Ban calls on govts to increase investment in education
By Joseph Mwenda in New York
Fri 20 Sep. 2013, 14:00 CAT
COMMENT - UN Secretary General Ban is addressing the wrong audience. The biggest defunders of education for the last 40 years around the world, have been the World Bank and the IMF. - MrK
UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday launched the International Day of Peace with a call to embracing global citizenship through tolerance and diversity among children.
Speaking moments before he rang the Peace Bell outside the UN headquarters in New York, Ban called on governments, especially in developing and conflict countries, to increase investment in education.
"Every girl and every boy deserves to receive quality education and learn the values that will help them to grow up to be global citizens in tolerant communities that respect diversity," he said ahead of the official observance of Peace Day which falls tomorrow.
"One teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world," Ban said quoting Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl and youth activist who was shot by the Taliban for attending classes last year.
The UN chief said 57 million children lack access to education while millions more have no decent schooling facilities.
"Educating the poorest and most marginalized children will require bold political leadership and increased financial commitment, yet aid for education has dropped for the first time in a decade. We must reverse this decline, forge new partnerships, and bring much greater attention to the quality of education," he said.
Ban cited the protracted crisis in Syria, which has resulted in more than 100,000 civilian deaths according to UN statistics, as a consequence of intolerance.
"The International Day of Peace is a time for reflection, a day when we reiterate our belief in non-violence and call for a global ceasefire," he said.
"Perhaps nowhere in the world is this more desperately needed than in Syria. The death and suffering has gone on too long. I repeat my call to all parties and their supporters to work for a peaceful resolution to the conflict through negotiation."
Later, Ban addressed a students' conference on peace where he emphasised this year's theme "Education for Peace".
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, EDUCATION, UN
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Zimbabwe election losers must use 'established channels': UN chief
03/08/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai should use “established channels” if he is unhappy with his MDC-T party’s election defeat by Zanu PF and send a “clear message of calm” to his supporters, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
Tsvangirai has rejected early results showing Zanu PF and President Robert Mugabe heading for a landslide victory as “null and void” while warning that the “illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis”.
His MDC-T party’s spokesman Douglas Mwonzora, who lost his parliamentary seat in Nyanga North, said “demonstrations and mass action are options” while the party’s exiled treasurer Roy Bennett, dismissing the results as a “rig of all rigs”, called for a campaign of "passive resistance."
"I'm talking about people completely shutting the country down -- don't pay any bills, don't attend work, just bring the country to a standstill. There needs to be resistance against this theft and the people of Zimbabwe need to speak out strongly,” he said.
But giving his first reaction to the elections, Ban Ki-moon commended Zimbabwe for holding a “broadly peaceful election” and appeared to steer the losers towards using the court system.
“The Secretary-General has been following the elections in Zimbabwe closely. He commends the Zimbabwean people for a broadly peaceful election day and for exercising their democratic rights,” a spokesman said.
“He stresses, at the same time, that the concerns which have been raised about certain aspects of the electoral process should be pursued through established channels. These concerns should then be considered transparently and fairly. The most important thing is that the will of the people of Zimbabwe is respected.”
Ki-moon hopes that "the same calm and peaceful atmosphere will prevail during the vote counting and throughout the completion of the electoral process” and "recalls the commitment made by the incumbent President and Prime Minister, as well as other political parties, to ensure peaceful elections and he calls on them to send clear messages of calm to their supporters.”
In a message which appeared aimed at President Robert Mugabe, Ki-moon added that he “encourages the country's leadership to govern responsibly and inclusively and to pursue policies and reforms that could serve to deepen democratic governance and also spur economic recovery that would benefit all Zimbabweans.”
The African Union, SADC and COMESA observer missions have already passed the July 31 vote as “free and credible”, while offering tender criticism of aspects of the electoral process including delays in releasing the voters’ roll to the contesting parties.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, UN
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Humanitarian Malfeasance
The United Nations is responsible for killing more than 8,000 Haitians since 2010. And it’s not even willing to say it’s sorry.
By Jonathan M. Katz|Posted Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at 2:12 PM
A horrendous mistake made by the United Nations has led to the death of 8,000 Haitians since 2010. Why do U.N. leaders refuse to take responsibility for Haiti’s cholera epidemic?
