Main Findings

Countries in the MENACA region gave US$400 million in humanitarian aid in 2010, as reported to OCHA's Financial Tracking Service.

At the end of 2010 , humanitarian appeals in the MENACA region were 59 per cent funded.

Total CERF funding to the MENACA region reached $93 million in 2010. In turn, countries in the region donated less than $1 million to the CERF pooled fund mechanism.

The global Humanitarian Appeal for 2011 requesting US$7.4 billion was launched at the end of November 2010. Appeals

Human Rights Council

Sixteenth session

Agenda item 2

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Summary

The present report provides an update of the activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) since its reports in 2010 to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/13/26) and to the General Assembly (A/65/36). It focuses on implementation of the six thematic priorities established by the Office for 2010/11.

I. Introduction

By Farangis Najibullah

There will be no New Year's fireworks in Osh this year. They have been banned in the southern Kyrgyz city, along with parties in restaurants, bars, and all other public places over the winter holiday season.

Authorities say the steps are necessary to address growing security concerns. But residents of the city, which was the scene of bloody clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks six months ago, say the measures simply make them nervous.

"Officials are now banning mass gatherings and public celebrations of New Year's, which is frightening,"

ASHGABAT - ASTANA - BRUSSELS, 19 December 2010 - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Miroslav Jenca, the Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Zhanybek Karibzhanov and the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Pierre Morel welcome the establishment of the new Parliament, election of the speaker and the appointment of a new government of Kyrgyzstan in line with the constitution. This represents a major step in building the country's democratic legitimate institutions.

Regional leaders should not conclude that cure to unrest lies in more repression, analysts say.

By Dina Tokbaeva, Yulia Goryaynova, Lola Olimova - Central Asia

RCA Issue 638,

18 Dec 10

The mass ethnic violence around Osh and Jalalabad in June 2010 was a traumatic event that has scarred neighbouring Central Asian states as well as Kyrgyzstan itself.

Analysts say there is a danger other Central Asian leaders will conclude that the only way of preventing similar things happening is to crack down hard at home. Such tactics might be inadequate

The Kyrgyzstan authorities are failing to provide justice for the thousands of victims of human rights abuses during four days of violent ethnic clashes which tore through southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010, Amnesty International said in a report published today.

Partial Truth and Selective Justice examines the efforts to establish the truth about what happened during four days that saw large-scale arson, looting and violent attacks, including killings and sexual violence sweep through southern Kyrgyzstan, disproportionately

1. INTRODUCTION

Six months after the violence which tore through parts of southern Kyrgyzstan in four swift devastating days in June 2010, leaving hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes, Amnesty International is concerned that the Kyrgyzstani authorities are failing to establish the truth about what happened and provide justice for the thousands of victims of the serious crimes and human rights violations that took place.

Establishing the truth about the June violence and its aftermath and pursuing accountability in fair and transparent

After the violence, shattered lives

I ncreasing social discontent in Kyrgyzstan led to demonstrations that resulted in the resignation of the country's president on April 7 and the establishment of an interim government.

The following two months were marked by protests and violent clashes as various elements struggled for influence in the fragile political environment. The south of the country, traditionally the power base of the deposed president, experienced escalating violence between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek populations. The peak of the violence began

Highlights

- The FAO Food Price Index continued to rise in November.

- International prices of wheat and rice increased significantly in November and early December. Prices of maize remained firm.

- In Asia, prices of rice further strengthened in the past month while prices of wheat remained high.

- In Africa, prices of cereals are declining or stable and at low levels in all sub-regions.

- In Central America, prices of beans are at record levels. Prices of maize that had seasonally declined remained generally stable.

- In South America, prices of wheat flour