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Date sent: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 20:56:00 +0100
From: CNIS <[log in to unmask]>
To: CNIS <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: CNIS Issue 90
CNIS - eNews for the Commonwealth
Issue 90 12 June
2002
Contents:
1. McKINNON ON WORLD FOOD SUMMIT
2. MARY ROBINSON DELIVERS COMMONWEALTH LECTURE
3. COMMONWEALTH SCIENCE COUNCIL MEETS
4. KENYAN AWARDED JUBILEE TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP
5. CPU INVITES ASTOR AWARD NOMINATIONS
6. FUNDS TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY
7. 2002 WORLDAWARE BUSINESS AWARDS
___________________________________________
McKINNON ON WORLD FOOD SUMMIT
Delegates from more than 180 countries have gathered in Rome, Italy, for the
United Nations 'World Food Summit: Five Years Later' from 10 to 13 June
2002. It aims to halve the number of hungry people by 2015. Originally, the
summit was scheduled for 5-9 November 2001, exactly five years after the
1996 World Food Summit. But, following the 11 September terrorist attacks
in the US it was
postponed to June 2002.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, in a statement issued
today (12
June) said: "There is a real danger that the 'World Food Summit: Five Years
Later' taking place in Rome will not deliver results. Instead of generating
money to feed the poor, it could just feed more summits. That must not be
allowed to happen.
"It is a scandal that while the world is growing more food than ever before,
800 million people live each day in hunger." Mr McKinnon stressed that the
problem was access to food, not total world production. "Every day 24,000
people die from hunger, when we have the resources to prevent those deaths.
It is the will to end this scandal that has often been lacking.
"If we want to feed all the hungry people of the world, policy-makers at the
'World Food Summit: Five Years Later' must tackle the following priorities:
- Agriculture and rural development must be reinstated on the priority list of
international organisations: 75 per cent of the poor live in rural areas.
Agriculture is a major source of employment and income in most developing
countries. Technical assistance in these sectors is central to the
international development goal of poverty reduction.
- Commodity issues must be addressed: The food security of many Least
Developed Countries and single-commodity producers depends upon
adequate
income from trade. The capacity of these countries to import their food
needs is being severely impaired by falling commodity prices and falling
income.
- Uruguay Round promises must be kept: The continuation of export
subsidies and
domestic payments to farmers of the developed world, combined with high
tariffs
on primary products, constitute major barriers to developing world food
producers.
- Land reform: Insecure land tenure seriously restricts investment,
including in new technologies, while inequitable land distribution limits
access to the means of producing food. This issue cannot be ignored in
addressing hunger and poverty."
The Secretary-General added that the Commonwealth Secretariat stands
ready to
collaborate with other partners to act upon these priorities.
In the 1997-2001 period, the Commonwealth Secretariat implemented 348
projects in the agricultural sector, with a total value of nearly £10.6
million. A number of these involved collaboration with other international
organisations, for example with the Food and Agriculture Organisation in
implementing the Special Programme for Food Security in parts of Africa.
MARY ROBINSON DELIVERS COMMONWEALTH LECTURE
Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
delivered the
fifth Commonwealth Lecture in London on 6 June 2002, on 'Human Rights in
the
Shadow of 11 September'.
The High Commissioner emphasised that the urgency of finding an
appropriate
response to terrorism should not lead to an erosion of the hard-won human
rights in place and respect for human dignity and fundamental values. "It is
essential that the actions taken by states to combat terrorism be in
conformity with international human rights standards." She also argued that
the tragedies of 11 September did not, as some fear, herald the certain end
of an era of
international consensus on human rights. Rather, the international community
could continue to protect individual liberty and rights, while bringing
terrorists to justice. International security concerns should not disregard
compliance with agreed international human rights standards.
Mrs Robinson stressed that "the best antidote to extremism remains the
right to
freedom of expression and opinion and an independent media."
But she expressed concern that following last year's terrorist attacks in
the US, and despite efforts to develop the response to terrorism within the
framework of crimes under national and international law, "an alternative
language has emerged --- That language, which has shaped to a much larger
extent the response at all levels, has spoken of a 'war' on terrorism."
Consequently, she believed, in some parts of the world order and security
have become such overriding priorities that they have begun to cast a shadow
on democracy and human rights.
"This shadow can be seen in official reactions that at times have seemed to
subordinate the principles of human rights to other more 'robust' action in the
war against terrorism. There has been a tendency to ride roughshod over - or
at
least to set on one side - established principles of international human rights
and humanitarian law. There has been confusion on what is and what is not
subject to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 ---
"Evidence has been gathered by human rights NGOs, most recently by
Amnesty
International's Report 2002, that post-11 September, certain non-violent acts
have been considered as terrorism in some countries and excessive
measures have
been taken to suppress or restrict individual rights including privacy rights,
fair trial, political participation, freedom of expression and peaceful
association. Regulations controlling official surveillance are being lifted and
the right to asylum is being severely restricted."
