Friday, November 30, 2012

Is Ban Ki-moon supporting a 1-state solution in Palestine?

Click here for this story @ NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-n-twitter-accidentally-calls-single-state-solution-mideast-article-1.1210543
One character can make all the difference in what some consider a Freudian tweet.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need for two states – one for the Palestinians, the other for Israelis – to bring peace to that war-torn region. But that is not the message announced by the U.N.’s official Twitter handle @UN.
 
“On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban Ki-moon stresses urgency of reaching 1-state solution,” U.N. Information Officer Nancy Groves tweeted at 2 p.m. EST Thursday.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-n-twitter-accidentally-calls-single-state-solution-mideast-article-1.1210543#ixzz2DiICZlji


One character can make all the difference in what some consider a Freudian tweet.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need for two states – one for the Palestinians, the other for Israelis – to bring peace to that war-torn region. But that is not the message announced by the U.N.’s official Twitter handle @UN.
 
“On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban Ki-moon stresses urgency of reaching 1-state solution,” U.N. Information Officer Nancy Groves tweeted at 2 p.m. EST Thursday.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-n-twitter-accidentally-calls-single-state-solution-mideast-article-1.1210543#ixzz2DiICZlji
United Nations social media page goes out with type-o.

UN


The official United Nations Twitter account posted an erroneous tweet, saying the U.N. Secretary-General supports a one state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

One character can make all the difference in what some consider a Freudian tweet.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need for two states – one for the Palestinians, the other for Israelis – to bring peace to that war-torn region. But that is not the message announced by the U.N.’s official Twitter handle @UN.
 
“On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban Ki-moon stresses urgency of reaching 1-state solution,” U.N. Information Officer Nancy Groves tweeted at 2 p.m. EST Thursday.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-n-twitter-accidentally-calls-single-state-solution-mideast-article-1.1210543#ixzz2DiHlRjox
United Nations social media page goes out with type-o.

UN


The official United Nations Twitter account posted an erroneous tweet, saying the U.N. Secretary-General supports a one state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

One character can make all the difference in what some consider a Freudian tweet.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need for two states – one for the Palestinians, the other for Israelis – to bring peace to that war-torn region. But that is not the message announced by the U.N.’s official Twitter handle @UN.
 
“On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban Ki-moon stresses urgency of reaching 1-state solution,” U.N. Information Officer Nancy Groves tweeted at 2 p.m. EST Thursday.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-n-twitter-accidentally-calls-single-state-solution-mideast-article-1.1210543#ixzz2DiHlRjox

The Gaza Strip - Facts, Figures and UNDP’s Response to the Ongoing Crisis

With Palestine upgrading its status at the United Nations General Assembly the UNDP is getting ready to upgrade its relation with Gaza Government (or Hamas)





In Zambia: UNDP signs a partnership with the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection



Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection conducts “Household Access to Economic, Social and Cultural rights” survey in Kasama, Kabwe and Livingstone PDF  | Print |
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Kasama, November 2012 – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) entered into a new partnership this year, with Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR).  JCTR is a research, education and advocacy team that promotes study and action on issues linking Christian Faith and social justice in Zambia and Malawi.  One of UNDP’s core components of this year’s support to JCTR is “Household Access to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” survey in three selected urban areas of Zambia – Kasama, Kabwe and Livingstone.

Ban Ki-Moon launches Aakash 2 at UN (An Indian tablet - made in China)



Thank God for DRC crisis - $$$CASH starts pooring in for cash-strapped UN Agencies

UN agencies resume humanitarian operations in conflict-affected DRC



Click here for this story in full @ NZWeek: http://www.nzweek.com/world/un-agencies-resume-humanitarian-operations-in-conflict-affected-drc-30535/


GENEVA, Nov. 27 — The United Nations humanitarian organizations were able to resume assistance to internally displaced people (IDPs) in 12 sites around Goma, capital city of conflict-affected North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), UN agencies said Tuesday.
Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson of the World Food Program (WFP), said WFP emergency food distributions have been completed in 10 of the 12 IDP sites.

The organization carried out a rapid food security assessment over the past weekend. Many cases of malnutrition have been identified among IDPs during the assessment, she said.

WFP urgently required 114 million U.S. dollars to meet the emergency food and cash voucher requirements of new IDPs and to provide complementary relief, early recovery and resilience support over the next six months.

Adrian Edwards, spokesman with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), told reporters that the UNHCR and its NGO partners have been working over the weekend to deliver WFP food, as well as soap and water containers.

Is UNDP getting ready for a DOOMSDAY ?

Deutsche Post DHL and UNDP launch the third “Get Airports Ready for Disaster” training in Indonesia

Click here to read full story @ : http://logisticsweek.com/feature/2012/11/deutsche-post-dhl-and-undp-launch-the-third-get-airports-ready-for-disaster-training-in-indonesia/

The Indonesian government, Deutsche Post DHL and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 21 November launched a four-day “Get Airports Ready for Disaster” (GARD) training programme at Polonia Airport in Medan and Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Banda Aceh.

The training aims to improve capacities of airport personnel so they can handle high volume of incoming goods and increasing number of passengers during the aftermath of a disaster. Similar trainings took place in 2009 and 2011 at the Mutiara Airport in Central Sulawesi, Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in South Sulawesi, Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali and El Tari in East Nusa Tenggara.

SCANDAL: In Pakistan United Nations charge 75% for every $$Dollar that supposedly goes to procure Polio Vaccines

THE BARE TRUTH 
Where is ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK $LOAN$ for POLIO eradication goes in Pakistan ?


