NEW YORK: The United Nations has opened its 19th office in Afghanistan in Tirin Kot, the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan, as part of its continued expansion across the strife-torn nation. “We are here to reach out to all citizens of Uruzgan, to meet their humanitarian needs, to help build institutions and to support development,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Special Representative Kai Eide said at the opening. “I hope our presence will be welcomed by allincluding the armed opposition”, he said.

Eide, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNANA) said he hoped the expansion of the world bodys presence across different provinces will encourage others to follow suit. “Our ambition is to serve as a magnet for others; for UN agencies in development and humanitarian work; for NGOs and development agencies,” he stated. “The opening of our office should serve as a signal encouraging others to come and work in this province.”

The Special Representative added that the UN is continuing to expand and hopes to have a permanent presence in 20 provinces by next week. UNAMA currently has offices in Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Bamiyan, Kabul, Gardez, Ghor, Kunar, Khost, Nimroz, Badghis, Maimana, Faizabad, Daikundi and Zabul provinces. In addition, it has two liaison offices in Tehran and Islamabad. NNI

ISLAMABAD: The UN has accepted Pakistan’s claim to extend its maritime exclusive economic zone by a further one hundred and fifty nautical miles. Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Azam Khan Swati said Pakistan filed its case at the UN on 30th of the last month and it got the historic success two day ago.

After the UN acceptance, Pakistan will have right on all the resources of this additional maritime zone. He said under the UN laws a complete survey of the area was conducted which indicates that Pakistan will get economic benefits from this extended maritime zone.

This will direct contribute to the petroleum and mineral sector in general and to the offshore maritime industry and market in particular. The Federal Minister said that only twenty nine countries of the world have so far availed the right to file case in the UN. NNI

On the eve of the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, the UN refugee agency is again appealing for the immediate release of John Solecki, who was abducted in Pakistan nearly eight weeks.

“The last we heard, John’s health was deteriorating and we are increasingly worried about his medical condition,” Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters in Geneva today, the 50th day of captivity for the agency’s head of office in Quetta.

Mr. Solecki was abducted in an attack on 2 February that also left another colleague, Syed Hashim, dead.A group known as the Balochistan Liberation United Front claims to be holding him and has demanded the release the people it says are in Pakistani custody. Since 2004, rebels in the province have called for political autonomy and a larger share of natural resource profits.

Mr. Solecki is one of 19 UN staff members currently under arrest, detained or missing. The annual International Day is aimed at raising awareness globally of the risks faced by UN staff and its non-governmental organization (NGO) partners and journalists in carrying out their work.

“High Commissioner António Guterres and more than 6,000 UNHCR staff in some 120 countries around the world don’t really need a special day to remember John because he and his family have been in our thoughts each and every day since 2 February,” Mr. Redmond said.

“But the High Commissioner wants to take this occasion to remind everyone that attacks on humanitarian workers are occurring all too often and in far too many places around the world,” he added. “People like John Solecki have one goal – to help those in need. Attacking them hurts all of us, but especially the most vulnerable.”UN News Service

ISLAMABAD: French Government has donated 100,000 euros (US$147,299) towards the UN refugee agency’s operation for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. Tens of thousands of people have been uprooted by the unrest in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas since August. This includes over 36,000 people living in 11 camps, and 60,000 people who have so far been registered as living in rented accommodation or with host families. Numbers are expected to grow as the UNHCR-supported registration continues.

“We chose to channel the assistance through UNHCR as we have full confidence in the work it does for IDPs and refugees,” said the French Ambassador to Pakistan, His Excellency Daniel Jouanneau. He added that France had also recently donated 300,000 euros to the UNHCR ‘s programme in Afghanistan.

As part of the UN response, UNHCR is leading efforts to support the government in the areas of shelter, protection and camp management for the IDPs. Together with the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, the agency has helped to establish three organised camps – Kacha Garhi I and II, and Jalozai – currently hosting 12,816 displaced Pakistanis. Basic services such as shelter, food, water, sanitation, health care and education are provided in these camps.

In addition, UNHCR is supporting the authorities in eight spontaneous camps by helping to ensure basic living standards and that needs are met. Overcrowded camps are decongested by moving families to Jalozai camp.

Winterisation is underway with the distribution of supplies such as blankets and plastic sheets. By the end of November, UNHCR had distributed some 7,500 tents, 28,000 plastic sheets, 87,000 blankets, 25,000 sleeping mats, 12,000 jerry cans and 13,000 kitchen sets. UNHCR has appealed for $17 million to meet these needs under a $54-million UN Humanitarian Action Plan. France’s contribution brings to $13.29 million the total funds received by UNHCR so far.-SANA

The United Nations refugee agency said today that some 276,700 Afghans returned to their homeland this year through its voluntary repatriation programme, 99 per cent of them coming from neighbouring Pakistan.

The remaining 1 per cent of returnees came from Iran and other countries, Ewen MacLeod, Acting Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, told a news conference in Kabul.

