaningful dialogue between the Chinese government and representatives of Tibetans to address the underlying grievances in the region.

Syria

I also urge you to encourage your Chinese counterparts to support efforts at the United Nations Security Council to exert pressure on the Syrian government to cease the serious human rights abuses that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says may amount to crimes against humanity. We believe that the shift in the position of the League of Arab States and its recent decision to seek the support of the Security Council for its proposed plan to end the crisis creates an opportunity to overcome China’s initial reluctance to support Security Council efforts to end the crackdown. We urge you to:

• Express concerns about China’s failure to respond to the crimes documented in Syria and the fact that what may amount to crimes against humanity is allowed to continue with utter impunity; and
• Seek China’s support for efforts to advance the protection of civilians, including through a UN Security Council resolution that would help advance international pressure on the Syrian government to halt serious human rights abuses, curb impunity for the atrocities, ban arms transfers to forces engaged in possible crimes against humanity

Making publicly known both the EU’s concerns about human rights violations in China and your expectations of China internationally is important. Public statements demonstrate the EU’s commitment to the issues, and, more important, provide critical support to all those in China and elsewhere struggling to exercise and protect their human rights. I look forward to discussing these issues at your convenience.

Yours sincerely,

AUTHOR: William Nicholas Gomes
URL: www.williamgomes.org
E-MAIL: williamgomes.org [at] gmail.com

Photo: AMREF UK

In December’s post, Expectant American Mothers Help Raise Funds for Mothers in Developing Nations,  the Imagine Me & You contest finalists had been announced.  The Million Moms Challenge has now chosen a winner from its photo contest, in which hundreds of expectant mothers from across the United States submitted images with original messages, written on their “baby bumps,” stating their wishes and dreams for their children.  In partnership with ABC News and the United Nations Foundation, the contest was aimed at engaging a million Americans with millions of mothers in developing countries around issues that impact pregnancy, child birth, and children’s health.  The contest is part of ABC News’ year-long global health series, “Be the Change: Save a Life,” sponsored in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and focused on health conditions endured by those in poor developing countries.

The winning photo and message was submitted by Allison Dearstyne, a ninth grade history teacher from Maryland, and was selected by Anne Geddes from among the 12 finalists.  Dearstyne’s winning ”baby bump” message read: “May You Stay Forever Young,” a lyric from a favorite Bob Dylan song and a dream that all mother’s across the globe hold in their hearts for their children. “I’m moved by how many mothers have come together through this contest,” said Geddes. “The Million Moms Challenge designed this contest to celebrate the dream of mothers everywhere for healthy, happy babies who will grow to reach their full potential. I’m looking forward to meeting the Dearstyne family and continuing to be part of this strong community of mothers helping mothers.” (UN Dispatch).

While the contest and it’s winning photos leave most full of fuzzy warm feelings as they ooh and aah at the creative and cute “baby bumps” and their messages of love and hope, the real motivation behind the contest runs much deeper.  While the mothers, and their expectant bundles of joy, are privileged enough to have access to adequate medical care and nutrition, for expectant mothers in developing nations the story of pregnancy and childbirth is often haunted by fear, as every 90 seconds a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. That’s 1,000 girls and women a day, more than half a million women every year.  Additionally, for every woman who dies, 20 or more experience serious complications, and 1 million babies are stillborn each year because their mothers could not access the proper medical care. Additionally, some 8 million children will die this year before they are 5 years old, that’s almost 21,000 children each day.  More than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.

Working for the survival of mothers and children is a crucial international development priority that must remain on the global agenda. Both the International Conference on Population and Development and Millennium Development Goals have set a goal to reduce maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015 by 75 percent.  The simple yet imperative strategic goals include, ensuring that all women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies and reduce unsafe abortions (see the recent post, Unsafe abortions on the rise),  provide all pregnant women with access to adequate medical care at the time of birth, and see that mothers with complications have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care.