Click here to read this in full @ International Herald Tribune: http://tribune.com.pk/story/472026/operational-costs-weigh-heavily-on-anti-polio-push/
< >

Operational costs weigh heavily on anti-polio push

Published: November 28, 2012

Official documents show that more than 50% of the total programme cost will go to two foreign organisations – WHO and Unicef. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: 
Running a polio eradication initiative is no mean feat. Within its massive head, only about one-third goes into the actual procurement of vaccines.

That’s the easy part.
The rest is be provided to two United Nations agencies and a govt body as ‘operational costs’ – ie, the cost of surveying the areas and millions of households to be targeted across Pakistan and then actually delivering the medicines to the millions of households over a span of three years.
In Pakistan, two international agencies will be paid the largest chunk to undertake this process.
The polio vaccine procurement cost of the three-year Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication stands at $106.6 million, or Rs9.7 billion – 35% of the total Rs27.5 billion earmarked for the recently cleared three-year campaign programme – which seeks to eliminate polio by 2015.
Official documents show that more than 50% of the total programme cost will go to two foreign organisations – the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is responsible for operations and surveillance, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), responsible for vaccine procurement and communication.

WHO will have the larger share of the pie, charging a total of $86.5 million or Rs7.9 billion –28.9% of the total programme cost. Similarly, the Unicef is charging $67.3 million or Rs6.2 billion – 22.3 % of the total cost.

To finance the project, the federal government has almost finalised a loan agreement with the Islamic Development Bank for the provision of $227.2 million or Rs20.7 billion. The IDB will charge a 5.1% markup. The World Bank will also provide a loan of $24 million for the programme.

Despite the huge allocation for the emergency programme, experts say its success hinges on the success of ongoing polio campaigns. They are of the opinion that unless routine coverage increases to 90% from the existing below 45%, the emergency programme will not succeed.


The programme was recently cleared by at meeting of the Central Development Working Party, headed by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Nadeemul Haque. It will become operational from January next year.
The stated objective of the emergency programme is to stop wild poliovirus transmission throughout the country.
As many as 33.4 million children under the age of five are targeted under this programme.

UNCIEF

Unicef will charge $21.1 million, or roughly Rs2 billion, as social mobilisation cost and another $36.2 million, or Rs3.3 billion, as “ongoing social mobilisation” cost. Furthermore, it will charge “7% for programme support cost” ($4.9 million) and another “9% for programme support cost” ($5.2 million).

An official working closely on the programme said that the 9% additional cost was unfair and needed to be settled. The agency is also charging 4.5% as procurement services charges.

World Health Organisation

WHO is charging roughly $73 million, or Rs6.6 billion, as operational cost and $8.8 million as surveillance cost. It is also charging $4.9 million or 7% of the total amount as programme support cost.

Officials added that, since 1994, WHO has established its surveillance networks at district levels, which the government has decided to use. However, despite years of surveillance, polio coverage remains behind the targets, highlighting issues in monitoring.

In addition to the international agencies’ charges, the government has also earmarked $36.1 million, or Rs3.2 billion for its own operational cost.

PM’s Polio Monitoring Cell 

The PM’s Polio Cell is allocated $1.1 million, or Rs98.7 million, as operational cost. An amount of Rs38.9 million is allocated for holding meetings and conferences, while telephone bills for three years have been estimated at Rs2 million. An amount of Rs400,000 has been fixed for gifts, while Rs10.3 million has been allocated to the PM’s Cell for running vehicles.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Obama says: " European Union Emissions Trading Scheme not the way out of Climate Change" (signs bill excluding US airlines from EU Carbon Trading Scheme)

Click here for this in full at The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/28/obama-fails-climate-test-aviation


Barack Obama has approved a bill that exempts US airlines from the EU aviation carbon trading scheme
Barack Obama has approved a bill that exempts US airlines from the EU's aviation carbon trading scheme. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty
 
Barack Obama has signed a law excluding US airlines from the European Union's carbon trading scheme, delivering a blow to campaigners' hopes for stronger climate action during the president's second term.
Environmental campaigners had urged Obama to veto the aviation bill as a sign of his commitment to fighting climate change in his second term.
The White House said in a statement Obama still saw climate change as a priority but that he disagreed with subjecting US and other foreign airlines to the EU emissions trading scheme.
"The Obama administration is firmly committed to reducing harmful carbon pollution from civil aviation both domestically and internationally," a White House statement to reporters said. But "the application of the EU ETS to non-EU air carriers is the wrong way to achieve that objective".

With Inspector General of Global Fund fired - who would stop the corruption at UNDP's disbursement of $$$CASH ?


Click here for this: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2012/11/20/reprise-d-un-programme-complet-de-lutte-contre-le-vih-sida-au-mali-.html

image Women listen to UNDP administrator Helen Clark at the Timbuktu HIV/AIDS clinic, Mali, 2010 . AFP PHOTO / HABIB KOUYATE
 
BAMAKO/GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today signed an accord with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to resume a full-scale HIV program including delivery of life-saving HIV treatment to tens of thousands of people in Mali.
Under the accord, the Global Fund approved funding for EUR 58 Million (US$75 million) for HIV screening, prevention and treatment in Mali over the next three years.  Some 50,000 people in Mali are currently living with HIV.

“The signing of this agreement involving the Global Fund, the UN Development Programme and Mali brings hope for many of our citizens who can now say they have not been forgotten,” Mali’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Tiéman Coulibaly said.

"Ban-gam style" .....on Huffington Post!

