Eletricity been the major attraction of a cities which brings about cluster and settling of people in a given place, it is quite unfortunate that many cities in my country can't boast of power steady supply and crime climbing on each other inspite we all clearly know that lack of power brings backwards to development, and in the other hand also gives first step stone to robbering.

Behind the light evils are done. Power can help victims to easily recongnise robbers likewise robbers can't operate where there is light. Power can help victims to connect with police for rescure or even the neighbors to assisting.
With power we can limmits some illegal actions and promte development which will help engage a robber in some other better work than robbering. "Light is the power of a nation".

Japan's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka has died in hospital after reportedly committing suicide.
The 62-year-old was found hanged in his Tokyo apartment hours before he was to face questions in parliament over his links to a political funding scandal.

Efforts to resuscitate him at hospital failed. Officials said police were still investigating the cause of death.

Opposition MPs had been calling for his resignation over unexplained expenses claimed for a rent-free office.

Scandals and gaffes

"We've confirmed that Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka is dead. We are greatly saddened," said government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki.

Mr Matsuoka had allegedly claimed more than 28m yen ($236,600; £118,300) in utility fees at his parliamentary office, where utility costs are free. He denied any wrong-doing.

He had previously refused to explain the expenses to a parliamentary committee but the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, defended him, saying he had fulfilled his legal responsibilities.

Mr Abe's eight-month premiership has been rocked by a series of scandals and gaffes.

Support for Japan's government has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, a new poll suggests.
source....http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6697329.stm

The death of an old man is like a burned library

A Russian headmaster said on Monday a court has fined him half his monthly wage for using pirated copies of Microsoft software at his school in a case President Vladimir Putin has called "utter nonsense."
Prosecutors said Alexander Ponosov had violated Microsoft's property rights by allowing pupils to use 12 computers with unlicensed copies of Microsoft Windows and Office software.
Ponosov, a headmaster in a remote school in the Perm region of the Ural mountains, said he did not know the computers had fake licenses when they were delivered by a sub-contractor.
Russia has been urged to crack down on the widespread availability of cheap pirated software, films and music as it prepares to enter the World Trade Organization.
Illegal copies of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system are on sale for about $6 at Moscow markets.
Russian state television has portrayed Alexander Ponosov as a hero in a David-and-Goliath battle against the legal system and international corporations.
"Today the court brought in a guilty verdict - they ordered me to pay a fine of 5,000 roubles ($194.4)," Ponosov told Reuters by telephone from the Perm region.
"I consider myself not guilty and I will file an appeal," he said, adding that he had not paid the fine. He said he earned about 10,000 roubles a month.
Putin has described the case as "utter nonsense" and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev even asked Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to intercede on the teacher's behalf.
In February a local court threw out the case because it considered the losses to Microsoft to be insignificant but Ponosov appealed as he said he had not been found innocent. Prosecutors also appealed and the case was sent back to court.
The court found Ponosov had brought losses of 266,000 roubles on Microsoft, RIA news agency said, citing the judge.
Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, said it was the Russian authorities who started the proceedings.
"Our interest is not in prosecuting schools or teachers, it is in helping students develop the technology skills they need in the 21st century," the company said in a statement.
"Mr. Ponosov's case was initiated by Russian authorities under Russian law. Microsoft neither initiated nor has any plans to bring any action against Mr. Ponosov," Microsoft said.
Ponosov said he was being made an example of.
"Someone is defending corporate interests, someone is interested in not finding me innocent as they think that if I am found innocent then others will think they can get away with breaching intellectual property rights," Ponosov said.

Former President Bill Clinton announced deals with two Indian generic drug companies on Tuesday to cut prices of AIDS treatment for second line anti-retroviral drugs for 66 developing countries.

The new prices for the second line drugs, which are used when a previous drug regimen fails, will mean an average savings of 25 percent in low-income countries and 50 percent in middle-income countries, Clinton said.

``Seven million people in the developing world are in need of treatment for HIV/AIDS,'' Clinton said in a statement announcing the deal in New York. ``We are trying to meet that need with the best medicine available today.''