Therefore, the message behind the Million Mom’s Challenge is simple and clear.  By educating communities and bringing awareness to the plight of mothers and children in developing nations we can save millions of lives.  The solutions for saving mothers and their babies are simple and not far from our grasp.  For less than a dollar a day, we can provide mothers and their babies with proper nutrition, proper training for midwives, vaccinations for children, and simple technologies to deliver crucial health information to women and health workers in remote areas.  To be part of the message and the solution, join the Million Mom’s Challenge here to see how you can save the lives of women and children around the world.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

The poverty rate has declined from 49 percent in 2010 to 31 percent this year, according to the Human Development Report 2011 released Thursday.

Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been praised for progress in various categories of human development.

This year the nation of 150 million scored higher than it did in last year’s Human Development Index (HDI), but slipped down 17 places on the index due to better progress made by regional competitors and inclusion of more countries in the ranking.

This year Bangladesh ranked 146 out of 187 countries with a score of 0.500 in the HDI, said Stefan Priesner, country director for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

In the South Asian region, Bangladesh only fared better than Nepal, which was ranked 157th. India ranked 134, Sri Lanka 97, the Maldives 109 and Bhutan 141.

The overall inequality HDI has dropped by seven percentage points from 29 per cent to 22 per cent, showing a good performance of the country, which is ranked just below Pakistan.

The UN country director said Bangladesh needs to address the pressure of environmental degradation, adverse impact of climate change and risks of disaster to improve further.

“Equity and sustainable development are two sides of one coin,” he said.

The four key messages of the report are sustainable urbanization, tackling climatic threat, providing clean energy to the poor and addressing environmental degradation issue, he said.

Since 1990, the Human Development Report has been publishing the HDI, which is considered an alternative to conventional measures to assess national development, such as level of income and the rate of economic growth.

AUTHOR: Saleem Samad
URL: http://bangladeshwatchdog.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: saleemsamad [at] hotmail.com

VIDEO: 28 September 2011 – Special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee commemorating the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Committee.

More and more world leaders are becoming concerned over the close connection between terrorists and trannsational organized crime (TOC), including their cooperation with one another in the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological weapons and other potentially deadly materials, according to United Nations officials. At UN Headquarters in New York, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), which was set up in the days following the attacks by Al Qaeda against New York and Washington on 9-11, stressed that despite “the real and significant achievements of the last 10 years,” much remains to be done at the national, regional and international levels.

In an outcome document it said “terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, as evidenced notably by the terrorist attacks carried out recently in various regions of the world and by terrorists’ adaptation to, and misuse of new technologies, such as the Internet, for their communication, propaganda, financing, planning, recruitment and operational purposes.”

The document noted with concern “the close connection between terrorism and transnational organized crime, including trafficking of illicit drugs, money-laundering, illegal arms trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials.”

Urging all to ensure zero-tolerance towards terrorism, it called for urgent action to prevent and combat the scourge by preventing those who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist acts from using their respective territories and bringing them to justice.

Member States were also urged to prevent the movement of terrorists, including the supply of weapons, through effective border controls, to ensure that funds for charitable purposes are not diverted to terrorist purposes, to implement comprehensive strategies to address conditions that lead to the spread of terrorism including radicalization and recruitment, and to take appropriate steps to prevent and counter incitement to commit terrorist acts.

“Terrorism is still as potent a threat today as it was 10 years ago,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during the opening session.

“Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives. Repeated attacks have had severe economic consequences and taken a toll on State stability and regional harmony,” he said.

Both the outcome document and the speakers stressed the need for member nations to ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with international law, in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, underscoring that effective counter-terrorism and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are complementary and mutually reinforcing.

Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s Executive Directorate (CTED), noted that the international community had become much more aware of the fact that human rights and counter-terrorism need not conflict.

“Counter-terrorism programs that ignore the human rights dimension are less effective and can even be counter-productive,” he said, also stressing “the critical need” to address the social and other societal conditions recruiters exploit to persuade young people to support terrorism.

“Naturally issues such as education, humanitarian support and good governance are important for their own sake, but they are also relevant to our work and should be taken into account in broader, more comprehensive and integrated strategies to address terrorism,” he said.

He noted the CTED’s close relationship with international and regional organizations such as the global police body Interpol, the Organization of American States (OAS), the African Union (AU) and the Council of Europe.