Mrs Robinson pointed out that non-governmental organisations have been
consistent in asserting that human rights are not in opposition to security
but, on the contrary, one of its aspects. "They have reminded states that
there is no logic in discarding the very values that - in principle - they are
fighting to ensure. Yet, our Office is flooded with calls from human rights
defenders around the world, drawing attention to new restrictions and
oppressive measures."
She expressed concern that there is no international institution with a
clear mandate to assess whether measures taken and justified by a state as
necessary to combat terrorism are in violation of human rights standards
which
that state has accepted, or which would require that a derogation, or special
exception, be made. Her Office had been consulting with regional human
rights
organisations to share information and enhance the capacity to monitor the
human rights dimensions of actions taken to combat terrorism.
She stated that although abuses of emergency powers occurred before 11
September, they were at that time clearly criticised as impermissible
measures. "The great concern now is that where mature democracies blur
the lines or set a bad example, undemocratic regimes consider they are
given a green light to pursue repressive policies, secure in the belief that any
excesses will be ignored. It thus becomes more difficult to secure conformity
with basic standards and safeguards against abuse of power."
She observed that the Commonwealth is committed to developing solidarity
between the peoples of developed and developing states through economic,
social, cultural and humanitarian co-operation. "It is committed to conflict
resolution on the basis of shared values and principles of human rights and
democracy as laid out in the Harare Declaration. Continuing membership is
dependent on acceptance of those values and principles. Those whose
membership
is withdrawn or temporarily suspended, are actively encouraged to come
back in.
It is literally an organisation in which common values and common principles
are promoted for the common wealth or the common good."
The High Commissioner gave strong support to the Commonwealth Human
Rights
Initiative report of 2001 on Human Rights and Poverty Eradication, which
"provides a range of practical measures to instil a human rights based
approach
in poverty eradication efforts. I strongly commend them and urge member
states
to implement them."
She stated that it is of particular concern that the post-11 September
environment is reinforcing a fortress mentality within Europe. "As controls are
tightened, there is a coarsening of debate and of language used in speaking of
asylum seekers and immigrants in Europe. This, together with the
resurgence of
anti-Semitism and the rise in Islamaphobia, are challenges which must be
faced
by European leaders and citizens alike."
If the immediate challenge was to maintain the integrity of international
human rights and humanitarian law norms, there was also a long-term
agenda for
the human rights movement "to build a world of true human security. One
positive result of the tragedy of 11 September should be that we gear
ourselves to respond to the call of the UN Secretary-General when he urges
us to make this century the age of prevention, rather than reaction."
Mrs Robinson also underlined how important it is to recognise the links
between development, human rights and democracy, and their necessary
connection to security. There is need to adopt a rights based approach to
development through poverty eradication programmes and initiatives. Mrs
Robinson said it was now understood in a more profound way that no nation
can isolate or exclude itself from the effects of global problems of endemic
poverty and conflict. She welcomed the involvement of the private sector in
capacity-building to strengthen the administration of justice, the rule of law
and adherence to human rights standards in developing countries.
"There is perhaps no more fitting memorial, no more lasting testament to
those who lost their lives [on 11 September], than for world leaders to
commit to the implementation of a broader vision of security through justice
and equality," she concluded.
Before delivering the Lecture, Mrs Robinson had been introduced by
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon who said that throughout
her
career, she had "distinguished herself as a woman of courage, a woman of
action and a woman of conscience."
The Commonwealth Lecture, which aims to promote better public
understanding of
the Commonwealth, is organised by the Commonwealth Foundation in
collaboration
with other Commonwealth organisations. These include: the Commonwealth
Secretariat, Commonwealth Institute, Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association,
Institute of Commonwealth Studies, Malaysian Commonwealth Studies
Centre in
Cambridge, Royal Commonwealth Society and the Royal Over-Seas League.
The full text of Mrs Robinson's speech is available at:
www.commonwealthfoundation.com.
COMMONWEALTH SCIENCE COUNCIL MEETS
Commonwealth science ministers and scientists are this week discussing
how to
revitalise science and technology institutions in their countries at a meeting
in South Africa.
Their focus is on how this can be achieved through building upon grassroots
green innovations, facilitating technology exchange and networking, as well as
through creating a knowledge network for the improvement and sharing of
formal
and informal innovations throughout the Commonwealth.
The four-day annual meeting, the 41st of the Executive Committee of the
Commonwealth Science Council (CSC), opened on 10 June in Limpopo
Province, South Africa, and is being attended by 60 delegates. It includes an
informal gathering of ministers responsible for innovation, science and
technology in CSC member countries. The ministers' recommendations will
be presented to the CSC executive committee on 14 June.