The pact between the Clinton Foundation and Indian companies Cipla Ltd. and Matrix Laboratories Ltd. covers 66 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Clinton also said a new once-daily pill currently prohibitively expensive in developing countries would be made available to the countries involved. He said the pill combines the drugs Tenofovir and Lamivudine and Efavirenz.

``The new cost for this treatment of $339 per patient per year represents a 45 percent reduction from the current rate available to low income countries,'' the statement said.

The AIDS virus infects nearly 39 million people globally, and has killed 25 million people since it was identified 25 years ago. Virtually all -- 95 percent -- of people infected with the virus live in the developing world.

http://www.nytimes.com

A Kenya Airways plane with 114 people on board has crashed in southern Cameroon, state radio reports.
The flight, which originated in Ivory Coast, was reported missing on Saturday after it failed to arrive in Nairobi.

Kenya Airways has not confirmed the crash. It said people from at least 23 different nationalities were on board, including five Britons.

Kenya's national carrier has a good safety record. However, 169 people died when one of its planes crashed in 2000.

The BBC's Karen Allen in Nairobi says the Boeing 737-800 is part of a new fleet bought recently by the airline, raising questions whether other aircraft will be taken out of service.

Bad weather

Flight KQ 507 originated in Abidjan in Ivory Coast and left Douala in Cameroon at 0005 local time (0105 GMT) on Saturday. It was due to arrive in Nairobi at 0615 (0315 GMT), but came down near the town of Niete, Cameroon state radio said.


Kenya Airways only said the last communication with the missing plane was received by the control tower in Douala, Cameroon, shortly after take-off.

The company's chief executive, Titus Naikuni, said a distress signal was detected on the west coast of Africa and a Cameroon search and rescue team dispatched at about 0900 GMT.

Poor weather is reported to be hampering the rescue effort. Mr Naikuni said a team of Kenya Airways and government officials would leave for Douala later on Saturday.

A Crisis management centre has been set up in Nairobi. A number of worried friends and relatives have been gathering at the capital's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

"We have been told to sit and wait," one relative of a passenger on the plane told AFP news agency.

"A lot of people are crying, people are asking what is happening."

The Kenya Airways website says the fleet is 23 strong. It is 26%-owned by Air France KLM's Dutch company KLM.

In January 2000 a Kenya Airways plane crashed into the sea after taking off from Abidjan airport in Ivory Coast killing 169 people. There were 10 survivors.

NATIONALITIES OF MISSING
34 Cameroon
15 India
9 Kenya (crew)
7 South Africa
6 China
6 Ivory Coast
6 Nigeria
5 Britain
3 Niger
2 Central African Republic
2 Democratic Republic of Congo
1 Ghana; Sweden; Togo; Mali; Switzerland; Comoros; Mauritius; Senegal; Congo; Egypt; Tanzania; US; Burkina Faso
6 unidentified
Source: Kenya Airways

President and Mrs. Bush enjoy the beat as they take the stage with the Kankouran West African Dance Company on the South Lawn of the White House, April 25. The troupe was there to help the White House highlight Malaria Awareness. Pray for all efforts to eradicate malaria, particulary in Africa where it kills more than one million people yearly.

MRS. BUSH: Welcome, everyone, to the White House. Thank you very much for being a part of this Malaria Awareness Day.

Today, citizens around the world are making a historic commitment to end malaria. In European capitals, parliaments are debating how their governments can help. In Ontario, Canadians are commemorating their first World Malaria Day by raising money for bed nets for Uganda. Across the continent of Africa, people are teaching their families, friends, and neighbors how to protect themselves from this deadly disease.

Here in the United States, concerned citizens are spreading the word about our moral obligation to defeat malaria. This disease claims more than a million lives every year. It devastates people living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, babies and children. Somewhere in Africa, a mother loses her baby to malaria every 30 seconds.

The American people, through their government, are working to end this epidemic. In 2005, President Bush announced the President's Malaria Initiative -- a five-year, $1.2 billion program to combat malaria in the hardest-hit African nations. So far, the initiative has distributed life-saving medicines, insecticide sprays, and mosquito nets to millions of Africans.