Conversations With Ban Ki-Moon by Tom Plate



Click here for this story on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gardels/conversations-with-ban-ki_b_2193825.html




Tom Plate stands out among Western journalists. Not only has this former editorial director of the Los Angeles Times, syndicated columnist and Loyola Marymount University professor relentlessly chronicled the most important story of our era -- the rise of Asia -- but he has done so through his rare personal access to the key leaders in the region.
His Giants of Asia series (published by Marshal Cavendish International) based on extensive personal interviews and encounters, has so far included the great eminence of East Asia's transformation, Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, as well as the controversial Mohammed Mahathir of Malaysia and Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thirty-eight nations draft principles on anticorruption - none of which apply to United Nations Development Programme




Click here for this story @ The Jakarta Post:  http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/26/thirty-eight-nations-draft-principles-anticorruption.html

Antigraft bodies from 38 countries are jointly drafting principles on anticorruption during a two-day conference, organized by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in Jakarta.

The antigraft body representatives from Asia, Africa, America and Europe shared their experiences and knowledge on Monday. The discussions and studies will be used as a basis for drafting the principles, which will be declared on Tuesday.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad said he hoped that the principles would help to safeguard the independence and effectiveness of antigraft bodies, as mandated in the 2003 United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

"Besides stipulating the formation of anticorruption bodies, the UNCAC mandates that the bodies should have sufficient independence to effectively perform their mandates and free from any intervention," he said during the opening ceremony...

UN rights expert calls for North London Veolia boycott


Click here for this story @ MRW : http://www.mrw.co.uk/news/un-rights-expert-calls-for-north-london-veolia-boycott/8639127.article?blocktitle=Latest-news&contentID=2186

A United Nations special rapporteur has written to members of the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) urging them to exclude Veolia from its contracts procurement.

At Doha - it's all about the $$CASH for United Nations (here is a collage of what to get from the far left dummies)

Doha for Dummies: Your guide to UN climate talks
Telegraph.co.uk
The United Nations is meeting for its latest round of talks on climate change in the oil and gas-rich nation Qatar. About 17,000 people from 194 countries will attend the meeting at the Qatar National Convention Centre, making it Doha's largest ever ...


United Nations Climate Change Conference In Qatar: Urgent Talks Over Global ...
Huffington Post UK
In the run-up to this year's annual international climate meeting, warnings over the path the world is on have been coming thick and fast from the likes of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), insurers, the World Bank and the CIA. climate ...


Qatar set to host major climate talks
Laramie Boomerang
When the tiny desert nation of Qatar was chosen to host the latest round of United Nations climate change negotiations, environmentalists were stunned. Talks were already in trouble, and now the high-level discussions were moving to a member of OPEC ...


Dr Greg Picker, Associate Director of Sustainability and Climate Change at ...
ABC Online (blog)
Today the UN climate change negotiations begin another round of discussion in Doha, Qatar, as warnings mount over the dangers of failing to tackle global warming. In the run-up to this year's annual meeting, warnings over the path the world is on have ...


Giving up on an international climate treaty
ABC Local
The UN climate change negotiations are slow, frustrating and easily blocked. But that doesn't mean that we should give up on them altogether. PROGRESS TOWARDS AN international agreement on tackling climate change has been painfully slow, dogged ...


Doha Climate Summit
Zee News
The summit is officially referred to as the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties ...


Qatar hosts climate summit amid criticism
Aljazeera.com
As Qatar welcomes world leaders to the 18th United Nations climate change conference, its own environmental record has come under criticism as a major contributor to greenhouse gases. The climate talks, which begin on Monday in Doha, have placed a ...


Qatar ready to greet the world
eTurboNews
DOHA, Qatar – With the United Nations Climate Change Conference starting in Doha tomorrow, Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) is ready to greet more than 10,000 visitors each day. The various teams at QNCC have finalised preparations for the ...


Climate financing fund will be empty unless Doha talks find solution
GlobalNews.ca
When environment ministers, including Canada's Peter Kent, meet in Doha for United Nations climate negotiations next week, they will need to figure out how to come up with the rest of the money, said Christiana Figueres, the top UN climate change official.


Doha Summit: What to expect
Business Green
It might be slated as the United Nations Climate Change Summit least likely to deliver a major breakthrough, but the talks starting in Qatar this week could put in place crucial building blocks towards a promised new global agreement in 2015. Cast your ...

Monday, November 26, 2012

Are you an American retiree ore veteran? Are you part of 10 Million Americans living in poverty ? ...are you paying too much for your prescription drugs? Is Medicare not helping? The United Nations might help you - why not consider going to Africa ? Drugs are free there for the poor !

Germany funds UNIDO project on local production of essential medicines in Africa


Click here for this story in full @ ReliefWeb: http://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/germany-funds-unido-project-local-production-essential-medicines-africa

VIENNA, 21 November 2012 – The Government of Germany will fund a EUR 1 million project in support of local production of essential generic medicines in Ghana, Kenya and additional countries in Africa. The project will begin in January 2013.

The new funding is expected to accelerate the implementation of the African Union’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA), a joint endeavor with the African Union Commission.
“Unsatisfactory access to essential drugs is a key limitation that has had an impact on the health of the populations in a range of countries in Africa,” said Kandeh K. Yumkella, UNIDO Director-General.

“Local manufacturers in developing countries could be a source of assured quality drugs, especially for the poor. Certified local production is also a way to combat counterfeit drugs, which endanger human lives.”

It is envisaged that in the future, the project could include more countries: Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe...

