Freetown, Sierra Leone, 17 July 2008 -- The Peace Building Fund (PBF) Steering Committee for Sierra Leone has approved 7 new projects to the tune of US$ 16,985,847 submitted and recommended by the Technical Working Group at the Committee's meeting held on 15 July 2008. The approval of these projects brings the total PBF projects approved to-date to over USD$ 32 million, leaving a balance of USD $2 million from the PBF allocation of USD $35 million for Sierra Leone.

The approved projects include support

Freetown, 23 June 2008 - The Acting Executive Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, Mr. Michael Schulenburg, will be visiting the provinces during the week of June 23, 2008 to assess the level of preparations for the forthcoming local Government elections. Mr. Schulenburg and his entourage, including the Ambassadors of Nigeria, Ghana, United States of America, the British High Commissioner, and the representative of the European Community, will visit Kono and Kenema in the east; Bo in the south; and Makeni in the north of the country.

Freetown, Sierra Leone 2 June 2008 - A delegation of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, led by H.E Ambassador Frank Majoor, Chairman of the Sierra Leone Country Specific Meeting (CSM), arrives today in Freetown on a visit from 2 -6 June 2008. The delegation will hold consultations with the Government of Sierra Leone and other key stakeholders on the implementation of the Sierra Leone Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework and preparations for a biannual review of the framework scheduled to take place in New York on 19 June.

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 19 May 2008 - The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) commenced a five-day induction training for twenty-three newly recruited staff.

The induction training aims at fostering comprehensive understanding of the mandate of the Commission and the modalities for its implementation; basic human rights concepts, norms and standards;

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 7 May 2008 - On May 6, 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation (MFAIC) of the Republic of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), UNDP and the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL), held a National Consultative Conference at Kimbima Hotel in Freetown aimed at enhancing 'Sierra Leone's Reporting Obligations to International Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Bodies'.

Bringing together representatives from

Freetown, Sierra Leone 21 April 2008 - The Chairman of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission Sierra Leone Country Specific Meeting, (CSM) Ambassador Frank Majoor is visiting Sierra Leone from 21-25 April to hold consultations with the Government of Sierra Leone on the implementation of the Peracebuilding Cooperation Framework and preparations for a biannual review of the framework scheduled to take place in New York on 19 June this year.

During the five-day visit, Ambassador Major will discuss the ongoing work of the Peacebuilding Commission in

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 28 March 2008--- The United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) is hosting the 14th Intermission Conference of Force Commanders of UN Peacekeeping Missions in the West Africa Sub-region on 27 March 2008 at UNIOSIL Headquarters, Mammy Yoko Hotel, in Freetown.

The meeting will be attended by Force Commanders from the UN Missions in Liberia (UNMIL); Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI); Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) and the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) which is based in Dakar, Senegal.

Participants will discuss matters pertinent

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 6 March 2008 - On 8 March UNIOSIL joins the world-wide commemoration of the International Women's Day (IWD). The theme for IWD 2008 is 'Investing in Women and Girls', which sends a clear message to Member States to honour their commitments towards gender equality and women's empowerment. This year's international theme is based on the alarming level of under-expenditure on women's empowerment programmes. More investment in women and girls has a multiplier effect on the productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth.

Freetown, 6 February 2008 - In observance of the International Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day - today 6 February 2008 - the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) is encouraging the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL); the Sierra Leonean traditional leadership; faith based agencies and civil society organisations to do their utmost to eradicate the practice.

The Inter-Africa Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children - a non- governmental