lersus

BUCHAREST, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) must regain economic growth to keep up with the world\’s major economies, visiting President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said on Monday.

\”Our objective must be to return to a sustainable economic growth with an average of at least 2 percent, in order to preserve the European social model and to keep up with the world\’s major economies,\” Van Rompuy told a press conference in Bucharest on Monday evening, after meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu.

Van Rompuy detailed the topic related to the informal meeting\’s agenda on Feb. 11, emphasizing sustainable economic recovery.

\”We will discuss how we can ensure this economic recovery, will examine the way in which we will be able to quickly overcome the short-term challenges, difficulties related to this crisis and how we can implement the structural changes necessary to support a sustainable economic growth,\” he said.

Van Rompuy is on his first visit to Romania as President of the European Council.

\”I will need good, trusting relationships, with the EU member states\’ political leaders. These relationships will be crucial for the good performance of my mandate and for the member states\’ cooperation at the highest level,\” he said.

Van Rompuy arrived in Bucharest on Monday. He has scheduled many similar visits to other EU member states, ahead of the informal summit due on Feb. 11, at which the future growth strategy of the European Union will be discussed.

http://www.zokn.com

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean- Claude Juncker was re-elected on Monday as chairman to lead the 16- nation euro zone until mid-2012.

\”Jean-Claude Juncker was elected chairman of the Eurogroup for 2.5 years by unanimity,\” his spokesman Guy Schuller said.

The unanimous approval of his new term was given by finance ministers from the 16 eurozone countries at their monthly meeting in Brussels late Monday.

Juncker has headed the informal group of eurozone finance ministers since January 2005, presiding over their monthly meetings which are intended to improve coordination of economic policies within the single currency club.

The previous term for eurogroup chairman was two years and Juncker\’s latest mandate should expire at the end of 2010, but the European Union (EU)\’s Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in December, gives the eurogroup a formal status with a president who serves for two and a half years, making a revote necessary.

While eurozone finance ministers continue to meet informally, meaning they adopt no conclusions, they will now have greater scope to set their own rules on budgets and economic policy.

They can also vote on a unified eurozone position in international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and G20.

Juncker, 55, is the EU\’s longest-serving leader. He has been the Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 1995, and is also his country\’s treasury minister.

http://www.gtrip.net

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — The UN Security Council voiced \”deep sympathy and condolences\” to quake-hit Haiti and reaffirmed \”strong support\” for the island country, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Yesui, said here on Monday.

Zhang, who holds the rotating Council presidency for January, made the statement to the press after the 15-nation Council was briefed by UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on his visit to Haiti and his latest assessment of the situation in the Caribbean country.

? The UN Security Council voiced\”deep sympathy and condolences\” to quake-hit Haiti and reaffirmed\”strong support\”for the island country. (Xinhua Photo)

\”The members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Haiti and reaffirmed their strong support,\” Zhang said.

\”The members of the Council extend their deepest condolences to the families of Special Representative of the Secretary-general Hedi Annabi, Principal Deputy Special Representative Luiz Carlos de Costa, Acting UN Police Commissioner in Haiti Doug Coates, and all other members of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and other UN and international organizations who gave their lives for the highest ideals of the United Nations,\” he added.

\”They also convey their deepest sympathy to the secretary- general and the United Nations family for their tragic loss,\” Zhang said.

\”The members of the Council recognize the significant contributions of those who have fallen and express their sincere gratitude for the ongoing dedication of the staff, troops and police of MINUSTAH who work tirelessly for peace and stability in Haiti,\” Zhang said.

Forty-six UN personnel are now confirmed dead in the Haiti earthquake and more than 500 others are still missing, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here on Monday.

\”The death toll for the UN as a whole is 46,\” he said, adding that \”more than 500 are missing or unaccounted for.\”

Also among the confirmed dead in Haiti were eight Chinese police officers — four of them were members of the MINUSTAH and the other four were sent by the Chinese authorities on a temporary mission.

\”The members of the Council expressed their support to the proposal of the secretary-general to increase the overall level of MINUSTAH to support the immediate recovery and stability efforts,\” Zhang said. \”The members of the Council are working on a rapid response to the proposal of the secretary-general, and will follow the situation in Haiti closely.\”

Ban told reporters here on Monday that he asked the Security Council to deploy an additional 3,500 police and military personnel to boost the strength of the MINUSTAH.

\”I recommend that the Security Council boost the member of troops by 2,000, nearly 33 percent increase for six months\” and increase the number of UN police officers in the mission by 1,500, up 67 percent.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud said here on Monday that the UN Security Council \”will act very quickly and very strongly\” in deploying extra forces to aid in Haiti\’s recovery and strengthen the UN Mission in Haiti, known as MINUSTAH.