These organizations “have a familiarity with their member countries, a strong presence in key countries, and very often important technical expertise,” Mr. Smith said. “Partnering with them means our recommendations are followed up and better implemented in-country than otherwise we could reasonably expect.”

With regard to the problem of incitement, he stressed that counter-terrorism work will have to engage actors going well beyond government, including civil society, professional associations, academics, journalists, parliamentarians, the private sector, teachers and religious leaders. “How to do this will be a challenge but it is one that all of us will need to take up,” he said.

“We have a very strong system of international cooperation which has to be worked on,” the CTC Chairman, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri of India, told a news conference.

AUTHOR: Jim Kouri
URL: http://www.renewamerica.com/
E-MAIL: COPmagazine [at] aol.com

Gambian-born UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Abdoulie Janneh

For development to be sustainable, it is essential to harness and build strong linkages between the three pillars of economic growth, social development and environmental protection, said Gambian-born UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Abdoulie Janneh.

“Without such an approach, gains made in one pillar could undermine progress in the other two,” Janneh told the Second Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations recently in New York on the theme “Integration of the Three Pillars is Important for the World … and for Africa”

The Second Committee, also known as the Economic and Financial Committee, was hearing briefs on various issues relating to economic growth and development such as macroeconomic policy questions, financing for development, sustainable development, human settlements, poverty eradication, globalization and interdependence, operational activities for development, and information and communication technologies for development. It had invited the heads of UN regional commissions to address it.

Mr. Janneh said evidence from several parts of the world shows that where the emphasis has been on only one pillar, it would be difficult to achieve sustainable development.

Citing two examples from the African experience, Janneh said while the region had achieved positive real growth rates since 2000, even in the face of the global economic and financial crisis, this had not translated into a commensurate reduction in unemployment and poverty.

“Similarly, although there has been a noticeable increase in foreign direct investment in the natural resources sector, environmental degradation and erosion continue unabated and the sector contributes little to value-addition,” he said.

African regional, sub-regional and national institutions have taken on board the need to balance economic, social and environmental objectives, as a basis for sustainable development, said Janneh, citing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Programme (NEPAD) as an example of an integrated framework for sustainable development, “as it addresses the economic, social and environmental dimensions of Africa’s development challenges and priorities”.

NEPAD reflects a common vision and shared commitment to eradicating poverty and to placing African countries, both individually and collectively, on the path to sustainable growth and development, he said.

Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) lead in policy harmonization and the planning for regional integration, which are important elements for promoting the balanced integration of the three pillars of sustainable development.

Janneh said the Capacity Development Programme (CDP) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was a good example of an integrated framework aimed at translating the long-term development strategy of the sub-region into coherent and concrete programmes of actions, focusing on ten strategic axes that cover the social, economic and environmental spheres.

At the national level, African countries have also developed diverse instruments to promote sustainable development such as long-term visions, national development plans, poverty reduction strategies, and specific national strategies for sustainable development. “In many instances, institutions have been established to oversee and coordinate the implantation of these plans and strategies,” he said.

Notwithstanding these positive approaches, the implementation of integrated frameworks and strategies has been generally weak, with limited effectiveness due to inadequate institutional, technical and technological capacities, often compounded by limited budgetary resources, said Janneh.

He said collective global and regional action is needed to have a balanced and meaningful integration of the three pillars of sustainable development. “Otherwise we will be faced with the classic prisoners’ dilemma which means a race to the bottom that further worsens the tragedy of the commons. As our universal organization, the UN has a key role to prevent this from happening,” said Janneh.

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, under an executive order issued by the U.S. President, yesterday notified the military, law enforcement, political leaders and American citizens that two terrorist leaders have been added to the State Department’s terrorism list. First, Secretary Clinton and State Department officials have designated the Gaza-based Army of Islam leader Mumtaz Dughmush under E.O. 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Dughmush has any interest is blocked and U.S. residents and businesses are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to this terrorist, according to Secretary Clinton.

