Sergio Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (TBC); Sergey Kislyak, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. and an expert on weapons of mass destruction; Max Kampelman, Former Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Negotiations with the Soviet Union on Nuclear and Space Arms; Ved Malik, Former Chief of Army Staff of India (TBC); and John Mroz, President of the East West Institute, to brief on a new initiative to break the logjam on nuclear non-proliferation
This was discussed as an action agenda and seizing the moment. They said that many people are asking questions about armaments. The concept is to launch an effort to build consensus.
Ambassador Kislyak: It is not a Russian initiative , but they have been invited to comment and participate in the debate. Russia has put forth initiatives. What is missing is a willingness to work on this. Nuclear weapons security is important to be worked on. The START treaty expires next year. Russia has always been supportive a nuclear free Mid-East. On the issue of regional enrichment centers the issue is to make it attractive to countries like Iran but you need to make it a joint venture. The proposal is to have Russians servicing the centrifuges. So far the Iranian government has not accepted this proposal but they have not rejected it. Other former Soviet Bloc countries have been interested in the proposal. The current treaty is for reductions and verification of those reductions. It is being implemented successfully. What the Russians want is to also cover delivery systems and that includes a number of rules that they have established such as accounting rules. Some of our American friends do not see the post START treaty in the same way. There are things that must go first before you start the zero option such as START. The question is how do you move to zero? It has to be practical not just theoretical.
Ved Malik: When it comes to nuclear weapons this must be discussed on a global level not regional.
John Mroz: It is now possible to speak in the US for the first time to get rid of all nuclear weapons. It could not have been spoken about before. This is a mobilization to work with many other NGO’s. Assumption that this is a new time and that also the global economic crises is related to this. There was real verification that the North Korean’s nuclear facility was destroyed. In the Secretary General’s Five points that he proposed today were actionable items. Things are in flux and the question is how you can use this time.
Ambassador Kampleman: This is an effort by both Democrats and Republicans to understand that the world is in serious danger. There is a keen and not a partisan interest in disarmament. Recent public opinion polls show that this issue concerns the American people. The task is to have a coordinated effort. The human race is theoretically in some danger. The Zero option is not making a campaign for fewer weapons we are making a campaign for zero weapons. One weapon can do enormous damage.

Kemal Dervis, U.N. Development Programme’s (UNDP) Administrator, held a press conference today to launch UNDP’s report entitled “Post-Conflict Economic Recovery: Enabling Local Ingenuity.” The report highlights that when countries are ravaged by war, economic recovery is a formidable challenge.
The report cites examples of countries that have succeeded in boosting post-conflict economies and those that continue to flounder. It notes with importance local dynamics as a foundation to promote indigenous and women’s roles in the economy as well as the creation of a community based national plan that addresses the needs of all members of civil society.
“This holistic view of post-conflict recovery is based on experience UNDP has gained working in many countries around the world, many of them devastated by violent conflict,” said UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş. “It has enabled us to reconsider our role in helping countries to build back better after months, years or decades of conflict.”

The UN’s Dr. David Nabarro, System-wide coordinator for the Human and Avian Influenza virus briefed reporters today on the latest progress report of United Nations partners in mitigating new cases. One-hundred and forty eight countries provided data for the joint report by the World Bank and the UN entitled: “Responses to Avian Influenza and State of Pandemic Readiness.”
Countries high on the pandemic list include Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India and Indonesia. An estimated 70 million are expected to die should a severe global outbreak occur. A ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on October 24-26 to pursue further discussions with countries on improving their national preparedness plans.
Due to increasing global financial burdens, many officials worry that many plans for a pandemic may well fail once the illness starts to spread. The World Bank estimates the global economic cost of the pandemic could top $3 trillion dollars.
Dr. Nabarro works with UN partners to ensure there is a system-wide effort to support effective local, national, regional and global preparations for a potential human influenza pandemic – so as to reduce the human toll, as well as the economic and social disruption, that this pandemic could cause. He asked for more to be done to ensure that countries are ready for a major global crisis in the event of an influenza pandemic.
To date, 245 people have died of avian influenza. There were 28 confirmed deaths in 2008 compared to 59 in 2007. Several trends, including climate change and exponential growth in human and livestock populations and massive urbanization are believed to be the causes for increased cases of the illness.
UN General Briefing:
The UN Secretary-General is at Harvard’s Kennedy school to speak about the global financial crisis. He will discuss exports and imports of global goods which he states endanger all countries– rich or poor, and are highly contagious. He will also discuss global financial stability.
The Secretary-General also released his report on African Union troops in Darfur. The Security Council will take up the report for recommendations and review on Oct 28. The government and parties continue to approve a military solution but protection of civilians remains a big concern. The Secretary-General urged the government of Sudan and rebel groups to fully cooperate with peacekeepers. The Security Council is holding a meeting today on the peace-building commission. The Secretary-General also gave the latest update to General Assembly on the improvement of the status of women in the UN system. There was a strong recommendation to accelerate progress since women’s employment has been marginal.
The Iraqi Edu channel was launched today to help boost educational programs for children suffering under war and conflict. Episodes will air 24 hours a day to help children meet urgent education needs.