This statement came as Araud was speaking to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York after the 15-nation Council was briefed by UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on his Sunday visit to Haiti and his latest assessment of the situation in the Caribbean country.

A resolution is expected to be approved by the Council in the coming hours for the call to increase more troops and forces for Haiti.

\”We will act very quickly and very strongly,\” he said of the deployment of an additional 1,500 UN police officers and 2,000 troops in the Haiti mission, as recommended by Ban during his briefing.

The secretary-general asked the 15-nation Council to raise the number of UN police officers and troops in the Haiti mission after his one-day visit to the quake-hit country.

It is important to \”look at the near future in providing aid,\” Araud said as the increased military presence in Haiti is meant to provide support to the Haitian government.

\”Our job is not take over, but to support it,\” Araud said. \”Our contingent, which is making a great job, is already a bit outstretched.\”

In response to a UN call, France decided on Monday to provide 10 million euros (14.3 million U.S. dollars) to Haiti. \”France decided to respond to the urgent call for Haiti launched by the United Nations on Jan. 16 through a contribution of 10 million euros,\” Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a statement.

With the new pledge, France\’s assistance to Haiti amounted to around 20 million euros (28.6 million U.S. dollars), according to a government statement.

Kouchner also said Monday that an international conference for Haiti\’s reconstruction will take place on Jan. 25 in Haiti.

http://www.ceshq.com

MADRID, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon proposed on Sunday the European Union should organize a special mission to Haiti to help with quake relief and reconstruction efforts, said Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandezde la Vega.

Fernandez, whose country is the current holder of the EU presidency, was speaking to press after meeting with Ban and Haitian President Rene Preval in the Haiti capital of Port-au-Prince.

Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, a former Spanish colony, was battered by a 7.3-magnitudeearthquake on Tuesday, with Port-au-Prince being worst hit.

The UN is also considering opening up a so-called humanitarian corridor linking the Dominican Republic to Haiti, in order to boost the flow of aid to the nation, because the Port-au-Prince airport has been overwhelmed by the large number of aircraft arriving from across the world, the Spanish leader said.

Ban arrived in Haiti earlier on Sunday to see first-hand the impact of the catastrophe, to show solidarity with Haitians and UN workers and to speed aid distribution. He said that aid operations in Haiti had been moving slowly.

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said the quake has killed around 100,000 people.

http://www.kphy.com

UNITED NATIONS, April 29 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Security Council Thursday voted unanimously to renew the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for another year.

The 15-member Security Council adopted the U.S.-drafted resolution to extend UNMIS, which expires on April 30, 2010 until April 30, 2011.

The Security Council requested UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to continue in reporting to the Security Council every three months on the mandate implementation, as well as the progress on Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between northern and southern Sudan.

Stressing that the situation there \”continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,\” the Council took note in particular, the violence on civilians, especially in southern Sudan.

The Council further called on UNMIS to \”implement a mission- wide civilian protection strategy\” extensively throughout the area and to bolster support in areas of high risk.

Also commending the recent Sudanese elections, which came to an end on Monday, the Council stressed the importance of the full implementation of the CPA and reaffirmed their commitment to the \” sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity\” of the region.

\”Security in Southern Sudan and Darfur during the elections period is of concern,\” Ban said in his latest report to the UN Security Council, highlighting this \”sensitive\” time leading up to and immediately following elections.

The 10,000-strong UNMIS was launched in 2005 to monitor implementation of the CPA.

[随机用户名]

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has accelerated its talks with Greece on financial support to the debt-ridden European country, which will conclude disucussions in time to meet Greece\’s needs, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said here Sunday.

Strauss-Kahn met with Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou earlier in the morning, on the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington.

\”The minister and I had a very constructive meeting and I am impressed with the Greek authorities\’ determination to take the actions necessary to put their economy back on track,\” the IMF chief said in a statement.

\”Since we received the requests for financial suppport last Friday, our discussions with the authorities have accelerated. The IMF, the European partners, and everyone involved in the financia effort recognized the need for speed. I am confident that we will conclude discussions in time to meet Greece\’s needs,\” he said.

\”We are all aware of the seriouness of the situation and the courageous efforts being made by the Greek people,\” he continued.

Greece has asked European partners and the IMF for a rescue package of 60 billion U.S. dollars.

[随机用户名]

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) — International Monetary Fund ( IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Thursday warned the world economy is still in a \”dangerous place,\” and recovery, although faster than expected, is still fragile.

