Americas

UN comptroller says partial budget approval scheme might hobble operations

30 November 2005
Proposals to partially fund the United Nations to postpone battles over reform of the organization might leave it in serious financial straights in early 2006, the UN comptroller said, as he provided an update on budget negotiations in the General Assembly committee charged with the task.

UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti welcomes new dates for elections

28 November 2005
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti has welcomed the official new dates set by the Caribbean country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) for elections, saying informal proposals for previous dates had failed to take into account the technical requirements.

UN-organized elections workshop in Haiti allows candidates to air views

25 November 2005
More than 30 representatives of political parties, including a dozen women, took part today in a pre-electoral seminar organized by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) aimed at fostering a frank exchange of views.

UN food agency joins forces with Brazil to plan global meeting on agrarian reform

24 November 2005
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today announced plans to join forces with the Government of Brazil in organizing an international conference to review agrarian reform and rural development issues worldwide next March.

‘Deeply regretting’ US terms, UN rights experts turn down visit to Guantanamo

18 November 2005
Five independent United Nations human rights experts today rejected a United States invitation to visit its detention base in Guantanamo, Cuba, because the US Government did not accept standard terms for a “credible, objective and fair assessment,” including the ability to conduct private interviews with detainees.

Haiti: UN peacekeepers mount new anti-gang operation in capital

18 November 2005
Continuing their anti-gang operations in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, United Nations peacekeepers launched another raid in the Cité Militaire area yesterday after intense firing during the night sowed panic among residents.

Jamaican trade expert to head UN agency aiding developing countries’ exports

17 November 2005
A veteran Jamaican trade expert, Patricia Francis, has been named new Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), a United Nations technical cooperation agency whose mission is to help to promote exports of developing countries and countries in transition.

Annan calls on Assembly to quickly approve $1.6 billion Headquarters renovation

17 November 2005
With the United Nations landmark Headquarters on New York's East River failing fire code, security, environmental and hazardous materials standards, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the General Assembly to approve without delay a nearly $1.6 billion plan to renovate the whole complex by late 2013.

Haiti: UN peacekeepers kill four, arrest 33 in new anti-gang operation in capital

16 November 2005
In their latest anti-gang operation in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, 200 United Nations peacekeepers waged an eight-hour gun battle yesterday with heavily armed men who attacked them when they were checking a barricade under construction, killing four of the assailants.

Poor in US face daunting challenges in getting out of poverty – UN expert

15 November 2005
Despite a multitude of federal and state social benefit systems in the United States, a raft of problems ranging from the high cost of health care to lack of low-cost housing impede people struggling to get out of poverty and can been seen as a human rights abuse, an independent United Nations rights expert said today.