International affairs can be complicated, but sometimes a case comes along that’s so simple it’s almost absurd. In 2010, the United Nations made a horrendous mistake that, so far, has claimed more than 8,000 lives. Its officials tried to cover it up. When the evidence came out anyway, lawyers for victims’ families petitioned the U.N. to end the crisis, pay damages, and apologize. For a year and a half, the world’s leading humanitarian organization said nothing. Then, last week, it threw out the case, saying, “The claims are not receivable.”
The background should be well-known by now. But despite the fact that American taxpayers have footed the lion’s share of the bill for the U.N. peacekeepers responsible for this disaster—to the tune of roughly $1.5 billion since 2004—the story remains largely unknown in the United States.
The place was Haiti. The mistake: a killer combination of cholera and gross negligence. The peacekeeping mission, known by its French initials, MINUSTAH, had been in the country since 2004, when it was authorized to protect an interim government installed after a coup. Six years later—thanks to a healthy dose of mission creep—the peacekeepers were still there. While rotating troops into what was now post-quake Haiti, the U.N. neglected to adequately screen a contingent of soldiers coming from an active cholera outbreak in Nepal. Upon arrival, the soldiers were sent to a rural U.N. base, outside the quake zone and long known for leaking sewage into a major river system that millions of Haitians used to drink, bathe, wash, and farm. Within days of their arrival, people downstream began to die. The epidemic then exploded, sickening more than 647,000 people, and killing in its first year more than twice the number of people who died on 9/11.
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The imported strain, which could turn a healthy adult into a shivering, vomiting, diarrhea-ridden puddle within hours, has since been popping up across the region. After a protracted fight and a spate of investigations, scientists were soon able to confirm the source of the infection. They found it was a perfect match for the specific strain circulating 8,900 miles away in Nepal. There had never been a confirmed case of cholera in Haiti before.
To many, inside the U.N. system and out, it seemed the best thing would be to acknowledge the disaster, make amends, and move on. But that’s not what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N.’s leadership decided to do. From the outbreak’s first days, the officials and staff of an organization dedicated to establishing respect for the rule of law chose to lie, dissemble, destroy evidence, persuade allies to change the topic, and cajole critics. (You can read the story of my investigation, and this early cover-up, in my new book.) A more recent tactic has been for the U.N. to shut down talk about the epidemic’s cause by discussing its new effort to eradicate the disease—despite the fact that the primary program it is touting is not actually a U.N. effort, lacks clear goals, and remains almost totally unfunded.
For the last year, the U.N. had deflected questions by insisting it could not comment on a pending case. The victims’ families thus found themselves in the awkward position of waiting for the organization whose negligence had killed their loved ones to decide whether it would consider prosecuting itself.
Then, on Thursday, the answer came back: No. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added a generic statement expressing sympathy for the thousands killed and hundreds of thousands sickened or left unable to work by the disease. His spokesman dodged all further questions.
Haitians wash clothes in a stream January 8, 2011 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Haitians wash clothes in a stream January 8, 2011 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Many homes in the area were destroyed and residents have set up makeshift tents to live in nearby.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
The rationale for throwing out the case was seemingly blunt: The U.N. claimed total immunity from prosecution, liability, and the law. It based this notion on a U.N. convention, by way of a status-of-forces agreement, or SOFA, signed by Haiti’s interim prime minister (a former U.N. official) in 2004. Such agreements make it possible for foreign militaries to work without fear of harassment by local courts or police. They’re common—the United States has one with nearly half the world’s countries. But they’re supposed to be a two-way street. In one crucial section, for instance, MINUSTAH agreed to “cooperate with respect to sanitary services and … in matters concerning health, particularly in respect to the control of communicable diseases.”
Another crucial section comes a few pages later. Since the SOFA meant that Haitian courts could not prosecute U.N. personnel, it laid out a procedure for resolving disputes: the formation of a “standing claims commission.” This, too, is standard, though no one is quite certain what such a commission would look like—the U.N. has never actually formed one.