\”The world is still a dangerous place and I would not like that too many people have in mind that the crisis is over,\” Strauss- Kahn said to reporters on the fringes of an annual spring summit of the IMF and World Bank.

He identified risky areas such as high unemployment, especially in some advanced economies where it continued to rise, public indebtedness, and the fragility of recovery in G-7 and other advanced economies.

He admitted cooperation at the global level to confront the worst economic downturn in decades has borne fruit, as the IMF is forecasting a 4.2 percent growth of world economy next year.

\”Multilateralism and political policy cooperation is obviously the great legacy of this crisis and … it has to be maintained in a post-crisis world,\” said he.

He called for agreement in three key areas of reform by the end of this year, namely liquidity and capital, tools to address systemic risks, and cross border resolution issues.

[随机用户名]

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced here Friday that he will soon travel to Haiti, which was devastated by a massive earthquake earlier this week, to show solidarity with the people of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Jan. 15, 2010. The United Nations on Friday issued a flash appeal of 550 million U.S. dollars to provide emergency care to thousands of Haitians suffering from the fallout of Tuesday\’s earthquake that has devastated the country and created an epic humanitarian challenge.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

The secretary-general plans the trip at a time when the United Nations continues to rush aid to the victims. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake is said to have affected one-third of Haiti\’s 9-million strong population. Many of the people in the hard-hit capital, Port-au-Prince, do not have access to food, water, shelter and electricity.

UN emergency teams on the ground estimate that as many of half of the buildings in the worst-hit areas of the capital have been damaged or destroyed.

\”We are still in the search-and-rescue phase, and we are trying to save as many lives as possible,\” Ban told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.

With the top UN official in Haiti, Hedi Annabi, still unaccounted for, Ban dispatched Edmond Mulet, his former special representative to Haiti and current Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, to the country to assume full command of the UN Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH).

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Jan. 15, 2010.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Upon arriving in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Mulet held talks with Haiti\’s leaders, in which he stressed that MINUSTAH is in the process of building back its capacity and emphasized the UN mission\’s full support of the government as it rebuilds the devastated capital.

The secretary-general announced that he is also sending Tony Banbury, the UN assistant-secretary-general for field operations, to serve as Mulet\’s deputy.

\”I myself will go to Haiti very soon, both to show solidarity with the people of Haiti and our UN staff and to assess the situation for myself,\” Ban said.

A major humanitarian operation is under way, he said, and \”although it is inevitably slower and more difficult than any of us would wish, we are mobilizing all resources as fast as we possibly can.\”

UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Xinhua) — With hundreds of thousands of women and girls dying in pregnancy or childbirth every year and 10 to 15 million more suffering long-lasting disabilities, the United Nations on Wednesday announced steps for a multi-pronged campaign to fight the scourge.

Calling for urgent and strategic efforts, the Joint Action Plan urges all stakeholders, developed and developing countries, civil society actors, private businesses, philanthropic institutions and the multilateral system to each offer new initiatives and adopt an accountability framework that will keep maternal and child health high on the national and international development agenda.

\”The fact remains that one preventable maternal death is too many; hundreds of thousands are simply unacceptable — this, in the 21st century,\” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told key partners on the eve of a formal meeting that he has convened for Thursday to further develop a set of concrete actions to advance the Plan.

\”It has been 10 years since the launch of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),\” he said of the ambitious targets set by the UN Summit of 2000 to slash a host of social ills by 2015, including reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters. \”We are making great strides in some areas. In some countries maternal deaths are declining. That is great news.\”

\”But progress on maternal health is still lagging far behind. For too long, maternal and child health has been at the back of the MDG train, but we know it can be the engine of development,\” he said. \”So we say: women and children first. After all, a health system that delivers for mothers will deliver for the whole community. But, first, we must deliver.\”

Those present included President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, Vice President Boediono of Indonesia and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

On a personal note, Ban recalled that he himself was born not in a hospital but at home in a small rural village in Korea, where hospitals and clinics were then faraway luxuries, and older women from the community, often with experience as their medical training.

\”One of my strongest memories is the custom of women at the time as they went into labor,\” he said. \”They would look at their shoes before entering into the room and … just stare at their shoes, their simple rubber shoes. I remember seeing this once and asking my mother, but why? What is she doing? And my mother said, \’she is wondering if she will ever be able to step into those shoes again,\’ because at that time, there was no such medical help for women.\”

\”It was a plea, a quiet prayer: Let me make it through. Let me walk this earth again. Always, there were doubts. Far too often, there were tragedies. Many women died. Even today, in villages, towns and cities around the world, these fears remain all too real. In our world today, too many women lose their lives giving life,\” he said.