Asia Pacific

UN envoy confers with ASEAN officials on Myanmar

3 October 2007
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari held talks today in Singapore with the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after concluding a series of meetings with senior leaders in Myanmar.
Ban Ki-moon

Ban Ki-moon welcomes steps towards achieving denuclearized Korean Peninsula

3 October 2007
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the announcement at the six-party talks – involving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States – in Beijing of the next steps towards achieving a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

UN Human Rights Council calls on Myanmar to release detainees, political prisoners

2 October 2007
The United Nations Human Rights Council, convened in special session, today strongly deplored the continued violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar, calling on the authorities to release without delay all those recently arrested as well as all political detainees, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ibrahim Gambari in Myanmar

UN envoy meets with Myanmar’s top general to discuss ‘current situation’

2 October 2007
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari today met with the South-East Asian nation’s top general on the last day of his mission in response to the deteriorating situation there amid reports of the use of force and of the arrest and beating of demonstrators.

Several Asian countries not on track to reach development goals – UN

2 October 2007
A new United Nations report finds that despite the region’s economic prosperity, some countries in Asia and the Pacific are not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight targets to slash such ills as poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy by 2015.

Inter-Korea summit can open new phase of peace, Pyongyang official tells UN

2 October 2007
The north-south summit between the two Koreas now under way in Pyongyang can open a new chapter in relations between the countries, a senior official from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) told the General Assembly today, calling for an end to “interference” in his country’s internal affairs.

Audit of UN-backed Cambodian tribunal shows recruitment irregularities

2 October 2007
The United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia set up to try Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other horrific crimes during the late 1970s has made public special audits commissioned by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) showing irregularities in recruitment.
Foreign Minister Taumoepeau-Tupou

At UN, Tonga calls on rich countries to be flexible on seasonal labour schemes

2 October 2007
Wealthy countries facing seasonal labour shortages need to be more flexible when crafting their policies towards workers from poorer States if they want to fill those gaps, Tonga’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate today.

Uzbek Foreign Minister calls on UN to play lead role in promoting tolerance

2 October 2007
The United Nations has a vital role to play in combating intolerance between people of different faiths, cultures and ethnic groups, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister said today in his address to the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate.

At UN, island and landlocked States urge concerted action against climate change

2 October 2007
At the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly’s high-level debate today, leaders of small island and mountainous landlocked countries alike called for intensified measures to tackle climate change.