EU bolsters its support to reformers in its Southern and Eastern neighbourhoods
Brussels, 15 May 2012 - In May 2011, in the midst of dramatic changes sweeping the Southern Neighbourhood, the EU completed a major review of its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). According to a policy of “more for more”, committed reformers in the EU’s Southern and Eastern neighbourhood would be awarded greater and broader EU support.
BAKU, 14 May 2012 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled May 11-14 to Yerevan and Baku, where they met with Presidents Sargsian and Aliyev to discuss the most recent efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
BUCHAREST/BRATISLAVA (May 7-11, 2011) -- Supporting families affected by disasters requires immediate, comprehensive and collaborative actions. Long after humanitarian aid organizations have completed their relief work, the need for quality shelter and housing remains for months and years.
In addition to pop songs and glitzy costumes, the Eurovision song contest is notorious for how neighboring countries usually vote for each other rather than the best performer. But when this year’s contest takes place in Baku on May 26, don’t expect Azerbaijan to give any votes to its neighbor Armenia. Indeed, there will be no points for Armenia; they have pulled out of the event, citing animosity from Azeri authorities including President Ilham Aliyev, who said in February, “Our main enemies are Armenians of the world, and the hypocritical and corrupt politicians under their control.”
Ensuring a secure supply of food is essential, given the world’s (and especially Asia’s) growing population, high and volatile food prices, increasingly scarce resources, and changing environment. This paper discusses the drivers behind food insecurity in Asia and points to ways to mitigate it.
This report covers the period 01/01/2011 to 31/12/2011.
Programme summary In the field of disaster management the Armenian Red Cross Society was focusing on strengthening disaster preparedness of the National Society and communities in high risk areas.
Therefore partnerships were established with schools in three regions and in Yerevan.
DUBLIN, 27 April 2012 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and Jacques Faure of France, released the following statement today:
A summary of news and reports from the field staff and interns of GHNI, Geneva Switzerland.
Afghanistan
Through the generous gift from a donor, GHNI was able to distribute winter food aid to 117 families in the Yakawlang region. The communities in this region experienced a summer drought in 2011 which limited the wheat harvested in the autumn. Each family received 9 liters of cooking oil, 25 kg of rice and 50 kg of flour. The distribution was done with the blessing of the Governor of Yakawlang, with whom GHNI has a very good relationship.
Cereal production forecast to decline in 2012 In the Asian CIS subregion, wheat is the main cereal. Kazakhstan is the major producer and the bulk of the crop is spring sown in April and May.
CHISINAU, Republic of Moldova, April 19 (UNHCR) – After years of living in sub-standard and frequently costly housing, refugees in Moldova are reaping the benefits of a scheme that demonstrates how the country can provide inexpensive housing solutions for vulnerable people.
The new pilot housing scheme, established by UNHCR and the European Union (EU) under a local integration project for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, has seen four apartments handed over to refugees in the village of Mereni, about 25 kilometres south-east of Chisinau.
People internally displaced by conflict and violence
For the last 14 years, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre has monitored intern- al displacement resulting from conflict and violence across the world. In 2011, the number of people internally displaced by these causes stood at 26.4 million.
In 2011, agricultural production increased by 14% compared with 2010. Cereal production was respectively 35% and 24% above 2010 and 2006–2010 average levels.
The Food Price Index increased by 12.3% in 2011 compared with 2010. Prices of bread and beef remained stable between September and December 2011.
Cereal imports in 2011 were 2% higher than in 2010, amounting to 437.5 thousand tonnes.
Poverty incidence increased from 27.6% in 2008 to 35.8% in 2010, after continuously improving since 1998.
Situated astride one of the world’s key strategic crossroads, the “Big Caucasus” is increasingly a region in flux. The August 2008 war among Georgia, Russia, and the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia emphasized the fragility of the territorial status quo that took hold in the years immediately following the collapse of the USSR, but which has failed to establish legitimacy among either local populations or the international community.
MOSCOW/ WASHINGTON/ PARIS, 22 March 2012 - The foreign minsters of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Secretary of State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Foreign Minister of France Alain Juppé, issued the following statement today:
The Human Rights Council this morning heard the presentation of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons and then held an interactive dialogue on arbitrary detention and on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
BAKU, 6 March 2012 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled March 2-6 to Yerevan, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Baku. The Co-Chairs met with Presidents Sargsian and Aliyev, and with the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
