Singing for peace: UN ambassadors launch CD to bridge cultural, generational divides. “We wanted to speak about peace in a way other than our speeches, which some people say are a little boring,” Simona-Mirela Miculescu said ahead of the launch of the Ambassadors Sing for Peace album, a compilation of songs promoting world peace, hope and togetherness performed by five United Nations Ambassadors and youth choirs. “This is a beautiful synergy between diplomacy and music, and we’re very happy that we created this synergy” said Ms. Miculescu, who is the Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN. “In troubled times like this, I think absolutely every kind of peace message has to go out. I hope when listening to this CD people will be aware of the fact that peace starts with each of us,” the Ambassador added before stepping on stage for a practice session of Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World” prior to yesterday’s launch and live performance at UN Headquarters in New York. The album also includes “What a Wonderful World”, “Paix Sur La Terre” and eight other popular tunes and one original, all sung by Canadian Guillermo Rishchynski, Cape Verde’s Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima, Eduardo Ulibarri of Costa Rica, and Marlene Moses of Nauru.

United Nations News Centre - Feature: Singing for peace: UN ambassadors launch CD to bridge cultural, generational divides: "“We tried to come up with unique ways to present these songs so it was a little more of a world music view […] than the standard pop rock covers,” said Gary Fry, Emmy Award-winning composer who arranged and provided artistic direction for the album.

For example, he chose a Brazilian Machado rhythm on the ABBA song, ‘I Have a Dream’.

For the background vocals, instead of several singers, Mr. Fry used children’s choirs and high school singers from the Chicago area, where he is based.

“They were so excited,” he said about the young singers whose voices appear on the CD. “Children are the hope of the future for peace so it just makes sense to have linked between generations for this project.”" CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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SPLM-N calls on Switzerland to support AU, UN decisions for peace in Sudan - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) urged Swiss officials to support African Union and United Nations resolutions for peace in South Kordofan and Blue Nile stressing that it should lead to a comprehensive process in the country. A high ranking rebel delegation from the SPLM-N led by its deputy leader Abdel Aziz El-Hilu discussed on 30 August with Swiss officials at the foreign ministry in Bern issues related to the humanitarian situation in the rebel held areas and urged their support for UN Security Council Resolution and the peace process related to the Two Areas under the auspices of the AUHIP and the chair of IGAD. “This process should lead to a holistic approach to address the Sudan issue in its totality, away from a piecemeal solution practice”, stressed a statement released by the SPLM-N secretary-general Yasir Arman on Monday. The Swiss government brokered a humanitarian cessation of hostilities 11 years ago in the Nuba Mountains between the Sudanese government and the SPLM signed on 19 January 2002. The African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations in its resolution 2046 (2012) called on the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N to hold direct talks to settle the conflict in the two states based on a framework agreement signed on 28 June 2011. In line with this framework which had been swiftly denounced by Khartoum few days after the signing, the two parties vowed to establish a political partnership and work together to implement democratic principles, rule of law, respect of diversity and human rights in Sudan. Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

SPLM-N calls on Switzerland to support AU, UN decisions for peace in Sudan - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan: "Last April before a meeting with a Sudanese negotiating team organised by the African mediation, the group said they are ready to sign a framework agreement with Khartoum on a holistic process including Darfur rebel groups and opposition forces to settle the regional conflicts and prepare for a democratic transition in the whole country.

Arman, who was part of the SPLM-N visiting delegation, said they met with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva to discuss the humanitarian situation in the rebel controlled areas. The meeting also discussed the release of Sudanese army members held by the SPLM-N, he added.

The rebel delegation last week also signed a deed of commitment with the Geneva Call group, adhering to a total ban on anti-personnel mines. The SPLM-N, in accordance with the signed charter, committed to destroy its stock"