Click here for this story in full @ ReliefWeb: http://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/germany-funds-unido-project-local-production-essential-medicines-africa

Are you wondering where Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was/is ? Wonder no more : United Nations has engaged his services as best practices to fight hunger in Africa !

UN, African Union and Instituto Lula join forces to fight against African hunger

Click here for this story :  http://www.un-foodsecurity.org/node/1371
 in 
21 November 2012 – A new initiative fusing United Nations know-how, African leadership and the political backing of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva kicked-off today as the three partners declared their intent to join efforts in the fight against hunger and undernourishment in Africa.
During a meeting at the African Union’s (AU) headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the heads of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the African Union (AU) and the not-for-profit Instituto Lula agreed to pursue their “shared vision” of a hunger-free Africa through a coordinated campaign against malnutrition and food security, according to an FAO news release announcing the partnership.
“Building a food and nutrition-secure Africa requires better governance, renewed political will and strong commitment to work together through innovative and comprehensive food security and nutrition programmes and strategies involving all concerned stakeholders,” said FAO’s Director-General, José Graziano da Silva.
According to FAO statistics, the number of undernourished people on the African continent has steadily increased since the early 1990s, from 175 million to 239 million today.
Despite the negative trend, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, underscored Africa’s agricultural potential, noting that 60 per cent of the continent’s arable land was still unutilized.
“This enormous potential can make a real difference to improve our agricultural production and food security,” said Ms. Zuma, adding that the time had come for African farmers to move beyond subsistence agriculture to more expansive methods of agro-industrial production.

UNDP's champion of reform in Syria: Asma al-Assad is.... PREGNANT..... and she is looking for new Christian Louboutin heels to celebrate !

So that's where Bashar has been... Asma al-Assad is reportedly pregnant!

Click here for this story in full @ Albawaba.com: http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/asma-assad-syria-452388
 
 
Known as the power behind the throne, Asma al Assad, wife of the Syrian President, Bashar, is a force to be reckoned with. The glamorous and much maligned First Lady has been keeping a low profile of late. Her last public appearance in Syria was in January when she appeared with her husband and children at a pro-regime march in Damascus.
 
Since then, Syria has descended into civil war and concrete evidence of the torture measures that her husband's regime routinely used on his people has emerged. In the present day, Bashar al Assad's forces continue to use cluster bombs and TNT on Syrian civilians and rebel troops alike.
 
But for Asma, the world is a much softer place of family gatherings and shopping trips to London for the latest pair of Louboutin heels. This week news emerged that amidst the death and destruction in their country, the Assads have found time to plan some new life of their own.
 
According to online newspaper, 'Akhbar Shabab Soriya' (Syria Youth News), Asma al Assad is five months pregnant with her fourth child. The 37-year-old British born and educated First Wife will be looking forward to some more time on London's high streets, dressing up the latest addition to the controversial Syrian family no doubt.  
 
 
-----------
 
You remember this Fox News story on UNDP and its special relations with the Syrian Lady in Louboutin heels? 

Asma al-Assad is UNDP's champion of reform in Syria
UNDP's special relations with dictators and terror is well documented. Yet, they continue to operate covered by UN Immunity. Click here for Fox News story.
 

Who are the main players in global climate negotiations


Click here for this story in full at philStar.com: http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/11/25/873333/main-players-global-climate-negotiations

DOHA (Xinhua) - A new round of UN climate change conference slated for Nov. 26-Dec. 7 will be held in Doha, Qatar where negotiators are expected to push ahead what was achieved in Durban last year and work out the details of the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol.
In climate change talks, parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mainly group under three contending forces, namely the Umbrella Group, the European Union(EU) and the G77 and China.
UMBRELLA GROUP
The umbrella group mainly consists of the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, whose stance regarding climate change is less enthusiastic than most of the developed signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Particularly, in 2001, the United States withdrew from the Protocol, and in 2011, Canada followed its step.
The Umbrella Group insists that developing countries should undertake quantified emission reduction commitments along with the developed countries, regardless of the fact that rich nations are responsible for 80 percent of the existing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere due to their unsustainable way of industrialization in the past.
EU
The EU is more active in fighting climate change than the Umbrella Group and supports a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol being negotiated.
Nevertheless, the EU sees the second commitment period only as a transition phase, following which a new treaty should be implemented in its stead to assign all major economies mandatory emission cut targets.
These economies that the EU has in mind include the United States, who has so far showed no interest in the second commitment period, as well as the emerging economies, mainly include China and India.
Again, the EU is aiming to discard the core principle of the UNFCCC, "common but differentiated responsibilities," and tries to blur the distinction between the duties of developed and developing countries.
G77 AND CHINA
The G77 and China represent the interests of the developing countries in the climate negotiations.
An important player under this bloc is the BASIC nations, which encompass China, India, Brazil and South Africa. The BASIC group often meets to coordinate their positions ahead of major climate talks.
The G77 and China advocate respecting the UNFCCC and the Bali Roadmap, which set a double-track process for climate negotiations and differentiates the duties of the rich and poor countries.
They argue that the developed countries should make greater commitment to cutting carbon emissions, citing their historical discharge, while the developing countries, aided by financial and technical support, should also make efforts to cut their emissions on a voluntary basis.

Click here for this story in full at philStar.com: http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/11/25/873333/main-players-global-climate-negotiations

Christiana Figueres put presure on Obama: "US better catch up with the rest of the world"


Click here for this story on WND World: http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/u-n-climate-change-chief-getting-frustrated-with-u-s/?cat_orig=world

U.N. climate-change chief getting frustrated with U.S.

