Troubled by figures indicating that between 100 million and 130 million women suffered female genital mutilation or cutting as girls, UNICEF has called on governments to abide by commitments they made at the UN Special Session on Children and move immediately to end the disturbing phenomenon by 2010.
Related Link:
* Kenyan girls flee mutilation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/africa/2736317.stm

This document - produced by UNAIDS - provides an overview of the impacts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by gender and considers prevention and care issues, especially as they relate to women.

Delays in the approval of NGO proposals from the first round of grants from The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB And Malaria (GFATM) was causing great concern amongst NGO board members due to the fact that it was frustrating efforts by civil society to participate in the grassroots response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. This is according to the first year update for Southern NGOs from the Southern NGO board team.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello has expressed "grave concern" over the growing violence in Côte d'Ivoire, condemning the propaganda carried by some national media aimed at inciting war, hatred and xenophobia. de Mello reminded all concerned that grave human rights violations were punishable as international crimes.

A row over bribery allegations took the shine off shareholder approval for the Amec board to proceed with its full takeover of French construction company SPIE this week. A legal case involving SPIE Batignolles and its involvement in a controversial dam known as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was adjourned on Monday until October in an African court.

Despite having no electricity, coupled with an unreliable telephone system, Burundian refugees living in camps in northwestern Tanzania can now access the Internet, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refuges (UNHCR) reported last Wednesday.

The Law Society of SA has welcomed the appointment of Judge Navanathem Pillay to the International Criminal Court. "Her involvement will no doubt boost the court's commitment to upholding women's rights worldwide. This is evidenced by Judge Pillay's work on the Rwanda Tribunal's bench, which proves that the presence of female judges can contribute significantly to effective prosecution of sexual violence against women," said the society.

Reporters sans frontières (RSF), has urged the three rebel groups that operate in the western city of Man to do everything possible to secure the release of a reporter from the independent daily "Soir Info", who was detained by rebels on 6 February 2003.

At a United Nations Environment Program Governing Council meeting, Environmental Ministers are expected to agree on taking immediate actions and consider further measures - including an international treaty - to address the significant adverse impacts of global mercury.