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Syria: William Hague snubs Labour call to include Iran in peace talks | The foreign secretary, William Hague, has rejected Labour calls for Iran to be included in Syrian peace talks, saying the Iranian regime was actively engaged in assisting widespread murder by the Assad regime, and had not yet expressed support for a transitional government in Syria. The shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, had called for a Syrian contact group to be formed involving key countries in the region, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, designed to kickstart a second round of peace talks in Geneva. Iranian involvement was also supported by the former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw and some Tory MPs during Foreign Office questions on Tuesday. Hague said he was willing to meet the new Iranian foreign minister at a UN special assembly in New York, but questioned the over-optimistic view of Iranian diplomacy among some MPs. Hague rejected the idea of a contact group proposed by Alexander and seen by Labour as successful in Lebanon. Hague was wary of Iranian involvement, pointing out that Tehran had not been prepared to endorse the outcome of the first Geneva conference calling for a transitional government in Syria. He also said Iran was "actively engaged in assisting widespread murder by the Assad regime". He said it was not a lack of forums that was a stumbling block to a settlement on Syria, but the lack of political agreement. He explained: "Our problem is not being unable to discuss these things in the international community – it is being unable to agree how we bring about a transitional government in Syria, formed from government and opposition by mutual consent. "There is no shortage of venues for discussing those things, platforms for discussing those things – we have had two and a half years of discussion on this. It is agreement that is elusive, not a forum for discussion." Hague also assured Conservative MPs that there would not be a second vote on UK involvement in any attack on the Syrian regime. He stressed that any vote would not be on the same terms, suggesting that the government was keeping its options open in case circumstances changed radically. The cabinet also reviewed the state of the diplomatic, humanitarian and military crisis on Syria, and agreed a second Commons vote was impossible after David Cameron's unexpected defeat last Thursday. It was notable that Hague held back from attacking Labour's stance on Syria, but it is unlikely that Cameron will be as constrained at prime minister's questions on Wednesday. Labour has been keen to set out a fresh diplomatic path in light of its rejection of a military route. Alexander expressed disappointment that Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special envoy, will not be attending the G20 summit in St Petersburg on Thursday and Friday. After the Commons exchanges Alexander said: "It is deeply disappointing that the foreign secretary has apparently accepted that world leaders won't even get to discuss Syria collectively at the G20 summit in Russia this week. "As the leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies meet this week, the UK must request that the Syrian crisis is top of the agenda, not just discussed on the margins of the meeting. "Sadly, the foreign secretary today appeared to rule out the UK pressing for UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to be invited to the G20 summit, and for a Syria contact group to be created as a matter of urgency. Politics | theguardian.com.

Syria: William Hague snubs Labour call to include Iran in peace talks | Politics | theguardian.com: ""The scale of the suffering in Syria demands a more active diplomatic engagement ahead of this week's summit." Hague said Syria would dominate the bilaterals at the G20, but the formal summit organised by Russia, one of Assad's strongest allies, is under the control of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

He pointed out that Russia supported a second Geneva conference and it was incumbent on Russia to do more.

Hague also said more would have to be done to help with the refugee crisis on the borders of Syria, saying the British government has already spent more than £350m to help the Syrian humanitarian crisis now estimated to involve 2 million refugees.

He added: "There have often been, and continues to be, severe problems of humanitarian access – often not permitted by the regime.

"It is another testimony towards the callousness of this regime towards its own people that not only have they killed so many tens of thousands but also that they obstruct the delivery of aid, including medical supplies, to people in their own country who desperately need it.""

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Nigeria: UN Solicits Nigeria's Help to Restore Peace in Guineas Bissau

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: UN Solicits Nigeria's Help to Restore Peace in Guineas Bissau: "The United Nations (UN) has urged Nigeria to assist the UN Security Council towards the move to restore constitutional order in Guinea Bissau.

This was contained in a letter handed over to the Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, in Abuja at the weekend, by the Special Representative of Secretary-General of the UN in Guinea Bissau, Jose Ramos-Horta.

He said the request was in recognition of Nigeria's role within the sub-region and Africa at large."

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UN Hopes 2013 Will Be Decisive Year for Peace in Middle East. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on a visit to Jerusalem stressed his full support for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, and voiced the hope that this year will be a decisive one for peace in the Middle East. “I am encouraged that Israelis and Palestinians have re-engaged in direct dialogue. But for these negotiations to have a chance at success, they need to be meaningful,” Mr. Ban said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I know that when a problem has remained an open wound for decades, causing hardships and casualties on both sides, it might sometimes seem that the problem will never be solved,” he continued. “Dealing [with] the symptom might seem easier in the short term. It takes courage, vision, and creativity to decide that the long-term cost of that problem is actually too high. That is what is happening now with the Israeli-Palestinian issue.” Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. Following recent efforts by United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the two sides resumed negotiations this week. “I am here to urge all the leaders to continue along the path to peace and to underscore a shared commitment to work together to make 2013 a decisive year for Israeli-Palestinian peace and peace in the region,” stated Mr. Ban, who is visiting Israel for the sixth time as Secretary-General. In addition to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Ban also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Speaking to reporters along with Mr. Peres, the Secretary-General noted that direct negotiations remain the “single most credible path” to a solution. He also urged all parties to avoid actions that risk undermining the negotiations. “Both sides need to sustain an environment conducive for the peace process to move forward. People need to see improvements on the ground, including economic progress for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and greater security for Israelis and Palestinians.” Mr. Ban also held meetings with the Justice Minister, the Defence Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. In addition, he took part in an Israeli Model UN event at the UN headquarters in Jerusalem, at which he said students everywhere should have both passion and compassion, and lift their vision beyond boundaries. While at the UN headquarters, the Secretary-General met the new head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), Major-General Michael Finn. Also today, Mr. Ban visited the grave site on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who the UN chief noted lived through the war to become “a champion of peace and security” for Israel and the region.

