Internally displaced Eritreans continue to suffer the consequences of war and drought, resulting in inadequate fulfilment of basic needs such as food, water, health care, shelter and education, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported. OCHA said the country still had 58,953 internally displaced persons (IDPs), living in and outside camps and unable to return to their places of origin. "Although much has been accomplished to assist these IDPs, many basic needs are not yet fully met. A continuous effort is required to avoid a deterioration of the situation," it said.

The child rights group, Save the Children, has warned that the children in northern Uganda may suffer most if the International Criminal Court (ICC) decides to prosecute Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels for war crimes, unless questions of child protection are raised before it proceeds to investigate the rebels. In a statement issued last week, the organisation said that since "children are by far the main witnesses (and victims)" of war crimes committed by the LRA, the LRA leadership "might apply even more strict discipline to prevent witnesses from escaping".

This Forum, which is organised by the Consortium for Street Children in collaboration with the Hope Village Society, will be a mixture of field study,
plenary, and group sessions focusing on street children in the context of children's rights, poverty, and social exclusion. Key experts working with street children from the following countries will be attending: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan/Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. For more information, contact: Consortium for Street Children, Unit 306, Bon Marche Centre, 241-251 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BJ, UK; Tel:+44(0) 20 7274 0087; Fax: +44(0) 20 7274 0372; Email:[email protected]

Winrock International, a non-profit organisation that works with people around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment, is seeking applications for Urgent Action Contracts (UACs) from interested parties for the Community-based Innovations to Reduce Child Labour through Education (CIRCLE) project under a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Labour. The CIRCLE project is seeking proposals from community-based, non-profit organisations in developing areas with high rates of child labour to implement initiatives that design, build on, and promote innovative pilot projects.

Produced by UNICEF and the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, this publication is an essential guide to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child related to children in armed conflict. It describes the context surrounding its adoption, efforts supporting its objectives, key provisions and the legislative processes involved for signature and ratification or accession. The Guide aims to support child rights advocates - including government officials, child protection agencies, humanitarian workers and those involved in national coalitions - in their work to generate momentum and support for ratification and implementation of the Optional Protocol.