'There is going to be increasing pressure to catch up with the rest of the world'


(Washington Examiner) Christiana Figueres, who leads the United Nations negotiations to get governments to reduce carbon emissions in the world, regards Hurricane Sandy as “yet another wake-up call” for Americans to get on board with her climate change policy.

“Yes, I certainly do think that this is yet another wake-up call,” Figueres said of Hurricane Sandy to Yale Environment 360 in an interview published by The Guardian.”I did hear President Obama say quite categorically in his acceptance speech that he is not going to have a future that is threatened by increasing warming . . . I do think that this mirrors the growing awareness in the United States. So I do think that Sandy has contributed to this. Is it the tipping point? That remains to be seen.”

Click here for this story on WND World: http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/u-n-climate-change-chief-getting-frustrated-with-u-s/?cat_orig=world

Friday, November 23, 2012

Slow pace of carbon cuts brings catastrophic climate change closer: UN

The gap between the carbon emission cuts pledged and the cuts scientists say are needed has widened, report warns

Click here to read this in full @ The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/21/slow-carbon-cuts-climate-change-un

Extreme weather : Drought in  Spain's Canary island of Gran Canaria
A dead fish on the bed of a reservoir on the drought-stricken island of Gran Canaria. Europe is already feeling the effects of climate change. Photograph: Borja Suarez/Reuters
 
The world is straying further away from commitments to combat climate change, bringing the prospect of catastrophic global warming a step closer, a UN report said on Wednesday. The warning came as nearly 200 governments prepare to meet in Qatar for international climate negotiations starting next Monday.

Click here to read this in full @ The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/21/slow-carbon-cuts-climate-change-un

This is part of UNDP's achievements on "Women's Rights" in Saudi Arabia

‘Where’s my wife?’ Electronic SMS tracker notifies Saudi husbands


Click here to read this in full @ Al Arabiya: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/22/251255.html


Saudi women’s male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country. (Photo courtesy: zawaj.com)
Saudi women’s male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country. (Photo courtesy: zawaj.com)

By AL ARABIYA WITH AFP

Denied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements.

Since last week, Saudi women’s male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together.
Manal al-Sherif, who became the symbol of a campaign launched last year urging Saudi women to defy a driving ban, began spreading the information on Twitter, after she was alerted by a couple.

Click here to read this in full @ Al Arabiya: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/22/251255.html

Helen Clark: "Human Development and International Justice”



Click here to read this in full @ UNDP: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/speeches/2012/11/19/helen-clark-human-development-and-international-justice-/

Keynote Remarks for Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator at the 11th Session of Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court
“Human Development and International Justice”
 
The Hague, The Netherlands
Monday 19 November, 10:00am

My thanks go to the President of the Assembly, Ambassador Intelmann, for inviting me to speak at this eleventh Session of the Assembly of States Parties on the important topic of human development and international justice. I also thank the official focal points for complementarity, South Africa and Denmark (1), for their partnership with UNDP and their leadership in bringing the international justice, development, and national rule of law communities together to advance the principle of complementarity.

UK rules world as carbon trading leader


Click here to read this in full @ Energy Live News: http://www.energylivenews.com/2012/11/21/uk-rules-world-as-carbon-trading-leader/


UK rules world as carbon trading leader
The UK has confirmed its position as the global leader for traded carbon markets.

London is now the hub for 90% of EU carbon trading and 80% of global trading, generating a £90 billion market, according to DECC. This was confirmed at the UK’s first auction for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) earlier today.

Under the EU ETS, businesses are expected to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions in a bid to combat climate change. It is also the main mechanism by which the UK is meant to meet its carbon reduction targets.

The auction sold 6.5 million EU allowances (EUAs) with an Auction Clearing Price of €6.62 (£5.32), raising around £34 million for the Treasury. Each EUA represents an entitlement to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent gas.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “The UK is really leading the way in carbon auctioning and today’s sale reaffirms London’s position as a global hub for the market.

Click here to read this in full @ Energy Live News: http://www.energylivenews.com/2012/11/21/uk-rules-world-as-carbon-trading-leader/

The Telegraph: Risk of catastrophic climate change increases as ‘emissions gap’ widens

Click here to read this in full at The Telegraph : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/9693629/Risk-of-catastrophic-climate-change-increases-as-emissions-gap-widens.html

Risk of catastrophic climate change increases as ‘emissions gap’ widens
This year the emissions gap is greater than 2010 and 2011, despite growing concern around the world about the risks of global warming Photo: GETTY

Despite efforts over the last decade to try and reduce emissions, concentrations of warming gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are up 20 per cent since 2000.
Levels CO2 were at more than 390 parts per million (ppm) in 2011, compared to 280ppm before the start of the era of the Industrial Revolution in 1750, an increase of around 40 per cent.
If the increase continues at the current rate then the world is likely to be pumping out 58 gigatonnes (Gt) of greenhouse gases per year by 2020.
This is 14Gt short of the target scientists estimate the world needs to reach in order to keep temperature rise below 2C.

Click here to read this in full at The Telegraph : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/9693629/Risk-of-catastrophic-climate-change-increases-as-emissions-gap-widens.html

BBC: UN says carbon cuts too slow to curb dangerous warming


Click here to read the full report on BBC NEWS: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20414596


Doha  
The report is meant to inform climate negotiators who will gather in the Qatari capital next week

A report by the UN says global attempts to curb emissions of CO2 are falling well short of what is needed to stem dangerous climate change. 

