EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background of the Mission

At the Global Meeting of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), September 2010, the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka expressed interest in enhancing national search and rescue capacity. At the beginning of 2011, Sri Lanka suffered the heaviest rains in almost 100 years, increasing awareness of the importance of preparedness, early warning and national response capacity and reiterating lessons learnt from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Key findings

• The past two years show a downturn in violence against aid workers that spiked in a small number of conflict contexts beginning in 2006 and peaking in 2008.

• The recent decline in attacks is mainly due to the shrinking presence of international aid agencies in the most violent settings, Somalia in particular, rather than improving security conditions.

• The incidence of aid worker kidnappings continues to rise dramatically, and the use of major explosives has emerged as a tactic of violence in a small number of settings.

ESCAP study warns food inflation can delay MDG 1 achievement by 5 years

Bangkok (UN ESCAP Information Services) - High food prices prevented 19.4 million people in the Asia-Pacific region from climbing out of poverty last year and persisting food and oil inflation can keep up to an extra 42 million people poor in the region, a new United Nations study released today said.

An assessment by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) warns that rising food

One year after Sri Lanka's conflict ended, significant progress has been made on releases and returns from camps for internally displaced people (IDPs). Large-scale efforts are underway to re-establish essential services and livelihoods throughout the former conflict-affected areas in an effort to increase the sustainability of returns. At the same time, assistance needs to continue for the 60,000 IDPs still in camps, as well as for the 68,000 accommodated with host families, most of whom have limited access to assistance and services.

Following military operations in May 2009 between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, the Government of Sri Lanka controls all former LTTE-held areas. The last phase of the conflict resulted in large-scale displacement of the population. Heavy artillery fire between Government troops and LTTE, including within the "no fire zone", led to significant casualties, including children, although the extent of these casualties is unknown.

The defeat of the LTTE heralds a new

22-23 October 2009 - Brussels, Belgium

1. SUMMARY

The paper outlines key developments in international efforts to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and highlights some of the challenges involved in the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and groups.

It notes that, despite significant attention

1. Introduction

1.1. GSP+

Under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (the GSP+) provided for in Article 8 of Council Regulation 980/2005 of 27 June 2005 (the Regulation) applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences the Common Custom Tariff ad valorem duties on certain products which originate in a country included in the arrangement shall be suspended.

According to Article 9(1) of the Regulation

The World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with partners (Government, UN Agencies and NGOs) undertook a food security assessment in Ampara District in May 2009.

The main objective of this assessment was to identify the progress of the recovery of conflict affected communities as well as to find the broad picture of level of food security of the communities in Ampara district. Moreover, this study will provide the direction for future assistance programmes of WFP to recover the livelihood of food insecure people.

The assessment involved a review of relevant

In April 2009, The United Nations World food Programme in collaboration with the Government, UN agencies and NGOs conducted an Emergency Food Security Assessment in Baticalloa District. The assessment focused in areas where populations that were affected by the conflict in 2006 had been resettled (and received food and livelihoods assistance) since mid-2007. The purpose of the assessment was to establish the extent to which these households had recovered their livelihoods and food security in order to guide the direction of future humanitarian assistance in these areas.