Europe

Rural development project in Cameroon

Climate change threatens development efforts of world’s poor – UN official

31 March 2008
Climate change is among a host of new challenges that is making it increasingly difficult for the world’s poorest people to escape from poverty and hunger, the head of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said today.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe

UN political chief holds talks with Cypriot leaders

31 March 2008
B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, met today in Nicosia with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders as part of his current mission to assess how the United Nations can help the two communities on the Mediterranean island resolve their long-running dispute.
Ambassador Margus Laidre signs the Convention on behalf of Estonia

Estonia the first to sign UN-backed sea wreck treaty

28 March 2008
Estonia today became the first country to sign up to an international convention on the removal of lurking shipwrecks that pose dangers to navigation and the sea environment, while the head of the United Nations marine agency urged other States to follow suit.
UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura

UNESCO deplores separate killings of two Russian journalists

28 March 2008
The head of the United Nations agency mandated to defend freedom of the press and freedom of expression today condemned the separate murders of two Russian journalists over the past week, calling them “heinous crimes.”

General Assembly President holds talks with leaders in Finland

28 March 2008
Climate change, economic development and United Nations reform topped the agenda during talks between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Finnish Government leaders over the past two days in Helsinki.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe

Top UN political official to travel to Cyprus next week

27 March 2008
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe will travel to Cyprus on Sunday to assess how the United Nations can best assist the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach a settlement to the long-running dispute on the Mediterranean island.
Srgjan Kerim, President of the 62nd session of the General Assembly

General Assembly President meets Italian leaders and Pope Benedict XVI

26 March 2008
General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim has held talks today in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI and Italian Government leaders, discussing issues including climate change, United Nations reform, inter-religious dialogue and the fight against poverty during the first leg of his official European trip.
UNFICYP on patrol

UN completes safety check of proposed crossing point in Cyprus

26 March 2008
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today completed a sweep for unexploded ordnance in the area of the Ledra Street crossing point in Nicosia, which the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities last week agreed to open as soon as technically possible.

No progress in row over name of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – UN envoy

25 March 2008
The positions of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the official name of the latter country remain wide apart, despite intense efforts to broker a solution in recent months and the acknowledgement of both sides that a settlement would be in their best interests, the United Nations envoy on the issue told reporters today.

Greece, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to hold UN-backed talks

24 March 2008
The United Nations envoy tasked with helping Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia resolve their dispute over the official name of the latter country, will hold talks tomorrow with both sides at the world body’s headquarters in New York.