It’s not clear exactly how the U.N. justified not forming a commission to adjudicate the claim, but spokesman Martin Nesirky gave a clue in his press conference. He told reporters that “consideration … would necessarily involve the review of political and policy measures.” Nesirky appears, quite vaguely, to be invoking an exemption in the SOFA, which says a commission does not have to be formed if a claim arises from “operational necessity.” Is the U.N. arguing that dumping infected sewage into a major river was an operational necessity? The U.N. press office rebuffed my request for clarification.
The U.N.’s claim of immunity is ironic in Haiti, where, after all, a lack of immunity was the problem: Haitians had no resistance to the imported disease because they’d never been exposed to it before. That nightmare continues. Though cases have tapered off, there are indications the disease is once again on the rise. Haiti’s health ministry reported a spike in cases nationwide in December 2012 and January 2013, with active outbreaks continuing in three of the country’s departments.
Fifteen-year-old cholera patient Jonas Florvil sits on a cot in a ward at a Samaritan's Purse cholera treatment center in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 8, 2011.
Fifteen-year-old cholera patient Jonas Florvil sits on a cot in a ward at a Samaritan's Purse cholera treatment center in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 8, 2011.
Photo by Allison Shelley/Reuters
It doesn’t have to be this way. Cholera, which spreads through contamination of food or water, can be prevented with good sanitation. It’s even easier to treat: Medicine is usually not required, just the speedy replacement of lost fluids. The U.N. estimates it would cost $2.27 billion to provide the necessary infrastructure in Haiti over the next 10 years. The victims’ lawyers have asked for up to $100,000 in additional compensation for each of the families they represent. In all, the total cost would probably be shy of $3 billion—a bargain compared with the economic, social, and personal damage the epidemic has brought. To put that figure in perspective, MINUSTAH’s budget for 2013 alone—again, a quarter of which is provided by the United States—is $644 million. Reduce the size of the nine-year-old peacekeeping mission, which after all is patrolling a country that’s not at war, and you could start paying that debt down quickly.
So what happens now? The U.N. could decide to pay on its own, perhaps without an admission of responsibility. But given its actions over the last two years—as officials who have publicly lied about the facts of the case have been promoted while the organization ponies up a scant 1 percent of the cost of its adopted initiative—that seems unlikely, absent outside pressure.
The families’ lawyers with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti—a longtime U.N. foe—have vowed to take the fight to the courts, hoping the denial of accountability will win the sympathy of a judge in Europe, Haiti, or the United States. But they know it’s a long shot. The world body will likely claim immunity there, too, and many judges will be inclined to agree. The U.N.’s interpretation of its own immunity statutes and agreements is hard to overrule.
But there’s one other document worth considering in the meantime: “To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. To establish conditions under which justice and respect for … international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.” Those are the words of the preamble to the United Nations charter. It’s not too late for the U.N. in Haiti to live up to them.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, CHOLERA, HAITI, NEOCOLONIALISM, UN
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The US will continue to assist the government, even if the authorities refuse to legalise gay rights in Zambia-Schwartz
TIME PUBLISHED - Saturday, March 3, 2012, 7:27 am
THE United States (US) deputy chief of mission to Zambia Stephen Schwartz has said that his government has not asked the Zambian government to legalise gay rights as a pre-condition to receiving aid.
He said the US government’s provision of development aid to Zambia is on the basis of commitment to poverty reduction, respect for human rights and good governance.
Mr Schwartz said the US government engages in regular dialogue with Zambia to monitor its commitment to poverty reduction and other areas.
“The US government’s provision of development assistance to the Government of Zambia is on the basis of its overall commitment to reducing poverty, respecting human rights, improving public financial management, fighting corruption and promoting good governance and transparency,” he said.
Mr Schwartz said the US raises issues with governments when there are serious and systematic violations of human rights.
He said to date, the issue of gay rights has not arisen with the Zambian government, adding that the US will continue to assist the Zambian government, even if the authorities refuse to legalise gay rights in Zambia.
“My government will not cut aid to Zambia and what I can say at the moment is that our development aid to Zambia has increased and we will continue to assist Zambia as we promote human rights for all the people,” Mr Schwartz said.
His comment follows calls by United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon that the Zambian government should discourage discrimination against anyone, based on sexual orientation.