The UN's Environment Programme says greenhouse gases are 14% above where they need to be in 2020 for temperature rises this century to remain below 2C.

The authors say this target is still technically achievable.

But the opportunity is likely to be lost without swift action by governments, they argue.

Negotiators will meet in Doha, Qatar for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18) next week to resume talks aimed at securing a global deal on climate by 2015...

Click here to read the full report on BBC NEWS: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20414596

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

CBC News: UN climate negotiations are unfair, study finds

Click here to read in full @ CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/11/19/sci-un-modernize-climate-negotiations.html

The United Nations climate negotiations are “antiquated” and stifle progress, especially for poor nations, according to new research.

The research, published today in Nature Climate Change, argues it’s unfair that the number of delegates from some countries have increased while others have decreased, as this give poor nations less power to negotiate and lessens the effectiveness of their participation in general.

The study comes ahead of the 18th UN Climate Change Summit, where almost 200 nations will meet in Doha, Qatar, from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7 as they seek to extend the Kyoto Protocol.

UNDP in Gaza giving $$$millions to Hamas to rebuild its infrastructure damaged from "Israeli bombardments"



Click here to download a copy of the project document which UNDP doesn't want anyone to read

This is the UNDP team in Palestine territories:

UNDP/PAPP Management Team

 

Senior Management

Frode Mauring Special Representative of the Administrator
Yasmine Sherif Deputy Special Representative of the Administrator
Khaled Shahwan Deputy Special Representative (Operations)
Sasha Graumann Head of Gaza Office

Team Leaders

Abla Amawi Governance and Social Development
Nasser Faqih Poverty Reduction
Rima Abu Middain Natural Capital and Environment
Sufian Mushasha Strategy, Research and Advisory Unit
Walid Hasna Chief of Engineering and Infrastructure

Advisors

Amar Bokhari Programme Management Adviser - Global Fund
Tomislav Condic Field Security Advisor
Chantal Beaubien Legal Advisor

Monday, November 19, 2012

Ajay Mathur, an Indian will be the Head of Green Climate Fund

Green Climate Fund to Appoint Ajay Mathur as Director Tomorrow


Click here for this story in full at Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-15/green-climate-fund-to-appoint-ajay-mathur-as-director-tomorrow.html


The Green Climate Fund, being set up to distribute emissions-cutting and adaptation money to developing countries from richer nations, will tomorrow appoint Ajay Mathur as director.

Mathur will start in a “bridging” role at least until a permanent executive director is appointed around the middle of next year, Richard Kinley, deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, said today by phone. Mathur was previously director general of the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency in New Delhi, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mathew Carr in London at m.carr@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rob Verdonck at rverdonck@bloomberg.net

Click here for this story in full at Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-15/green-climate-fund-to-appoint-ajay-mathur-as-director-tomorrow.html 

Dick Morris briefs Georgia State Senators on U.N. Sustainability Programme

Click here to view this posting on The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/agenda-21-georgia-chip-rogers_n_2140438.html

URGENT: Will the Obama administration, undermine U.N. role in Doha?

US considers shifting climate negotiations away from UN track

US reportedly looking to move policy debates from the UN's Doha climate conference and towards Major Economies Forum

Click here to read this story in full at The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/16/us-considers-climate-negotiations-un


COP18 Doha Climate change conference  : Views Of Qatar
New offices and hotels in the West Bay and Oneiza district in Doha, Qatar, where climate talks resume in November. Photograph: Nadine Rupp/Getty Images
 
The US is considering a funnel of substantive elements of the Doha Climate Summit away from the UN framework and into the Major Economies Forum (MEF), a platform of the world's largest CO2 emitters, EurActiv has learned.

Since 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has provided an umbrella for talks to curb global greenhouse gas emissions, and on 26 November, will host the COP18 Climate Summit in Qatar.

But it has been confirmed to EurActiv that Washington is increasingly looking to shift policy action to the MEF whose members account for some 85% of global emissions, and which the US views as a more comfortable venue for agreeing climate goals.

If the idea gains traction, it could demote the UNFCCC to a forum for discussing the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions reductions projects, sources say.

Michael Starbæk Christensen, the deputy head of cabinet for EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, said he expected the US to convene another MEF forum soon which could be fruitful for discussing raised climate ambitions.

"We need to broaden the group to work together on this and whether it is inside our outside the UNFCCC, by all means do it outside," he told a Green Party conference in the European Parliament on 15 November.

"Ideally we would like to see as much happening inside the UNFCCC as possible," he continued, "but if we can engage with the US in other forums, it is the action that counts".
Brussels sees the MEF as a complement - rather than an alternative - to the UNFCCC, and is mindful of giving the newly-elected President Obama time to finesse his climate agenda.

It would be considered a "provocation" if the US was to unilaterally leave the UNFCCC process itself, sources say, and could potentially split the world into rival climate blocks led by Washington and Beijing.

The MEF is a successor to the Major Economies Meetings set up by President Bush, and criticised by several governments for undermining the UN process.

Its participants include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States...

Click here to continue read this story in full at The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/16/us-considers-climate-negotiations-un

SCANDAL: United Nations internal wars over CO Certificates have the first casualty: "Rajendra K Pachauri" !


The United Nations denies access to the conference for Al Gore's other half

ONLY AT THE U.N.


Click here for this story in full at Gulf Times: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=544308&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

Dr Rajendra K Pachauri
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will not be attending the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18/CMP8) in Doha, chairman Dr Rajendra K Pachauri has said.
“For the first time in the 18 years of COP, the IPCC will not be attending, because we have not been invited,” he told Gulf Times in Doha.