The initiative calls on developed countries, private foundations, religious institutions, volunteer groups, and individual citizens to reduce the suffering and death caused by malaria. The good news is that there's something simple and inexpensive that all of us can do to help. One of the best protections against malaria is a long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net. Only a fraction of African homes have the mosquito net they need, but any individual who can raise $10 can buy a bed net, and save a life.

Throughout our country, caring citizens are answering this call to help. In sports leagues, in Boys and Girls Clubs, and in church groups, Americans are raising money for mosquito nets. And they're raising awareness about malaria. In school, children are learning about the disease, and what they can do to defeat it. This morning, I visited the Friendship Public Charter School here in Washington, where first graders and I read Nets are Nice. Nets are Nice is a picture book that teaches American children what they can do for children in Africa.

Later, fifth grade students and government officials teamed up to play Malaria Jeopardy. Turns out our Malaria Coordinator, Admiral Ziemer, is a pretty tough competitor. (Laughter.) Inside the gym, the fifth graders had a hoops-shooting contest. For every basket the students made, the NBA and the WNBA's "Nothing But Nets" program donated a bed net to Africa. The kids did so well, "Nothing But Nets" is announcing a contribution of $5,000 dollars to purchase 500 bed nets in Africa. And we have a few of those players here with us today. Where are they? Do you all mind standing up? Thanks so much for being a part of it. (Applause.) Thanks, you all, and thanks to the NBA and the WNBA.

These events encourage kids to reach out to children in Africa, and they instill in our next generation America's compassion for people in need.

Today, I'm delighted to announce a new project. With the Global Business Coalition, the American people -- through the Malaria Initiative, and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- will provide half-a-million bed nets to the nation of Zambia. (Applause.)

President Bush announced Zambia as a PMI focus country in December, at the White House Summit on Malaria. In Zambia -- a country of 10 million people -- there are roughly 4 million documented cases of malaria every year. Adding to the crisis is a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. More than a million Zambian adults and children are living with HIV -- which means their immune systems are more susceptible to malaria. Malaria kills 50,000 Zambians every year.

Through the new partnership we're announcing today, mosquito nets will be distributed to Zambia's most vulnerable households. With help from the RAPIDS Consortium, they'll reach about 1 million young children, pregnant mothers, and people infected with HIV -- almost 10 percent of Zambia's population. These nets will help mothers sleep soundly at night, knowing that their babies are safe. They'll help people with HIV live positively. And they'll give a country devastated by malaria the promise of good health and renewed hope. Thank you to everyone here who's made this partnership possible.

This summer, I'll visit Zambia to observe the net distribution. And I'm looking forward to traveling throughout Africa, to meet people who are working to overcome malaria and other obstacles to development. On my past trips to Africa, I've heard tragic stories about the human toll of diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. But I've also been inspired by the men and women who've told me these stories -- men and women who are determined to secure opportunity, prosperity, and good health for their children.

The American people are proud to stand with them. Our country believes that every life, in every land, has value and dignity. And on this first Malaria Awareness Day, we look to the millions of lives threatened by this disease, and we reaffirm our commitment to saving them.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your work to help defeat malaria. Now I'd like to introduce someone else I know who's determined to end this epidemic: Ladies and gentlemen, my husband, President George W. Bush. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for coming. Welcome to the White House. The Rose Garden has witnessed many historic events. This afternoon we gather to mark something completely new, the first ever Malaria Awareness Day in the United States, and I'm glad you're here to join us. (Applause.)

On Malaria Awareness Day, we focus our attention on all who suffer from this terrible disease -- especially the millions on the continent of Africa. We remember the millions more who died from this entirely preventable and treatable disease. As a compassionate nation, we are called to spread awareness about malaria -- and we're called to act. That's what compassionate people do. When they see a problem, they act. And that's what we're here to talk about. On this special day, we renew our commitment to lead the world toward an urgent goal, and that is to turn the tide against malaria in Africa, and around the globe.