Mr Schwartz said this in Lusaka during the week when he held a governance and public dialogue meeting with students at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: AMBASSADOR, BAN KI-MOON, HOMOSEXUALITY, UN, USA
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COMMENT - There is something very uncool about foreigners flying in and declaring the protection of one type of rights as the key to actual human and civil rights. Remember that through the criminal code, homosexuality is illegal in former British colonies to begin with, because upto 1981 (Northern Ireland) it was illegal in Britain itself. I have no problem with the anti-discrimination clause of the respective constitutions changing 'sex' to 'sexual orientation', however, making a big show of it feels like a colonial imposition of 'norms and values' and frankly emphasises the foreign nature of this imposition. Besides, I think that UNAIDS is a criminal organisation, and it's management should be prosecuted for fraud. That should be the Secretary General's priority.
UN chief’s gay speech torches storm
Wednesday, 29 February 2012 00:00
LUSAKA — UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon may have flown out of Zambia after a two-day official visit, but he has left raging controversy over his call for the southern African nation to respect and uphold gay rights.
The UN chief has touched a thorny issue in this conservative southern African nation that has left people wondering why he should come all the way to advocate homosexuality. Social network sites such as Facebook are awash with debate on Ban’s statement.
“A diplomat comes to a very peaceful country which is facing poverty, cholera, typhoid, unemployment and forgets all that and focuses on sexual orientation,” Stephen Mudoma, a Zambian journalist, wrote on his Facebook page.
Most Zambians did not take kindly to the UN chief’s speech.
During his address to parliament, Ban said, “Now you have embarked on a transformation agenda, a process for a people-driven constitution that will be a foundation for Zambia’s progress, a constitution that will stand the test of time.
“This offers Zambia an opportunity to lead once more by enshrining the highest standards of human rights and protection for all people regardless of race, religion, gender, sex orientation or disability.”
The Zambia Rainbow Coalition, a local non-governmental organisation, has since asked Ban to apologise for trying to knit into the country’s moral fibre, vices that are offensive.
The organisation has described the secretary-general’s move to promote homosexuality in Zambia as an act of trying to force foreign “cultures in exchange for aid” and noted that this is a new form of colonialism.
“It is with utter displeasure that we the Zambia Rainbow Coalition note that the historic visit of the UN secretary-general was to be an ambassador of colonialism and not development.
“We would like to categorically state that in Zambia we have our own morals and culture and we believe that homosexuality is not part of our culture,” the organisation’s programme director Malekano Mwanza said in a statement.
Homosexuality, he said, is like all other mental diseases which need to be treated through an array of rehabilitative approaches. — Xinhua.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, HOMOSEXUALITY, UN
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Mangani urges PF members not to avenge MMD violence
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 26 Sep. 2011, 12:40 CAT
LAMECK Mangani has called on ruling Patriotic Front members not to fight opposition MMD members as revenge for the tribulations they went through. And Dr Rodger Chongwe congratulated President Michael Sata and commended him for putting the fight against corruption top on his agenda.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Ondiga have congratulated President Sata on his election. In an interview yesterday, Mangani said although many PF members and sympathisers were brutalised by the MMD, they must not take revenge.
"I know the emotions are very high. Most of our people were beaten, some of them were detained, and others had their properties destroyed and in isolated cases others even lost their lives," said Mangani. "A lot of people are very annoyed particularly about the people they know very well were perpetrators of violent acts, like William Banda, who behaved as if there is no law in this country. They terrorised and abused everybody. I know it's difficult because I also feel the pain, but you should leave vengeance to God."
Mangani said a lot of people saw Sata's Presidency as a relief to Zambians. He said Zambians fought a good fight and now had a new government.
"The best favour you can do to President Sata is to allow him settle down to some serious work without disturbances. Stories of a brother beating a brother worry any leader as an aftermath of an election. My appeal to everybody is that we should avoid excessive reactions arising from all the problems we faced in the campaigns," Mangani said. "You fought these battles because you wanted to fight injustice and God has allowed you that your wishes be granted. So let the same God help Zambians and President Sata to work together despite our political differences."
Mangani recalled that in Chipata, there were cases of PF members being detained for up to two weeks on flimsy grounds.