In May, the Secretary of State designated the Army of Islam as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Army of Islam is a Gaza Strip-based terrorist organization founded in late 2005 and is responsible for numerous terrorist acts against the governments of Israel and Egypt. Under Dughmush’s guidance, the Army of Islam has launched rocket attacks against Israel from Palestinian territories, kidnapped two Fox News journalists — including Fox’s foreign correspondent Steve Centanni — who were later released

The group is also responsible for early 2009 attacks on Egyptian civilians in Cairo and Heliopolis, which resulted in casualties and deaths. A splinter group of Hamas, the Army of Islam is ideologically aligned with al-Qaeda.

In addition, Secretary Clinton designated the Haqqani Network’s Commander Sangeen Zadran under the same executive order. Sangeen is also listed by the United Nations (UN) 1988 Sanctions Committee. These actions will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance from the U.S. to this dangerous individual, according to Clinton.

Sangeen Zadran is the Shadow Governor for Paktika Province, Afghanistan and a commander of the Haqqani Network, a Taliban-affiliated group of militants that operates from North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The Haqqani Network has been at the forefront of insurgency in Afghanistan and is responsible for many high-profile attacks.

Sangeen Zadran helps lead fighters in attacks across Southeastern Afghanistan, and is believed to have planned and coordinated the movement of hundreds of foreign fighters into Afghanistan.

Sangeen has also been connected to many improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. In addition to his role in attacks, Sangeen Zadran is believed to have orchestrated the kidnappings of Afghans and foreign nationals in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sangeen also acts as a senior lieutenant to Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, also a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and listed at the United Nations 1988 Sanctions Committee.

In addition to the U.S. domestic action taken today, the United Nations 1988 Sanctions Committee’s listing will require all UN member states to implement an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo against this individual. The actions taken against this individual demonstrate international resolve in eliminating his ability to execute violent attacks and to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorist networks, according to the State Department.

AUTHOR: Jim Kouri
URL: http://www.renewamerica.com/
E-MAIL: COPmagazine [at] aol.com

Secretary-General Meets Senior Officials of Rwanda Tribunal, 17 June 2010, UN Photo/Evan Schneider

The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda today referred the case of Jean Uwinkindi to the Republic of Rwanda to be tried in the Rwandan national court system under Rule 11 bis, marking the first time in the Tribunal’s history it has done so.

A specially designated Referral Chamber composed of Judges Florence Rita Arrey, Presiding, Emile Francis Short and Robert Fremr decided upon assessment of the submissions of the Defence and amici curiae (including the Government of Rwanda, Human Right Watch, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association, and the Kigali Bar Association) that it was satisfied that the Government of Rwanda was prepared to receive its first referral from the ICTR.

While previous Referral Chambers were not inclined to grant similar applications that had been placed before them, this Chamber was convinced based on the evidence that Rwanda possesses the ability to accept and prosecute Uwinkindi’s case. The Chamber expressed its solemn hope that the Republic of Rwanda would actualize in practice the commitments it made in its filings about its good faith, capacity and willingness to enforce the highest standards of international justice.

In reaching its decision, the Chamber noted that Rwanda had made material changes in its laws and had indicated its capacity and willingness to prosecute cases referred by the ICTR adhering to internationally recognised fair trial standards enshrined in the ICTR Statute and other human rights instruments. In particular, the Chamber found that the issues which concerned previous Referral Chambers, namely the availability of witnesses and their protection, had been addressed to some degree in the intervening period.

The Referral Chamber also requested that the Registrar appoint the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to monitor Uwinkindi’s trial in Rwanda and determined that the ACHPR would bring to the attention of the ICTR President any potential issues that may arise throughout the course of the proceedings. The Chamber emphasised its authority under Rule 11 bis to revoke the case from Rwanda as a last resort if necessary.

Uwinkindi was born in 1951 in Rutsiro commune, Kibuye prefecture, Rwanda. He was a former Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Kayenzi, located at Nyamata sector, Kanzenze commune, Kigali-Rural prefecture. He is accused of being responsible for attacks against Tutsi at Kayenzi Church, at Biyimana and Rwankeri cellules, and in Cyugaro’s swamps.

His indictment included counts of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and extermination as a crime against humanity. He was arrested in Uganda on 30 June 2010 and transferred to the United Nations Detention Facility in Arusha, Tanzania on 2 July 2010.

AUTHOR: Shout Africa
URL: http://www.shout-africa.com
E-MAIL: news [at] shout-africa.com