COP18 is to be held from November 26 to December 7.

The IPCC, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, former vice president of the US and environmental activist, is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. Currently 195 countries are members.

Dr Pachauri first hinted about his ‘anticipated absence’ at COP18, while speaking at the opening session of the International Conference on Food Security in Dry Lands (FSDL) on Wednesday at Qatar University.

Later, he told Gulf Times he did not know why the IPCC has not been invited to COP18, something that has happened never before.

“I don’t know what it is. The executive secretary of the climate change secretariat has to decide. I have attended every COP and the chairman of the IPCC addresses the COP in the opening session,” he explained.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Helen Clark: A Socialist ex-PM living it large "Trump Style" on a "UN Salary" ...worries if her hubby back in New Zealand changed her 20 yrs old washing machine !

 Trump World Tower 


She loves New York - "the T-shirt was made for me" - and her nice apartment with views of the UN building and the Chrysler Building and the East River. I said it amused me that her apartment was in the Trump Towers - meaning it was a bit funny for a socialist. She didn't think it was a very good joke. "Well, it's very handy to the UN."

She's still run around in a government limo when she's home, but even socialist ex-PMs get that perk.
She did think it was funny when I suggested it might be a bit annoying for Peter when she comes home, which wasn't a joke. "Ha, ha. I unsettle his habits." I asked if he'd bought a new washing machine. (He once told me she wouldn't allow a new one, despite it being 20 years old and second-hand when they bought it.) "He did! He bought a new TV too. I've given up. He runs the house. I'll re-establish control some time, but not just yet. Ha, ha, ha!"


Click here to read full interview of Helen Clark with The New Zealand Herald  : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10847978

Thursday, November 15, 2012

En México el desarrollo humano, sólo es posible para los ‘ricos’: PNUD


Click here for this in full @ Paper Blog:  http://es.paperblog.com/en-mexico-el-desarrollo-humano-solo-es-posible-para-los-ricos-pnud-1559809/

Estudio elaborado por la ONU revela que las oportunidades para el desarrollo en 2010 sólo fueron reales para los hogares con mayores ingresos.
 
El Índice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH) de Hogares e Individuos 2010, elaborado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD), revela que entre 2008 y 2010 se amplió la brecha a favor de los hogares con más ingresos económicos, quienes tuvieron mayores tendencias al desarrollo humano.Esta distancia entre los extremos de la distribución es más evidente en la dimensión monetaria, señala el estudio, ya que en 2010 el índice de ingreso del 10 por ciento de los hogares con mayores ingresos se ubicó 150 por ciento por encima de los hogares con menores ingresos.

PNUD presenta nuevo estudio que mide estado de ODM en población indígena de Chile


Click here for this in full @ Revista Humanum : http://www.revistahumanum.org/revista/poblacion-indigena-chile/


El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD)  presentó el estudio titulado “Medición del Estado de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio en la Población Indígena de Chile”. El documento midió el estado de desarrollo en la Población Indígena en el país, utilizando los ocho Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) que los Estados miembros de Naciones Unidas acordaron cumplir para 2015.
Estos objetivos abordan, mediante indicadores concretos, aspectos críticos asociados a pobreza;  educación; igualdad de géneros; salud reproductiva, infantil y materna; combate al SIDA y otras  enfermedades graves; desarrollo sustentable y cooperación internacional.
El análisis de los datos mostró que, de los 38 indicadores que se midieron en la población indígena,  ya se han cumplido nueve (principalmente referidos a pobreza e igualdad de género). Junto con  ello, cinco indicadores más podrían alcanzarse si la tendencia continúa; estos se refieren  principalmente a mejoras en el acceso a alcantarillado y al agua potable en la población urbana,  mejoras en la salud reproductiva, acceso universal a la educación básica y el aumento en la tasa de  mujeres que concluyen su enseñanza media.

des-IGUAL-es (Cortometraje PNUD)


Cortometraje PNUD from idhalc on Vimeo.

Técnica da ONU destaca melhorias na Educação do Piauí


Click here for this in full @ : http://www.portalaz.com.br/noticia/educacao/255434_tecnica_da_onu_destaca_melhorias_na_educacao_do_piaui.html

Em visita ao Piauí nesta semana a coordenadora técnica do Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (PNUD), Liliane Marchiorato, fez um balanço de como anda a cooperação técnica firmada com o Governo do Estado e a Prefeitura de Teresina para a melhoria da educação. Pontos positivos e aspectos que podem avançar na área foram destacados pela analista que elogiou o empenho dos piauienses para com a melhoria do seu ensino público

Sobre o projeto de cooperação técnica entre PNUD, Ministério da Educação (MEC), com ações na Secretaria de Estado da Educação e Cultura e Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Teresina, Marchiorato revelou os avanços conseguidos até o momento, após um ano de trabalho. "Após o diagnóstico da educação pública do Piauí nos encontramos na fase de adequação das metas às diretrizes do Estado e da Prefeitura de Teresina para o setor. Posteriormente serão definidas as fontes de financiamento para as intervenções apresentadas".
Analisando a evolução da educação do Piauí como um todo, Marchiorato elogia os avanços conseguidos e o compromisso dos gestores, mas ressalta que muito ainda há por fazer para uma melhoria mais homogênea.

Filthy rich UAE finds US$ 2 Million and spreads them to UN Agencies...