Mangani said the MMD tried to rob people of Chipata Central of their PF victory by trying to cheat on the day of voting. He said the country had laws and President Sata would like to preside over a decent and disciplined nation.
"So let us give him chance to look at bigger issues like improvement of the agriculture sector, tourism, tax regime and mining agreements, problems of unemployment and several other issues, instead of disturbing him with minor incidences of people trying to fight each other," Mangani said. "Nevertheless, all those that connived with the MMD cadres to steal money from government for the purpose of the campaigns should not think that they will be let free. The law will visit them at an appropriate time."
And Mangani wished former president Rupiah Banda well.
"I only hope that now that he is out of the office, he will be able to reflect on a number of issues and one of them is the danger of having mediocre characters. And he should reflect on the danger of family members, particularly the children, interfering with issues that affect the people," said Mangani. "This loss may be a good signal that the MMD will soon go into oblivion like UNIP."
And Dr Chongwe said the election of President Sata was refreshing news and congratulated Zambians for being vigilant and electing the 74-year-old leader.
"Mr Sata is a popular leader for this country and we hope that he will do good for us and his country," Dr Chongwe said. "We say goodbye to our colleague and friend Mr Banda but we are not sorry to see him go. In fact, we are very happy and it's a pity that although he actually completed his three years period it looked as though it was 10 years because he brought sorrow, despondency and disunity in this country. So we are happy that he has gone."
Dr Chongwe said he was happy to hear President Sata say that one of his first priorities would be to fight corruption.
"We hope that from yesterday when he was sworn in, he has started his job to clean up the corruption that is endemic in Zambia, in all institutions including the Anti Corruption Commission, itself," said Dr Chongwe.
Losing presidential candidates Charles Milupi of the Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) and Ng'andu Magande of the National Movement for Progress (NMP) also congratulated President Sata.
Magande said: "You President Sata have shown us the younger ones what perseverance means. My wishes to Your Excellency are a successful tour of duty."
Prime Minister Odinga said: "I join other leaders in congratulating President Sata on his decisive win in the just concluded polls, the outgoing president Banda for showing statesmanship and providing leadership at the critical moment in the life of his country and the people of Zambia for choosing peace and democracy in the ballot as a means of changing leadership."
Prime Minister Odinga said Zambians had given Africa a good example about democracy.
"For those of us who refuse to buy the idea that Africa is a lost cause, who cling to the hope that the 21st century could be Africa's, every democratic election and peaceful transfer of power on the continent emboldens our belief and presents us with the reason to hope even more that our struggling countries are on the right path towards a full transition to democracy," said Odinga.
"The people and leadership of Zambia have done the continent proud and given us hope by what they achieved in this election."
In his congratulatory message to President Sata, Ban said he was pleased that Zambians had shown Africa and the world that change could be brought about peacefully when democracy was allowed to flourish.
US President Barack Obama also congratulated President Sata.
"I hope that all Zambians will find common ground as you address the challenges and seize the opportunities facing your country and our world," said President Obama.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, LAMECK MANGANI, PF, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RAILA ODINGA
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Ban calls for strong economies for LDCs
Ban calls for strong economies for LDCs
By Gift Chanda
Wed 11 May 2011, 04:00 CAT
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged leaders of the world’s poorest countries meeting in Turkey to agree on a common position for economic growth.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center on Monday, Ban called on the third-world leaders to send a strong political message to the rest of the world on the importance of investing in the least developed countries to eradicate global poverty.
"The priority for the new programme of action is to build strong economies that can withstand external shocks," Ban told a summit of the leaders from 48 states on the eve of the opening of the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
He called for the building of productive capacity and expanding opportunities for decent employment for people in LDCs.
“It means guaranteeing space for civil society and the private sector to operate. It means expanding the provision of essential services – education, health, infrastructure and social safety nets, especially for nutrition security,” Ban said.
“To achieve this, you will need the engagement of a wide range of partners traditional donors, emerging economies and the world of business,” said Ban, urging the leaders “not to allow the new atmosphere of global austerity to undermine progress”.
He said implementation of resolutions that would be made at the end of the conference must be priority.
"Even when we leave Istanbul with a comprehensive programme of action, there will be no time to relax. The promises made here in Istanbul must become promises kept,” said Ban.