The keynote speaker, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, India's Union Minister for
Human Resource Development, Science and Technology and Ocean
Development,
reminded delegates that it is not possible for the world to sustain the
present Western level of consumption. Dr Joshi, the most senior minister
responsible for science and technology in the Commonwealth and a
renowned
scientist, said that the CSC is strategically positioned to translate
'commonwealth' into 'sustainable consumption'.
He applauded the host of the meeting, Dr Ben Ngubane, for his efforts to
bring into the Commonwealth Knowledge Network (CKN) traditional
knowledge
and the knowledge generated by grassroots innovators which forms the
theme of
this year's meeting. Dr Joshi said that a new CKN should create an enabling
environment for respecting the knowledge generated by people in the
developing
world through working in the 'laboratory of life' for centuries. That knowledge
could be considered on a par with the knowledge generated in formal
laboratories, be they in the developing or the developed world.
Above all, Dr Joshi stated, "we need to understand that there exists an
unbroken wholeness between man and ecosystem, the ecosystem and our
planet Earth and the universe." The CKN was formed in November 1999 to
help Commonwealth member countries to use science and technology for
solving development problems through increased exchange of knowledge and
expertise.
Dr Ngubane, South Africa's Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and
Technology, and Chair of the CSC, had told delegates earlier in his welcome
address of the need to retool the CKN by looking ahead at what it can
become.
There was need for more collaboration and partnerships among members, he
stated, for "we face the challenge of how innovation, technology and science
can contribute more effectively to meet the development agendas of
communities with different levels of prosperity."
The CSC consists of Commonwealth government representatives promoting
the
application of science and technology for economic, social, cultural and
environmental development. Its secretariat is the Science and Technology
Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
KENYAN AWARDED COMMONWEALTH JUBILEE TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP
Dr Mary Ojoo, a Kenyan pharmacist, has won a £2,000 Commonwealth
Jubilee
Travel Fellowship offered by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the
Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) to mark the Golden
Jubilee of HM
Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth.
The fellowship, announced this month, is to enable a young pharmacist
registered in any Commonwealth country to visit another member country to
improve their practice skills and subsequently assist with the development of
pharmacy back home, explained Betty Falconbridge of the CPA. "The aim is
to help the personal development of a pharmacist who is seen as a potential
leader in his or her own country."
Dr Ojoo, who is chief pharmacist at Gertrude's Garden Children's Hospital,
Nairobi, will use her fellowship to travel to Australia in August 2002. She will
visit several drug information services to learn how to set up and run a
regional paediatric drug information service. She will also visit other centres
to learn about drug and therapeutics committees, training and accreditation,
national drug policies and drug regulation.
"I was greatly honoured to have been awarded the fellowship," said Dr Ojoo,
speaking from Nairobi. "I am particularly delighted to visit drug information
centres and see pharmacy in practice in a developed country. I hope my
experience in Australia will enable me to improve pharmacy practice in
Kenya and by doing so, spur on my colleagues to even higher standards."
She appealed for Commonwealth support for postgraduate education in
pharmacy for Kenyans and to help develop more postgraduate training
programmes for the job market. "I for one have been waiting for five years to
do a Masters in either clinical pharmacy or public health-related pharmacy
(drug management, essential drugs and rational drug use), but have been
unable to so far because of lack of funding."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the CPA said Dr Ojoo's application
had been well presented and had made a compelling case. "In it she
identified problems in her country, outlined what she would do with the travel
fellowship, what she expected to learn and how she would learn. Her goals
are realistic and she had a well constructed and clear plan of what she was
going to do," said Ms
Falconbridge. The panel which chose the recipient was certain that she could
put what she learned into practice and that the profession of pharmacy in
Kenya
would benefit from her fellowship.
Dr Ojoo's application was chosen by an adjudicating panel of senior officers of
the Society and the CPA and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's
representative on the CPA council. The panel considered 57 applications
from 21 Commonwealth
countries.
CPU INVITES ASTOR AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) is calling for nominations for the
2002 Astor Award, the 26th such award.
The Astor Award is presented to an individual or individuals considered to have
made significant contribution to press freedom or for distinguished service to
the Commonwealth newspaper industry.
"We are all increasingly aware of the pressures and restrictions under which
journalists all over the Commonwealth have to work on a daily basis and the
presentation of the Astor Award is an acknowledgement by our peers of this
ongoing struggle for freedom of expression," said Lindsay Ross, CPU's Acting
Director.
The now biennial award was created in memory of Lord Astor of Hever, who
was for many years the President of the CPU. His son will present the 2002
Award at the official opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Editors' Forum
and CPU Biennial
Conference in Sri Lanka from 7 to 11 October 2002.
