--- On Sat, 6/3/10, Global Policy Forum <gpf@globalpolicy.org> wrote:
From: Global Policy Forum <gpf@globalpolicy.org>
Subject: GPF Newsletter March 01-05
To: avnishjolly@yahoo.com
Date: Saturday, 6 March, 2010, 2:36
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UN | UN Begins Talks on a Withdrawal From Congo (March 4, 2010)
The Congolese government has stated it wants UN peacekeepers out of the country by the 2011 elections. The government is also eager that the UN announce a withdrawal by the 50th anniversary of Congolese independence. Alain Le Roy, the UN's Under Secretary General, has stated that a UN team will assess how MONUC - the world's largest peacekeeping mission - would start pulling out troops. (Guardian) Jerusalem Mayor Plans to Raze Palestinian Homes for Tourist Park (March 3, 2010)
The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Bakat, has unveiled plans to demolish up to eighty-eight Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem to create a new tourist park. The mayor stated that the program was a "necessary upgrade" and a "win-win situation for all." Palestinian officials denounced the move, stating Bakat's statement was part of a larger plan to bring Palestinians to confrontation. (Independent) There's a New Peace "Warrior" in Town (March 1, 2010)
A recent report, entitled "What Happened to Peacekeeping: the future of tradition," argues that peacekeeping has changed dramatically in the last ten years. Traditionally, peacekeeping forces were lightly armed with little room for initiative; however, the noughties have ushered in the new "peace warrior:" a better armed, combat enabled peacekeeper. The author argues this change should encourage Canadian troops to reenter UN peacekeeping operations. (Globe and Mail) Cyprus: Could Water Bring Peace? (March 2, 2010)
The 2008 drought in Cyprus has encouraged Greek and Turkish Cypriots to revive old plans to construct a massive underwater pipeline which would run from Turkey. Turkish Cypriot authorities call this the "pipeline for peace," and have offered to share the water with the Greek half of the Island. Some, however, such as the Greek Cypriot water director, fear that this pipeline will remain a pipedream.(Global Post) Yemen Threatens to Chew Itself to Death (February 26, 2010)
Water is removed from Yemen's water-table four-times as fast as it is replenished. Over forty-percent of this water is lost to the production of the narcotic qat. In Yemen, complete depletion of water reserves is expected in 2017. The World Bank predicts the country's oil reserves will be empty in the same year; oil revenues currently constitute seventy-five percent of Yemen's national income. As oil and water levels drop, a dangerous humanitarian crisis unfolds. Families already spend a third of their income on water. (BBC News) Expert Says UN Could Bury Goldstone Report(25 February 2010)
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, has stated that UN bureaucracy and the wishes of the US are threatening to bury the Goldstone report and its recommendations. Falk states that the delays "remove the reality" of what happened in Gaza last year. In November 2009, the Israeli government and Hamas were given three months to conduct their own investigations into the Goldstone report; however, neither side's efforts were sufficient. With a US veto expected for any Security Council resolution on Gaza and Ban Ki-Moon not taking strong leadership on the issue, human rights groups for Gaza are exploring alternative avenues for justice. (Ma'an News Agency)
Social and Economic Policy Severe Food Shortages in parched Eastern Region (March 3,2010)
Thousands of people have fled drought-affected eastern Syria. Those that remain are struggling to survive on limited food stocks. According to a WFP report 1.3 million inhabitants are affected by the food shortage. The report says the population will remain in "dire need" of food, agriculture and other assistance until mid-2010, when crops are expected to mature due to improved rainfall patterns.(IRIN) The Health Risks of a Big Carbon Footprint
(March 2,2010) This report examines the growing mass of research which suggest global warming poses serious health risks to populations in the developing world, particularly in Sub - Saharan Africa. Studies suggest that children, in particular, are already dying in large numbers as a result of a warming world. Women involved in agricultural work are also severely affected. A WHO assessment of disease and climate change, suggests that warming that has occurred since the 1970s has caused more than 140,000 excess deaths annually. (BBC News) Capital Controls Back in IMF Toolkit (March 1, 2010)
IMF staff has released a position paper in which they have retracted their previous rejection of capital controls. While the Fund maintains that imposing restrictions on capital mobility forgoes benefits of otherwise free-mobility, in certain circumstance the Fund admits "controls may be justified." Kevin Gallagher argues that this paper could not have come at a better time as recovery from the recent crisis in low-income countries can be destabilized by the flow of speculative capital. Gallagher challenges the Fund to now practice what they preach. (The Guardian) Fifteen Years After Beijing (February 23, 2010)
The 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women is taking place March 1-12, 2010 at UN headquarters in New York. This session is a follow up to the Platform-for-Action and Declaration established in Beijing fifteen years ago. In the spirit of this Beijing +15 Review, Kudzai Macombi, breaks down the issue of gender equality and empowerment and she analyzes global progress in 12 critical areas. (IPS Gender Wire) Children and Economic Growth (February, 2010)
This Policy Brief by Save the Children emphasizes how political orthodoxy around economic growth leaves vulnerable people out of the equation. The brief urges a discussion that brings together economic growth, equity and poverty reduction. The Brief says that while growth is a policy imperative of low income countries, countries with moderate rather than high rates of economic growth achieve better child mortality and under-nutrition results. Too often growth and social policies are pursued on separate tracks. (Save the Children)
Globalization Speaking Truth to Davos (January 29, 2010)
"Reform" was the buzz word at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, the annual "marketplace of ideas" for the global elite. But critics remain skeptical about the WEF's readiness to depart from business as usual. One alternative conference - the Other-Davos - convened in Basel to discuss more fundamental changes in the global economy. (Socialist Worker)