President Rupiah Banda is among the world leaders attending the summit. In his keynote speech, President Banda said tackling poverty remained Zambia's key priority.
The conference will assess the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action – the outcome document adopted at the 2001 LDC conference – and to reach agreement on a new set of support measures for the 48 nations classified as LDCs.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, UN
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Ban calls for strong economies for LDCs
By Gift Chanda
Wed 11 May 2011, 04:00 CAT
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged leaders of the world’s poorest countries meeting in Turkey to agree on a common position for economic growth.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center on Monday, Ban called on the third-world leaders to send a strong political message to the rest of the world on the importance of investing in the least developed countries to eradicate global poverty.
"The priority for the new programme of action is to build strong economies that can withstand external shocks," Ban told a summit of the leaders from 48 states on the eve of the opening of the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
He called for the building of productive capacity and expanding opportunities for decent employment for people in LDCs.
“It means guaranteeing space for civil society and the private sector to operate. It means expanding the provision of essential services – education, health, infrastructure and social safety nets, especially for nutrition security,” Ban said.
“To achieve this, you will need the engagement of a wide range of partners traditional donors, emerging economies and the world of business,” said Ban, urging the leaders “not to allow the new atmosphere of global austerity to undermine progress”.
He said implementation of resolutions that would be made at the end of the conference must be priority.
"Even when we leave Istanbul with a comprehensive programme of action, there will be no time to relax. The promises made here in Istanbul must become promises kept,” said Ban.
President Rupiah Banda is among the world leaders attending the summit. In his keynote speech, President Banda said tackling poverty remained Zambia's key priority.
The conference will assess the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action – the outcome document adopted at the 2001 LDC conference – and to reach agreement on a new set of support measures for the 48 nations classified as LDCs.
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UN an appendage of US State Department
EDITOR — The UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon is coming through as a tool of the West, especially the United States of America that recently sent him on an errand to Malawi.
It’s no secret that for one to head the world organisation, one has to be anointed by the US, a development that has compromised the UN to the extent that the US can disregard whatever the UN says, a case in point being the illegal invasion of Iraq.
This flagrant violation of international law explains why seasoned leaders like President Mugabe have been calling for the reform of the United Nations.
I don’t think we should call the UN "the world body" because to all intents and purposes it is an appendage of the US State Department since the US even determines who can and cannot be given a visa to attend the UN General Assembly meetings.
Even when our African brothers; Boutrous Boutrous Ghali of Egypt and Kofi Annan of Ghana; got a turn at the helm of the UN, they were still found wanting because of Washington’s stranglehold over the UN.
And when we all thought the ‘‘new moon’’ over the UN headquarters would bring enlightenment, it is proving to be Uncle Sam’s shadow.
For instance, when Malawi locked up a gay couple, the Americans dispatched Ban to Lilongwe to persuade President Bingu wa Mutharika to pardon the deviants. Sadly, President WaMutharika gave in and pardoned the two homos. It will always be a sad day in Africa when we compromise our principles for fear of losing aid.
As Africans, we must remain steadfast on matters of principle even if it means inviting the wrath of the morally degenerate.
The US knows that it is difficult to promote immoral acts like homosexuality in Africa hence their decision to send Ban to preach the truncated gospel of human rights.
African countries should not allow this abhorrent behaviour to stain their morality-driven societies.
Campion wekwaMereki.
Harare.
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Ban calls for investment in food production, distribution
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Saturday, October 17, 2009 1:15:17 AM
UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday said there is urgent need for attention to respond to the needs of the hungry by ensuring adequate political and financial support for emergency food assistance.
And European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid Karel De Gucht has said that food insecurity is posing a serious threat to achieving all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of ending abject poverty by 2015.
Commenting on the 2009 World Food Day whose theme is ‘achieving food security in times of crisis’, Ban stated that challenges of food security demand multilateral commitment, creativity and leadership.
“At this time of crisis, I encourage all nations to pursue coordinated and comprehensive strategies for agricultural development and effective social protection so that vulnerable people can get the food they need for nutritional security and well being,” Ban stated.