World Food Day is commemorated annually on October 16 to recognize food shortages among the poorest countries. According to the UN, hunger continues to plague the poorest people across the globe. Nearly 1 billion people remain hungry on a daily basis. Rising food shortages, climate change and high fuel costs are exacerbating the situation. Most victims of hunger live in rural areas where their main source of income is the agricultural sector. Global warming is threatening to push the number of hungry even higher in the decades to come.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) met with UN officials today to highlight the increase in violence throughout the country. Many civilians in North Kivu have had to flee from their homes.
In Somalia, direct talks are now being set up for October 25-26 to address the growing frustration and lack of support for African Union peacekeepers. Tensions have escalated significantly in recent months. A preparatory meeting for the talks has been scheduled for Monday, October 20 in Stockholm.
UNICEF has called for urgent action to be taken to boost primary and secondary education in Zimbabwe. The Organization said poor salaries for teachers and a lack of school attendance are main causes of the decline.
In Sri Lanka, a major food convoy was forced to turn back due to fighting. The UN continues to dispatch food aid to the internally displaced in the northern districts. An estimated 230,000 civilians have been forced from their homes due to fighting between the Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil Tigers.
The Security Council voted unanimously yesterday to continue the work of the expert group on Sudan which has been tasked with investigating suspected government led atrocities in Darfur and to deal with the humanitarian crisis throughout the region.

The UN Secretary-General is in Geneva to attend a working dinner on the crisis in Georgia. Technical meetings will be held tomorrow. The SG will also meet with representatives from UNCTAD , the European Union, Security and Cooperation for Europe and UNHCR. Later today, he will meet with the French Foreign Minister, EU High Representative, Javier Solana, and with the Joint African Union and Chief Mediator for Darfur.
In response to the global financial crisis, the Secretary-General has called for concerted action and more coordinated approaches by governments and indicated the severe impact on the poor. He hopes the DOHA Conference on Financing for Development next month will provide an opportunity for more clarity on the crisis. The President of the General Assembly will hold a meeting at the end of this month to discuss the crisis with member countries and to how it may drastically affect reaching the Millennium Development Goal targets by 2015.
The UN Mission Representative on Afghanistan reported to the Security Council on the deteriorating situation as civilian casualties continue to increase. However, the strengthening of the Afghan police force was cited as a success.
The World Health Organization launched World Health Report 2008 outlining health imbalances in life expectancy which now exceed 40 years. The report shows that many health systems have lost their focus on fair access to care and the erosion of trust has increased social instability in especially developing countries. The report recommends a return to a primary health care approach.

TRNS sits down with Colombian native Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations from 2003-2007. He shares his views on the global economic crisis and its impact on developing countries.
Ocampo is currently a Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and Director of the Program in Economic and Political Development at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.

There was briefing at the United Nations today on the situation in Haiti. The briefer Hedi Annabi is the Secretary General’s Special Representative to Haiti.
He said it is a different country than before the four hurricanes. A new government was installed on September 5th, and the new government has been very involved. There are huge infrastructure problems with electricity, roads, etc. Hedi Annabi called it a catastrophic situation. What has happened is way beyond the capacity of the government, he said. The UN is helping to build institutions such as reform for Haitian police. They hope to be able to reach 14,000 police by 2011. The goal is to have them perform basic police functions. Also they are working on a judicial
plan. A lot more needs to be done to respond to security threats within the country. He called it as close to you can get to “hell on earth.”
The World Bank is providing $25 million in assistance. It is a difficult global situation. The investment situation will avoid costs of future instability. This remains a time of hope for Haiti. Mud has dried in some areas and has turned into cement. The government has deployed heavy equipment as well as volunteers. School year in some parts of the country has not begun. Haiti is only halfway through the hurricane season. Some things like the prison system are totally overwhelmed. The international standard is 2.5 meters per prisoner, but in Haiti it is 0.05 meters per prisoner which makes it impossible to lie down. He said that it is the poorest country in the hemisphere and that there are things that can have immediate impact.

United Nations, October 9 2008:
The United Nations General Assembly President, H.E. Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, praises the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and its Fund for tackling the burdens of reconstruction and rebuilding in post-conflict situations.

Author Peter Andreas explains the two sides of criminality in armed conflicts, and how it’s role is often misinterpreted.

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Have United Nations workers and other NGO volunteers always maintained peace, or have they been the central piece to a war economy?
Scholar and author Peter Andreas of “Blue Helmets and Black Markets: The Business of Survival in the Siege of Sarajevo” portrays in his new book the double-sided affects of the international involvement during the Siege of Sarajevo. Andreas stressed that the Unites Nations was a main player in the siege’s peacekeeping, but it also allowed an underground criminal economy to facilitate positive and negative forces in Sarajevo.
Andreas said, “criminality involved looting the city, but also saving it. It involved perpetuating the siege, but also ending the war. And it involved state deformation and formation at the same time”. Andreas said the criminal underground emerged in the absence of an organized army in Sarajevo, and became “overnight patriotic heroes.” In a secret tunnel beneath the Sarajevo Airport, these criminals served as profiteers—selling cigarettes, alcohol, and arms—as well as a lifeline, providing money, medical supplies and an escape for civilians.
The UN controlled the airport during the siege. It was through the airport that civilians and criminal leaders ran their market of aid and corruption. Although he recognized that NATO air strikes were significant in the siege’s conclusion, he says most of the war’s conclusion was due to the shifting military balance in the arms embargo under the UN controlled airport. International aid was significant in publicizing and aiding the siege, but Andreas’ “backstage” conclusions may be the reason there is now a new criminalized elite in Sarajevo and elsewhere in Bosnia.