I want to thank Laura for being my wife -- (laughter) -- and taking the lead on this. (Applause.) Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us. Mike Leavitt, the Department of Health and Human Services. Ambassador Randy Tobias. He now runs USAID. Prior to this job, he led America's monumental effort to confront and deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the continent of Africa. Thank you for your leadership. Karen P., it's good to see you. Ambassador Hughes is with us.

Admiral Ziemer. So if you want to solve a problem, you put a problem solver in charge. And that's what Admiral Ziemer does. He's a problem solver. It makes it easier for me, when I say to other nations -- like with President Lula. He came to visit at Camp David. We were trying to figure out ways we could work together to show our hemisphere and the world that Brazil and the United States shares a compassion about people. And so I said, why don't we work together to eradicate malaria in parts of Africa? Call Ziemer. (Laughter.) He'll see to it that the strategy gets implemented. To show that we're a serious nation, we have named a coordinator, somebody in charge. It's important for me and Laura to know that a good man is handling this responsibility to implementing a strategy. Appreciate what you're doing. I know you know that we take this initiative seriously.

Mr. Chairman, Donald Payne, thank you for coming. We're proud you're here. I respect you, and I respect your concern for the people of Africa, and to make sure that the United States of America stays engaged in that continent in a constructive way. It's good to see Chris Smith. Thank you for coming, Chris. We're proud you're here.

I appreciate very much the fact that the World Bank is taking the lead in eradicating poverty in places like Africa, and Paul Wolfowitz, thank you for your leadership of the World Bank. And I appreciate the fact that Ann Veneman is joining us, the Executive Director of UNICEF, which is the largest purchaser of bed nets in the world. These people are here because they're committed to joining us to solve a problem that can be solved.

I also thank other members of my administration here. Thank you for coming and thank you for your interest. I want to thank the members of the diplomatic corps for joining us. I appreciate you coming. I see ambassadors from countries that will be helped by this initiative, and I see ambassadors from countries that we expect to join us in this initiative.

I'm looking forward to -- Mr. Ambassador, to talking to Prime Minister Abe about what Japan can do with the United States to solve this problem. I'm honored you're here. I'm looking forward to seeing the Prime Minister tomorrow evening for dinner. I thank our dance company that will be joining us in a minute. I know you're going to look forward to seeing them; so am I. So I'm warming up out here. (Laughter.) I thank our domestic and international partners. I see so many people who are -- who care about the lives of others, and are willing to do something about it. And I really appreciate you all coming.

As we mark this first Malaria Awareness Day, it makes sense to begin with some facts. Every year, more than a million people die of malaria -- and the vast majority of them are children under five years old. It's a sad statistic. In some countries, malaria takes even more lives than HIV/AIDS. Malaria imposes a crippling economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa, where so many are struggling to lift their families out of poverty.

All of that may seem like a cause for despair. But it's not. The world knows exactly what it takes to treat and prevent malaria. We've seen this disease defeated before, right here in Washington.

I'm sure a lot of citizens don't remember this fact, but about a century ago malaria was a serious problem. The hot and humid summers created a dangerous breeding ground for mosquitoes, and Congress would often flee the capital for months at a time. Other than that, the consequences were all negative. (Laughter.) Some foreign ambassadors to the United States are even reported to have received hardship pay for duties here in Washington. Yet, through the years, because of patient and persistent action, malaria was almost entirely eradicated in Washington and throughout the United States.

In other words, we've solved this problem before. And the fundamental question is, do we have the will to do the same thing on another continent? That's really the question that faces this country and other nations around the world. My commitment is, you bet we have the will. And we've got a strategy to do so.

Defeating malaria is going to be a challenge, but it's not going to require a miracle. That's what I'm here to tell you. It's going to require a smart and sustained campaign.

And so what does that mean? Well, first, it means distributing insecticide-treated bed nets; secondly, expanding indoor insecticide spraying; thirdly, providing anti-malaria medicine to pregnant women, and delivering cutting-edge drugs to people living with the disease. Those are the four steps necessary to achieve our objective.

Thanks to our leadership in science and technology, we have a unique ability to help in all these areas. We have a responsibility to turn that ability into action. When America sees suffering and know that our nation -- when Americans see suffering and know that our nation can help stop it, they expect our government to respond. Most Americans believe in this timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required, and I believe in that, as well.