The 25th Astor Award was won by Gilbert Ahnee, editor-in-chief of 'Le
Mauricien' in Mauritius. He dedicated the award to those he called the true
"heroes of journalism": those who in the face of legal and physical threats
continue to inform their readership professionally.
Mr Ahnee was chosen for his strong and lasting commitment to press
freedom
within the context of fairness and balance in a multi-ethnic society. "His
decision to create and moderate an e-mail forum for editors to follow up
relationships, campaigns and debates after the Penang Editors' Training
Forum of 1998 was also important," said Lord Wakeham, chairman of the
UK's Press
Complaints Commission, who had presented Mr Ahnee with the award.
Nominations for the 2002 Award should be sent by 31 August 2002, stating
the
name of the nominee(s), details of their paper and a brief paragraph stating
why they are nominated, to Lindsay Ross, Acting Director, CPU, 17 Fleet
Street,
London EC4Y 1AA, UK. E-mail: [log in to unmask]; Tel: +44 (0)20 7583
7733; Fax:
+44 (0)20 7583 6868. Anonymous nominations will not be considered.
FUNDS TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is welcoming proposals from
not-for-profit organisations and institutions in Commonwealth developing
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia that use open, distance and
technology-based learning methodologies to alleviate rural poverty.
This is the first time that COL is backing such an initiative and is part of its
new programme, Poverty Reduction Outcomes Through Education
Innovations and
Networks (COL-PROTEIN), which was launched this month. The programme
aims to
provide up to Canadian $20,000 (about US$13,000) per proposal in any given
year, for innovative initiatives that will build capacity for educational delivery to
the rural poor in the areas of food security, environmental protection and rural
development.
Dave Wilson of COL said: "COL appreciates that the goal of reducing rural
poverty can benefit from the active participation and commitment of diverse
not-for-profit groups, including government and non-government organisations
and community-based organisations working at the grassroots. Proposals
that
demonstrate collaboration and networking among organisations are especially
welcome."
The emphasis is on new, workable ideas. "What we want is for the applicants
to
propose innovative ideas. When applicants do come up with a proposal, we
will
advise them to investigate whether other organisations have implemented
approaches similar to that proposed. If so then the rate of success and
lessons
learnt will have to be examined as part of the proposal."
Further information on applying for funds through the COL-PROTEIN
programme is
available at www.col.org/protein. E-mail: [log in to unmask]; Fax: +1 604 755 8210.
The application deadline is 15 August 2002.
COL, based in Vancouver, Canada, is funded on a voluntary basis by the
54-member Commonwealth. It was founded in 1987 at the Commonwealth
Heads of
Government Meeting in Vancouver to encourage the development and sharing
of
distance-education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL became
operational in 1989.
2002 WORLDAWARE BUSINESS AWARDS
Worldaware, a UK charity, is inviting entries from international
businesspeople and organisations for the 2002 Worldaware Business Awards.
Among the categories for awards are: capacity-building in the Commonwealth,
sustainable development, small businesses in Africa, infrastructure, transfer
of English language skills, innovation, and non-profit organisations.
The annual awards programme, now in its 14th year, recognises
organisations for
their commercial achievements in assisting sustainable growth in developing
countries. The charity also aims to raise awareness in the UK about the
country's interdependence with developing nations.
Originally only British companies or their subsidiaries were eligible, but in
2001 the awards were opened to businesses worldwide. Last year also saw
the
introduction of the award for capacity-building in the Commonwealth, which is
given to an organisation that encourages better understanding of the global
trading system, specifically in Commonwealth developing countries. The
award
went to Bangladesh-based Efforts for Craft Organisations Trading
Advancement
(ECOTA) Fair Trade Forum. ECOTA assists 32 organisations representing
100,000
handicraft makers in Bangladesh with help from Traidcraft Exchange in the
UK.
Pom Daniells, the Awards organiser, said: "Over the last 14 years, the
Awards have recognised and promoted over 75 companies, institutions and
non-governmental organisations for their contribution to the development of
poorer countries through innovative and sustainable commercial activity."
She added that in publicising the event Worldaware demonstrates overseas
the
need to incorporate long-term social, economic and environmental
considerations
into business decision-making. "The Awards have opened up business
opportunities and developed respect abroad for many of its winners."
For entry forms and further details, please contact:
Worldaware Business Awards Organiser, ECHO House, Ullswater Crescent,
Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 2HR, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)20 8763 2555; Fax:
+44
(0)20 8763 2888; E-mail: [log in to unmask]; Website:
www.worldaware.org.uk.
The closing date for receipt of entries is 28 June 2002. The award trophies
will be presented in January 2003 at a ceremony in London.
_________________________________________
CNIS Commonwealth News and Information Service
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6554
Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
This news service is delivered by the Communications and Public Affairs
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Copyright: Commonwealth Secretariat 2002
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