“Throughout the developing world, food prices remain stubbornly high. We must respond to the needs of the hungry by ensuring adequate political and financial support for emergency food assistance and the 2009 theme, emphasises the need for even greater efforts to respect the dignity of those affected by poverty and hunger and to support the committed women and men who often risk their lives to deliver help.”
He stated that food and nutritional security were the foundations of decent life, sound education and the achievement of the MDGs.
“Over the past two years, volatile food prices, the economic crises, climate change and conflict have led to a dramatic and unacceptable rise in the number of people who cannot rely on getting the food they need to live, work and thrive hence the need to invest in food production and distribution,” stated Ban.
And De Gucht stated that the World Food Day must serve to remind people about doing something to prevent more than a billion people from going hungry.
“To meet the challenge, the EU's 1 billion euros food facility is delivering fast and tangible results by giving small-scale farmers across developing countries the seeds and fertilisers needed to boost their agricultural production,” stated De Gucht.
“We will build on the experience we have gained in implementing the food facility to ensure the new pledge made at the G8 summit in L’Aquila is just as effective in battling global hunger. More than one billion people in the world are malnourished; that's 15 per cent of all humanity. This figure is on the rise in the wake of the food and financial crises. Food insecurity thus represents a real threat to achieving all the MDGs of ending abject poverty by 2015.”
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, FOOD, WORLD FOOD DAY
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Ban warns over challenges facing developing countries
Written by Maluba Jere
Monday, December 22, 2008 8:46:59 AM
DEVELOPING nations are facing multiple global challenges that threaten to reverse development progress as never before, United Nations (UN) secretary general Ban Ki-moon has warned.
In his message to mark the fifth observance of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, Ban urged developing nations to share their experiences, policies and technologies to ensure that hard-won gains were not lost.
“Today, the worldwide crises in finance, food and climate change call for even greater cooperation among developing countries,” he said.
Ban noted that while countries of the global south had in previous years recorded considerable development gains to celebrate, the worldwide crises in finance, food and climate change called for even greater cooperation among developing countries.
He said the South-South cooperation could play a significant role in the fight against climate change, which he termed “the quintessential global threat.”
Ban noted that many developing countries were adopting low-carbon development paths, backed by renewable energy and energy efficiency and encouraged countries to share these experiences, policies and adaptation technologies.
And UN deputy secretary general Asha-Rose Migiro highlighted the crucial role that horizontal cooperation could play in helping calm the impact of current challenges.
“This celebration of South-South cooperation comes at a propitious time as the world struggles to find a way out of the financial, food and fuel crises,” said Migiro.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, DEVELOPMENT
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‘Financial crisis may erode economic gains’
Written by Maluba Jere
Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:47:
UNITED Nations secretary general Ban Ki Moon said there is a clear risk that the recent improvements in social and economic indicators could be eroded or reversed due to the global financial crisis.
In his message to mark this year’s Africa Industrialisation day which fell yesterday (November 20) under the theme ‘Processing of Raw Materials for Sustainable Growth and Development’, Ban said the accelerating impacts of challenges such as climate change were becoming more apparent, saying although the full impacts of these crises are not yet known, some of the effects were already being felt.
“This year’s observance of Africa Industrialisation Day takes place at a challenging time. We face a global financial crisis. Food and fertiliser prices are significantly higher than they were two years ago,” he said.
Ban emphasised that the ability to process raw materials into high value added goods was essential. He noted that industrialisation had led to broad-based development and economic transformation in other parts of the world saying it can and must do the same in Africa.
“On this Africa Industrialisation Day, let us pledge to do our utmost to strengthen African industry so that it can play its rightful, catalytic role in sustainable economic growth and the eradication of poverty,” Ban said.
Ban has since warned that the global economy will hit exporters of primary products hard as they account for more than 50 per cent of the value of Africa’s exports.
“This makes the continent especially vulnerable to global economic shocks,” he said.
“It is essential for Africa to be able to process its raw materials into higher-value products, both for domestic consumption and for exports. Malaysia and Thailand, for example, are among the countries that have progressed rapidly by moving into processing their primary and mineral products into high-value-added products.”
He observed that more than half of Africa’s people were employed in the agricultural sector, adding that the development of the agri-business and agro-processing industries was essential.