International Justice Gordon Brown to Stop Courts issuing Arrest Warrants for Foreign Officials (March 3, 2010)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced plans to change a British law that allows arrest warrants against foreign officials for war crimes and other violations of international law. The move follows after British courts' increasing action against visiting foreign officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction. As a result several high profile foreign officials have refused to travel to the UK, including Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni. Brown's announcement comes a few days after the arrest in London of Ejup Ganic, a former Bosnian vice president. Serbia accuses him of war crimes committed during the Bosnian war in 1992. (Telegraph) Arrested in Paris, the Widow Dubbed 'Lady Genocide' (March 3, 2010)
On March 1 2010, French authorities arrested the widow of the assassinated Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana. Agathe Habyarimana, an ethnic Hutu, fled to France in 1994 after her husband's death which triggered the Rwandan genocide killing nearly 800,000 people. Rwanda has requested Mrs. Habyarimana's extradition to stand trial before Rwandan courts for crimes against the Rwandan people. The arrest came less than a week after President Nicola Sarkozy's visit to Kigali and the restoration of diplomatic relations between France and Rwanda. The French and Rwandan government have repeatedly accused each other in the past of responsibility for the mass killings. (The Independent) Spain Throws Out Tibet Abuse Probe (February 25, 2010)
In July 2009, the Spanish National Court agreed to hear a lawsuit by Tibetan rights groups against seven Chinese leaders. According to these groups, 203 Tibetans were killed and about 1,000 hurt in China's crackdown of protests before the start of the Beijing Olympics. The Spanish court accepted the lawsuit on the basis of universal jurisdiction. Then, in November 2009, the Spanish government narrowed the definition of universal jurisdiction, after pressure from countries such as the United States, Israel and China. As a result, the Spanish court has now decided to drop its investigations into the complaint. (Associated Press)
Nations & States 10 Most Shocking Revelations of Blackwater South Park Controversy (February 24, 2010)
Following a six-month congressional investigation, Blackwater - working under the pseudonym Paravant - has been charged with stealing hundreds of weapons intended for the Afghan police. Paravant checked-out these weapons under the name Eric Cartman, a character from the US cartoon comedy South Park. Numerous other fears accompany the charges, including: the army's insufficient vetting of private contractors, the lack of adequate screening in private security employment and their lack of accountability. (The Atlantic Wire) Germany Says Stolen Tax Data Won't Harm "Stable" Swiss Ties (February 1, 2010)
Diplomatic relations between Germany and Switzerland soured up since last year, after German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said that the Swiss tax regime encouraged tax evasion. The current German government is now trying to restore friendly relations with its neighbor, but recent information on approximately 1300 German account holders in Swiss banks may damage relations anew. (Business Week)
UN Reform UN Women's Agency Remains Politically Paralysed (March 4, 2010)
Many have expressed frustrations with the UN's delayed implementation of a new gender unit. Colette Tamko, coordinator of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), attributes the inactivity to a lack of cooperation and support from members of the G77 and NAM as well as Russia and Japan. Tamko revealed that several G77 countries even regard gender architecture discussions as a "bargaining chip to advance their still undisclosed agendas." (IPS News) UNGA Libyan President on "Reforming" United Nations (February 23, 2010)
In a recent interview, UN General Assembly President Ali Treki described the UN's role as "marginalized" under the "hegemony" of Security Council permanent member states. He argued that restoration of the UN's role requires improved Secretary General selection procedures and greater accord between the Security Council and the General Assembly. President Treki highlighted various issues which impede efforts to amend the UN charter, and he also expressed concerns regarding the non-binding nature of UN resolutions. (BBC)
Iraq Blair Warned in 2000 Iraq War was Illegal (March 2, 2010)
A secret strategy paper withheld from publication reveals that an invasion of Iraq was discussed within the UK Government for more than two years before military action was taken, with the Foreign Office warning that an invasion would be illegal. The strategy paper was not published by the Chilcot Inquiry because the Government retains the power to veto the publication of classified documents. This raises serious questions about the powers of the Inquiry to reveal sensitive material that is in the public interest and necessary to ensure Government accountability. (The Independent) Iraq: Poor Selling Their Votes for Cash (February 27, 2010)
Selling and buying votes is illegal under Iraqi law. However, some of the Iraq's poorest voters are prepared to sell their votes for as little as US$5 to guarantee their allegiance in the election booth on March 7. "Elections are a beautiful opportunity to get some money, there are lots of people willing to sell their votes, and lots of people who want to buy them," stated Ahmad Salam, an "election agent," who currently has 100 people prepared to sell their votes to the highest bidder. (The Nation)
Empire? Habeas Challenges for Bagram Prisoners (March 1, 2010)
The US Government has detained an unknown number of prisoners at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan since 2002, some of whom have been held for up to six years without charge or a fair hearing. Concerned that Bagram has become the new Guantanamo, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed habeas corpus petitions to allow four prisoners access to lawyers and the opportunity to challenge in court the legality of their detention. (IPS)
The Guantanamo "Suicides:" A Camp Delta Sergeant Blows the Whistle (March, 2010)
On June 9, 2006, three prisoners at Guantanamo died suddenly and violently with Rear Admiral Harry Harris quick to declare the deaths "suicides." According to the US Naval Criminal Investigative Serivce documents, each prisoner had fashioned a noose from torn sheets and t-shirts, was able to bind their own hands, stuff rags into their throats and tie the noose to the top of the cell's eight-foot-high steel-mesh walls. Evidence suggests that the Obama administration has failed to seriously investigate the deaths and may have continued a cover-up of the possible homicides of these prisoners. (Harpers Magazine)
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