Click here for this in full @Khaleej Times:  http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/nationgeneral/2012/November/nationgeneral_November246.xml&section=nationgeneral

UAE donates $2.1 mln for UN's 2013 activities

The UAE has donated a total of US$2,194000 for the United Nation’s development activities in 2013.
The donation was announced at the 2012 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, held at the United Nation’s HQ in New York.

US$324000 of the UAE’s donation will go to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), US$200,000.00 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), US$100,000.00 to the United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF” and US$100,000.00 to the Fund to Support Marine Navigation in the Strait of Malacca.

According to the UAE’s statement before the conference, the beneficiary United Nation’s-affiliated funds and programmes are as follows:

OCHA: - Funding inadequate to meet increased needs for Syria




The Economist: Do middle-income countries need foreign aid to reduce poverty any more?


Do middle-income countries need foreign aid to reduce poverty any more?

Can Helen Clark be trusted on Climate Change ? Barack Obama seem not a fun of Former New Zealand's Socialist Prime Minister !






President Obama's answer to Helen Clark's appeal for US to do more on climate change was :

"I think the American people right now have been so focused, and will continue to be focused, on our economy and jobs and growth that ... if the message is somehow, we're going to ignore jobs and growth simply to address climate change, I don't think anybody's gonna go for that," he said. "I won't go for that."

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

IP Watch: - Full Agenda For WIPO Committee On Development This Week


Click here to read this in full @ Intellectual Property Watch: http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/11/11/full-agenda-for-wipo-committee-on-development-next-week/

By , Intellectual Property Watch

After a difficult session last May, the World Intellectual Property Organization committee examining the development dimension of WIPO activities will reconvene next week with a substantive agenda. In particular, delegates will assess progress of ongoing projects, consider reports on finished projects, and consider the committee’s future work. They also will consider a conference on IP and development.
The 10th session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) will meet from 12-16 November.
Delegates will examine the yearly progress report prepared by the WIPO secretariat, giving an overview on all ongoing projects [pdf]. According to WIPO, the report presents strategies adopted to implement each recommendation, and highlights the main achievements.
The projects answer to the WIPO Development Agenda, adopted by the 2007 General Assembly, which contains 45 recommendations, 19 of which were selected for immediate implementation.

If you are in United States and affected by Sandy Storm - chances are you wont qualify for insurance coverage from flooding ! - You wish you were in Pakistan - where UNDP/SMEDA gives checks $$$ for flood victims !

Click here for this in full @ Pakistan Observer: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=182012

UNDP/SMEDA distributes cheques among flood affectees


Timergara—The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) on Sunday distributed cheques worth of Rs 1.5 million among the short listed candidates hailing from the Timergara Union council who were affected by flash floods in 2010. A function in this regard was held here at a local hotel. District Coordinator of the SMEDA’s Early Recovery Project (ERP) Ms Noor Zeba distributed cheques among 93 ladies and 25 male residents whose businesses had suffered due to floods.

Briefing local journalists ERP coordinator for Dir Lower Adnan Afridi said that SMEDA had launched its early recovery project in the area with the financial support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since September 2011 in order to reinvigorate and stimulate the flood affected businesses and livelihood activities. He said the authority had been engaged in the area since then during which multiple activities had been completed.

He said that Rs 1.5 million were distributed among the flood affected people of Timergara on Sunday during a ceremony which was attended by notables of the area and community members.

Click here for this in full @ Pakistan Observer: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=182012

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

In Georgia: - UNDP wants the prisoners to "effectively monitor their human rights inside jails - and report on abuses"



Click here for this in full @ The Messenger online: http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/2734_november_12_2012/2734_eto.html



On Friday, the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia, with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched a discussion on effective mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation in Georgian prisons. The public defender of Georgia has been the only institution since 2007 to implement public oversight over the prisons. Alternative monitoring can ensure more effective protection of human rights and prevent torture and ill-treatment.

The meeting brought together representatives of the government, civil society and international organizations at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel.

The discussion was opened by Minister Sozar Subari who has emphasized the necessity of public monitoring in the penitentiary systems and welcomed all interested organizations who want to make their contribution in making the system healthier.

Click here for this in full @ The Messenger online: http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/2734_november_12_2012/2734_eto.html

Is UNDP/UNFCCC ruinning the carbon trading business? - The European Union thinks so !


Click here for this story @ FOCUS INFO: http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n292071

  Picture: AFP
Brussels moots pollution credit cut to up carbon price
12 November 2012 | 23:00 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / European Union
Brussels. The European Commission proposed Monday cutting the pollution credits auctioned to firms in 2013-2015 in order to raise the price of carbon and make investment in clean technology worthwhile, AFP informs.
The proposal, published on the Commission's website, has been submitted to EU member states, according to the Commission's climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard.
The EU's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is a so-called cap-and-trade system that seeks to fight climate change by gradually tightening the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by companies.
Companies receive annual carbon emissions targets. They are allotted some carbon emission credits but then must purchase allowances that have been auctioned or earned by other companies.
However the price of carbon allowances under the EU's ETS has fallen so low that companies do not have a major incentive to invest in reducing their emissions.
Hedegaard has proposed cutting by 900 million tonnes the amount of carbon credits auctioned to firms in 2013-2015, with the allowances increased in 2018-2019.
The EU plans to auction credits worth some 8,500 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2013-2019.
Hedegaard also considered a cut of 400 million tonnes and 1,400 million tonnes.
The European Parliament had backed a cut of 1,400 million tonnes, which would cause the price of a tonne of carbon emissions to double from the current price of seven euros, according to estimates.
Experts believe that the price should be between 24 and 30 euros in order to make investment in clean technologies worthwhile.