He attributed this year’s numbers to three main factors: the high prices of food and fuel which have strongly impacted Pakistan’s economy, the closure of the large Jalozai refugee camp in the Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and the “changing” security situation in Pakistan, particularly in NWFP, where the majority of Afghan refugees live.

Mr. MacLeod noted that over 5 million people have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, representing a 20 per cent increase in the country’s overall population. Some 4.3 million of them were assisted through UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme for Afghan refugees, the world’s largest for the past six years.

“I think it is very clear to everybody that an increase in a population with a refugee return programme of that dimension would represent a very sharp challenge for even a Western industrialized country. We are certainly not aware, in recent history, of any country that has absorbed so many people in such a short time.

“The solidarity demonstrated by the Afghan population in reabsorbing these huge figures is remarkable and without precedent anywhere else,” he added.

He said it is clear that return and reintegration in Afghanistan will become more challenging. The returnees face many difficulties, including lack of job opportunities, shelter and basic services such as health care and education.

“In order to create sufficient employment opportunities the economy has to grow at a quicker pace to absorb more workers in labour markets,” he stated.

Future challenges will be among the issues discussed at an international conference on return and reintegration, organized by the Afghan Government and UNHCR, which will be held in Kabul on 19 November.

UNHCR’s Afghan repatriation programme has now been suspended for the winter and will resume next March. The agency estimates there are still 2.8 million registered Afghans living in Pakistan and Iran.-UN News Service

The United Nations is rushing urgently-needed relief supplies to survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck south-western Pakistan earlier this week and the aftershocks that have followed. According to the South Asian nation’s Government, 150 people have died and 250 others injured.

Some 3,000 people have been displaced and 15,000 houses made of mud or wood have been destroyed by the tremors in Baluchistan province.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that winter-ready tents, blankets, warm clothing, health services and clean water are urgently needed for 7,500 families, and food items for 5,500 families. It noted that the Government has set up two camps for people affected by the 6.4 magnitude quake, and four additional camps are planned.

The UN World Food Programme is planning to supply one-month food rations – including biscuits, beans and wheat flour – to some 20,000 survivors, while the UN Population Fund has sent 3,000 hygiene kits to affected areas.-UN News Service

New York: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a change of pace and direction in Afghanistan, where the worsening security situation is hampering the efforts of the Government, the United Nations and international partners to rebuild the strife-torn nation. “Despite the enhanced capabilities of both the Afghan National Army and the international forces, the security situation has deteriorated markedly,” Mr. Ban writes in a new report released today.

The number of security incidents in August rose to 983, the highest since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and a 44 per cent increase compared to the same month in 2007.

Mr. Ban highlights three trends amid the recent deterioration in security, namely a greater focus by insurgent groups on areas that had been stable until now, more “sophisticated” planning of insurgent operations, and an increase in civilian casualties. “Civilians are also being killed as a result of military operations carried out by Afghan and international security forces,” he adds.

The deterioration of the security situation has hampered the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in carrying out its efforts, with 90 of the country’s nearly 400 districts identified as areas of extreme risk. In addition, attacks on aid-related targets and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have become more frequent and more deadly.

This is particularly disturbing given the worsening humanitarian situation in the country owing to a combination of conflict, drought and high food prices, which have left one-sixth of the population in need of food aid.

Mr. Ban says he is convinced that “a change of pace and direction is required,” in which, among other things, every party to the Paris Conference that took place earlier this year must do its utmost to implement the commitments made there as early as possible.“It is essential that the people of Afghanistan begin to see quickly and clearly that we have embarked on a new course and that it will produce results,” he states.

The International Conference in Support of Afghanistan, held on 12 June, saw fresh pledges of resources for the country’s rebuilding efforts, as well as the launch of the Government’s five-year plan to reduce poverty and promote economic and social development, known as the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS).

“Ultimately, success will depend on our ability to bring about a ‘political surge’ that musters the political determination to address those areas in which international and Afghan efforts have been insufficient, and to accelerate progress where gains have been made,” the Secretary-General writes.

He adds that the Paris conference, which saw not only the launch of the ANDS but also $21.4 billion in pledges for the country’s development, is among the positive developments in recent months, in addition to the increase in poppy-free provinces from 13 to 18, as reported in a recent survey by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

In a related development, UNAMA reported today that 190,000 children – most of them in the volatile southern districts of Helmand and Kandahar – could not be reached during a recent polio immunization drive because of obstruction or fighting. “We continue to appeal to the community to support full and safe access for health workers and help the goal of ridding Afghanistan of polio for good,” Spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Kabul. The UN and Afghan health authorities are planning to proceed with a further round of polio immunizations nationwide between 19 and 21 October.-UN News Service

New York: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the possibility of dispatching a United Nations fact-finding mission to Georgia, where nearly 160,000 people were uprooted by the conflict that rocked the Caucasus nation last month. “I have been personally engaged on Georgia on a near-daily basis since the outset of this crisis and have made clear the UN’s willingness to help in every way it can,” Mr. Ban told reporters in New York, adding that he sent UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres to the region immediately after the crisis started.