UN Hopes 2013 Will Be Decisive Year for Peace in Middle East | Scoop News: "“As Secretary-General of the United Nations it is a great honour for me to work together with the people of Israel to build upon his legacy,” Mr. Ban said, adding that he hoped that both parties, Israelis and Palestinians, will remember Mr. Rabin’s legacy and realize a two-State solution.

Mr. Ban’s two-day visit to the region also took him to Jordan and Palestine.

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

ENDS

© Scoop Media"

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon will travel to the Middle East to show support for the peace talks between Palestine and Israel, a spokesperson said here on Tuesday. Ban is departing for Jordan where he will meet with King Abdullah II and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs. After which, he will travel to the Palestinian territory of Ramallah and visit Jerusalem. The UN chief is expected to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, and hold talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UN deputy spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told reporters here at a daily briefing. He will also meet the lead Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and the U.S. Special Envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Martin Indyk, said del Buey. The secretary-general will also visit the graves of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. - Xinhua | English.news.cn

UN chief to travel to Middle East to show support for peace talks - Xinhua | English.news.cn: "When asked about Ban's specific message to the leaders of the two nations involved in peace talks, the deputy spokesperson said "it would be a message of support for the Middle East peace talks, " adding that "the Secretary-General is involved in the Middle East peace process as one of the principal members of the Quartet. "

The Quartet, which comprises the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States, commits itself to the Middle East peace on the basis of the widely backed two-State solution, which means a secure State of Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.

Israel and Palestinians resumed peace talks on July 29 over an Iftar dinner hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. It came almost three years after the last direct talks broke down between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Editor: Mu Xuequan
" CLICK LINK TO READ THE ARTICLE

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UN chief hails Pakistan’s leading role in peacekeeping operations. Visiting Pakistan on the eve of its Independence Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the country’s lead role in United Nations peacekeeping operations, while also addressing issues such as girls’ education and the use of drones. Mr. Ban told an audience at the inauguration of the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad that he was overwhelmed with gratitude: “gratitude as the United Nations Secretary-General and gratitude as a global citizen for what Pakistan and her people have been doing for international peace and security. “More than 100 countries contribute troops and police for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Pakistan is number one,” he stated, adding that is impossible to speak about the history of UN peacekeeping without highlighting the country’s contributions. He noted that 8,000 of Pakistan’s men and women currently serve in complex and challenging missions, including Darfur, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The new Centre, at the National University of Science and Technology, demonstrates Pakistan’s determination to be a force for peace by drawing on its experiences, sharing its knowledge and deepening its contribution, Mr. Ban said. “Training is a strategic investment in peacekeeping and here you will build the skills in preparing peacekeepers to take on a new generation of challenges.”

United Nations News Centre - UN chief hails Pakistan’s leading role in peacekeeping operations: "The Secretary-General said the UN is also working to rise to these challenges, including through the use of new technologies to help in better implementing its mandates and to provide better security for its troops.

“Let me be clear that these new tools, such as unmanned unarmed aerial vehicles, are for information purposes only. They are essentially flying cameras,” he stated.

“But armed unmanned aerial vehicles are a different matter,” he continued. “As I have often and consistently said, the use of armed drones, like any other weapon, should be subject to long-standing rules of international law, including international humanitarian law.

“This is the very clear position of the United Nations. Every effort should be made to avoid mistakes and civilian casualties.”

While in the Pakistani capital, Mr. Ban also took part in an event at the Islamabad College for Girls to promote education, especially for girls and women." PLEASE CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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