Asia Pacific

US lawyer named to Security Council panel on Al-Qaida sanctions

29 September 2004
A lawyer from the United States with expertise in identifying terrorists and freezing their assets has been named to a team tracking sanctions against Al-Qaida and the Taliban by the United Nations Security Council.

Annan calls for help to push forward democratic transition in Myanmar

29 September 2004
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today expressed his hope that countries would redouble their actions, and provide support for United Nations efforts, to move forward the democratic transition in Myanmar.
Polio vaccination

UN scheme to immunize 6 million Afghan children against polio begins

28 September 2004
At least 6 million young children across Afghanistan will be vaccinated against polio in a three-day drive starting today that is part of a campaign by United Nations agencies to wipe out the virus in a country where it appears to be on the decline.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro

Myanmar has not lifted its human rights performance, UN expert says

28 September 2004
The human rights situation in Myanmar has not improved, with large numbers of people in detention, harsh sentences for peaceful political activities and restrictions on the operations of opposition parties, the United Nations expert tracking the issue says in his latest report.

Annan hails push for democratization, rule of law by Southeast Asian nations

28 September 2004
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today praised foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations meeting in New York for their efforts to democratize their societies and strengthen the rule of law.

WHO in Thailand investigating possible spread of bird flu by humans

28 September 2004
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is helping authorities in Thailand determine if two recent cases of bird flu are evidence of the first human-to-human transmission of the virus, raising fears of a possible influenza pandemic.
USG Guéhenno briefs the Security Council

UN peacekeeping chief warns of attacks in Afghanistan as election date nears

28 September 2004
With only 11 days remaining before the people of Afghanistan go to the polls to elect a president for the first time in their history, the senior United Nations peacekeeping official today warned there may be many violent incidents around the country in the run-up as groups try to disrupt the electoral process.

Bird flu crisis of 'global importance,' UN agency warns

27 September 2004
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that the bird flu epidemic in Asia is a "crisis of global importance," and predicted that the virus, which continues to circulate in the region, will probably not be eradicated in the near future.

Nearly half of all working heavy weapons collected in Afghanistan, UN reports

26 September 2004
With momentum building for the collection of arms in Afghanistan as voters prepare to go to the polls in an historic election next month, the United Nations Mission there (UNAMA) today announced that nearly half of all operable and reparable heavy weapons in the country have been turned in.
Floods in Bangladesh

UN continues aid to Bangladesh in aftermath of massive flooding

23 September 2004
United Nations humanitarian agencies continue to bring aid to Bangladesh as heavy rains continue in the aftermath of massive flooding last month, the worst the country had suffered in decades, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.