According to UN news service the details of the potential fact-finding mission have yet to be finalized, but the Secretary-General said it would comprise both humanitarian and human rights elements. The team would be lead by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with the participation of other UN agencies. “I have offered my good offices to facilitate international discussions, and we will explore possible peacekeeping or other arrangements for Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Mr. Ban said, referring to the two breakaway Georgian provinces which witnessed fighting.

His new Special Representative for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, has toured European capitals and earlier this week, had a “good meeting” in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Last month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to a six-point plan, which includes a commitment by all parties to renounce the use of force; the immediate and definitive cessation of hostilities; free access to humanitarian aid; the withdrawal of Georgian forces to their places of permanent deployment; and the convening of international discussions on lasting security arrangements for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The other principle stipulates the withdrawal of Russian forces to their lines of deployment before 7 August, and includes the additional provision that Russian peacekeeping forces may implement additional security measures pending the definition of an international mechanism.

Mr. Ban said that in line with that agreement, “the UN obviously has a role to play,” adding that the world organization can also contribute to international talks on Georgia slated for 15 October in Geneva. He also noted that UN agencies are striving to reach all those in need to supply relief.

A UN humanitarian convoy today was allowed in for the first time to deliver aid into the Russian-controlled area north of the town of Gori, which lies close to the border with South Ossetia. “This is a first step which we hope will lead to free and unimpeded access to previously inaccessible areas in Georgia,” said Robert Watkins, who serves as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country. “Humanitarian assistance must be provided to anyone wherever it is needed.”

Some four tons of supplies finally made their way into Patara Garadjivari, a rural farming village which saw a majority of its 1,500-strong inhabitants flee last month. Residents expressed concerns over their safety, and welcomed the UN aid as the first step towards rebuilding their lives. “I hope that access gained today by the United Nations will give rise to unimpeded humanitarian assistance to the areas north of Gori by all humanitarian actors,” Mr. Watkins said. Aside from supplies such as food, shelter, water and sanitation, and health care, conditions for dignified and safe return must be created, he said.-UN News Service

UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa warned that the perception that synthetic drugs are harmless can be dangerous. “While users experience increased confidence, sociability and energy, they can quickly become dependent and suffer serious mental health problems or even brain damage. Paranoia, kidney failure, violence, internal bleeding are among the side effects.” According to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) the use of synthetic drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine (meth) and ecstasy are on the rise in developing countries, including parts of East and South-East Asia and the Middle East.

Asia, with its large population and increasing prosperity, is fueling demand, says UNODC, whose 2008 Global Assessment reveals that the worldwide market for amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is an estimated $65 billion. Annually, its use surpasses that of cocaine and heroin combined.

ATS is being used as “a cheap and available tonic for our fast and competitive times – for entertainment in discos (mostly in the West), and for greater stamina in assembly lines and behind a steering wheel (in the East),” UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said at the launch of the report in Bangkok. The Assessment shows that while the use of synthetic drugs has stabilized and even decreased in North America and Europe, the problem has shifted to new markets over the past few years.

In 2006, almost half of Asian countries reported an increase in methamphetamine use. That same year, Saudi Arabia seized more than 12 tonnes of amphetamine – one quarter of all ATS seized globally. In 2007 the amount increased to almost 14 tonnes. Meanwhile, the number of seized methamphetamine laboratories in South Africa has gone up consistently for the past five years while domestic consumption has increased. Recently, the single largest seizure of ecstasy ever recorded, 4.4 tonnes, originating in Western Europe, was made in Australia, which is still struggling with a major synthetic drugs problem.

UNODC notes that the production of synthetic drugs is hard to trace since the ingredients are readily available for legitimate industrial purposes. Methamphetamine, for instance, can be cooked up in the kitchen, and pills can be pressed in a garage.

“Suppliers quickly adapt to the latest trends, and cater to local markets. When one lab is shut, another opens. When one type of precursor chemical is unavailable, producers switch to an alternative,” said Mr. Costa. “This presents a challenge to law enforcement since production is so close to retail outlets. Therefore, greater emphasis should be put on prevention.”

He added that the countries facing the brunt of the problem are also the least prepared to deal with it. To assist countries, UNODC has launched the SMART programme (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends), through which it will work with governments to improve their capacity to gather, analyse and share information on ATS products, their use, and on trafficking routes. “This should give us a better sense of how big the problem of synthetic drugs really is, and what more can be done to deal with it in terms of prevention, treatment and law enforcement,” Mr. Costa said.-UN News Service

ISLAMABAD: Seeking world body’s pro-active role in resolving the thorny issue of Kashmir amicably, the leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference lodged a sit-in protest in front of the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOGIP) office here. Holding banners and placards, the protesters chanted pro-freedom slogans demanding India quit Kashmir. Speaking on the occasion, Kashmiri representatives made a passionate appeal to the United Nations to discharge its duties vis-à-vis holding a free, fair and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir so that people of the state can exercise their right to self-determination, promised to them by the international community and the leadership of India and Pakistan respectively. Read the full story