We have a strategic interest in reducing death and disease in emerging nations of Africa. Societies with healthy and prosperous people are more likely to be sources of stability and peace, not breeding grounds for extremists and terror. It's in our strategic interests that we follow through on our pledges.

I launched the President's Malaria Initiative in 2005. Through this initiative, as Laura mentioned, we're spending $1.2 billion over five years to provide bed nets and indoor spraying and anti-malaria medicine in 15 heavily effected African countries. We're working toward a historic goal to cut the number of malaria-related deaths in country by half. The Admiral has got a goal. It's a measurable goal.

The key element to this initiative is accountability. It's a realistic agenda with a measurable goal. And today is a good day to report to the American people on the impact their dollars are having. During the first year of our initiative, we expanded malaria protection in more than 6 million Africans. We're still early in the second year, but so far we've reached another 5 million people, and by the end of 2007, we expect to reach a total of 30 million. Admiral, you're doing good work, and the American people deserve a lot of credit for supporting you.

A good effort of our -- of this strategy comes from the Zanzibar islands off the east coast of Tanzania. This area was once a hotbed for malaria infection. Then with the support of our malaria initiative, local residents launched a campaign called "Kataa Malaria," which is Swahili for "Reject Malaria." Workers went door to door to teach people how to use beds -- how to use bed nets. They launched TV and radio ads. They spoke in mosques about malaria prevention and treatment, and the efforts worked.

One Zanzibar island reported that malaria cases during the first nine months of last year dropped by a stunning 87 percent. Another example comes from Senegal on the west coast of Africa. In one village, malaria kills half of all the children before the age of five. Imagine growing up in a village like that, imagine being a mom in a village like that.

Not long ago, it looked like a two-year-old fellow named Demba Balde was going to be one of the unlucky children. His mother took him to the village health hut, which receives funding from our malaria initiative. And thanks to enhanced awareness, correct diagnosis and prompt treatment, young Demba won his battle with malaria.

Every life matters to the American people. Every life is precious. Stories like these are cause for hope, and they would not be possible without the courage and commitment of our partners in Africa. This week, nations across Africa are marking their own Malaria Awareness Days. In Angola, the Ministry of Health is helping to lead a "Caravan for Life" in which health workers travel the countryside in trucks loaded with bed nets and medicines and educational materials.

In Benin, almost a million dollars worth of bed nets and medicines is being distributed at an event in the capital city.

In Mozambique, local residents attended a soccer tournament that featured songs and skits on how to prevent malaria.

We're committed to helping our African partners build on these efforts, and so I want to share with you two new endeavors. First, America will expand our cooperation with the government of Uganda, and the non-profit group Malaria No More, to distribute more than a half-a-million bed nets in Uganda. We're going to focus this distribution on children and pregnant mothers in areas of the country with the greatest vulnerability. And when we're finished with this effort, half of all the households in Uganda will own a bed net to protect against malaria.

The second new commitment is Madagascar. There, we will team up with Malaria No More and the American Red Cross to distribute bed nets to nearly 1.4 million children under the age of five. This delivery campaign will include polio vaccines to promote good overall health for children across the island. We're attacking this problem one spot at a time with a comprehensive strategy.

These efforts are a good start, but on this Malaria Awareness Day, we've got to understand, it's just a start, and there's a lot of work to be done. Nations around this world have a role to play. At the G8, I'm going to raise this issue with our partners around the table. I'm going to remind them, to whom much is given, much is required, and that the United States will lead, and we expect others to follow side-by-side. (Applause.)

Private citizens and organizations have an important role to play. Last December, as Laura mentioned, we held the White House Summit on Malaria to urge more non-profit groups and corporations and individuals to join the effort to wipe out this disease. The response has been encouraging. We're seeing inspiring acts of selflessness from what I've called America's armies of compassion.

There's an interesting development taking place tonight. If you happen to tune into "American Idol," you will see the first ever "Idol Gives Back" campaign. This campaign will urge viewers to donate to a variety of charities, including groups devoted to fighting malaria. For all you "Idol" viewers, join this battle, join the cause to help save lives. I'm not so sure I'm going to watch it tonight, but this show does have a large group of viewers, and I really appreciate the producers for joining us.