“In many cases, domestic markets already exist for these products. There is also great potential for links with other sectors of the economy, which would provide opportunities for employment and economic growth,” said Ban.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, NEOLIBERALISM, RECESSION
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UN chief hails Zimbabwe pact
AFP
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:51:00 +0000
UN boss Ban Ki-moon on Monday hailed the joint pledge by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to launch full-fledged talks to end their election dispute.
"The Secretary General welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties in Zimbabwe, which provides a framework for formal talks to end the political crisis in the country," Ban's press office said in a statement.
The UN chief also praised South African President Thabo Mbeki and his mediation team for their efforts "in facilitating the signing of this agreement."
Ban renewed the UN's commitment to support these mediation efforts and urged all sides "to engage, in good faith, in serious talks that would lead to a lasting solution to the political crisis and address the urgent economic and humanitarian needs of the Zimbabwean people."
At a ceremony in Harare overseen by Mbeki earlier Monday, Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a joint agreement on a framework for fully-fledged talks to end their country's months-long political crisis and shook hands in their first meeting in a decade.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, MoU, UN, ZIMBABWE
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ICT should be accessible, says Ban
By Mwila Chansa
Saturday May 17, 2008 [04:00]
INFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and services should be made accessible to meet the needs of persons with disabilities, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said. And transport and communications minister Dora Siliya observed that as Zambia commemorated the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, it was important to realise that ICT was not the future because the future was already here.
In his message on the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, which falls today, Ban stated that the reach of communication technology was not universal and its benefits had not been shared equally.
"The World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005, linked ICT with human development and called on member states to build a global inclusive, people-centered and development-oriented information society through the sharing of information and knowledge," Ban stated.
He added that the summit also urged member states to address special requirements of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups and that this year's theme which is ‘Connecting Persons with Disabilities' highlighted the importance of making ICT accessible to persons with disabilities.
"There are an estimated 650 million persons with disabilities worldwide. Including their families, there are nearly two billion persons who are directly affected by disability, almost a third of the world's population," he stated.
Ban added that it was important to remember that anyone could become disabled at any moment.
He called for a change in attitude towards persons with disabilities so that all their fundamental rights and freedoms could be honoured, including the right to fully participate in the information society and bring forth input, ideas and effort from their community.
Ban further urged policymakers and industry leaders to accelerate scientific and technical research aimed at developing technologies that would be inclusive and accessible to all.
"On this day, let us pledge to adhere to the guiding principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and work together to connect all human kind equally to the present opportunities and those yet possible in our ever evolving world," stated Ban.
And Siliya said there was need to mainstream ICT in all government services through e-governance and in business through e-commerce.
She said mainstreaming provided real opportunities for the provision of jobs especially for young people.
Siliya also said in countries that had recorded rapid ICT growth, there had been a corresponding growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, ICT
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he is deeply concerned about the sharp rise in global food prices.
Mr Ban said the trend would hinder progress towards the millennium development goals (MDGs), which aim to halve extreme poverty by 2015. The UN World Food Program (WFP) and other agencies may be forced to ration food aid, he said in a BBC interview.
He said shortages might be eased by a "green revolution" to transform farming methods in Africa. Global food prices have risen by 40% in nine months and food reserves are at their lowest for 30 years. The WFP is facing a $500m (£248m) shortfall in its attempts to feed 73 million people this year.
'Political challenge'
Mr Ban said that "many countries in particular in Africa they now have to pay double or triple the price for their bread," and warned that this would lead to increased malnutrition.
"This will all affect our MDG programmes - I am very much seriously concerned about this," he said.
The change has been blamed on poor harvests, population growth, rising energy and grain prices, the effects of climate change, and a shift to biofuel crops.
Although one UN official has called the increasing use of crops for fuel rather than food a crime against humanity, Mr Ban said there was a need to balance the positive and negative aspects of biofuels.
Among possible solutions, he said that "there is broad consensus that more resources should be provided to help an African green revolution".
But he cautioned that transforming commitments into action would be a "huge political challenge".
"We need to rededicate and commit ourselves by galvanising political will, by mobilising necessary recourses."
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, BBC, FOOD, GREEN REVOLUTION, UN
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