Major League Soccer is running a promotional campaign that encourages fans to make a donation to cover the cost of bed nets for a family in Africa. College students on more than 50 campuses are holding "Music to End Malaria" events to generate awareness and raise funds. The Magnum Photos agency has launched a photo narrative that depicts the devastating toll of malaria. Awareness is a part of solving the problem.

You don't have to be a part of an organization to make a difference. In an elementary school in Parkersburg, West Virginia, 63 children raised enough money to buy 15 bed nets. This past Christmas, our family -- some of our family gathered in Camp David, and my brother gave us bed nets as a Christmas gift. You can do the same thing here in America. You can make an individual contribution to save somebody's life.

I want to tell you what this third grader explained -- why he contributed to the program. He said, "I want to fight malaria because it's helpful, and I want to help kids in Africa because it's the right thing to do." And it is the right thing to do. And that's why we're gathered here in the Rose Garden, to commit this nation to doing the right thing, and to call upon citizens in this country to do the right thing.

America is a country that gives medicine to the sick and food to the hungry and protection to the threatened, because it's the right thing to do. Malaria Awareness Day is a chance for me to thank all Americans who have donated to this cause, and urge others to do the same. It's a day to call on nations around the world to join us in a great humanitarian effort. And it's a day to remind our fellow citizens that when you help somebody live a life, it strengthens our soul and enhances our spirit.

Thanks for coming, and God bless. (Applause.)

END 1:34 P.M. EDT

By Simon Usborne
Published: 30 April 2007

It is one of the world's poorest countries and lies at the heart of a region often marred by vote rigging and polling day violence, but as Malians await the results of yesterday's election - their fourth free ballot in 15 years - the former French colony is quickly emerging as a democratic model for Africa.

A steady trickle of voters began lining up early yesterday morning at polling stations in Bamako, the Mali capital, and throughout the vast West African state, which stretches from the windswept dunes of the Saharan north to the fertile cotton fields that lie beside the River Niger in the south.

Soldiers guarded voting centres and early balloting was reported to be calm and orderly, in stark contrast to the bloody chaos that beset elections in Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria, earlier this month.

Most voters predicted an easy re-election victory for former coup leader, President Amadou Toumani Touré, known as "The Soldier of Malian Democracy" by his supporters after he saved the country from decades of dictatorship.

Speaking to reporters after voting in central Bamako, Mr Touré, who faced competition from seven other candidates, was quick to affirm that elections would be free and fair.

"My wish is for a turnout which reflects our democratic culture," he said as supporters mobbed him chanting "ATT", the initials by which is he popularly known.

Many of those queuing in the 40C heat might have found time to cast their minds back to a very different Mali.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, the country slid into dictatorship and, from 1968, President Moussa Traoré ruled with an iron fist.

But his reign ended in 1991 when, outraged by the killing of more than 100 pro-democracy demonstrators by state security forces, Mr Touré, then a General in the Malian army, led a coup to topple the dictator. The following year, Mr Touré handed the reigns to an elected president, Alpha Oumar Konaré, who won international praise for carrying out economic reform and consolidating democracy. Mr Touré has continued the process since his return to politics at elections held in 2002.

Whether Mali can act as a beacon for democracy in the rest of Africa remains to be seen, but one thing the country has already exported to the continent, and beyond, is its vibrant music.

Since 1996, when 3,000 guns were publicly burned to signify a reconciliation between Tuareg rebels in the north, thousands of musicians have gathered every year at The Festival of the Desert, held in Essakane, a Saharan oasis just two hours from the fabled city of Timbuktu.

The festival has quickly gained international recognition as a showcase for the best of Malian music. Tinariwen, a Tuareg rebel band who were forced to perform underground before the 1991 coup, are now the darlings of the Mali music scene and have toured the world since they were spotted at the festival in 2001.

Back in Bamako, many of Mali's 6.9 million voters queued into the evening to escape the heat of the day. Polls closed at six o'clock but results could take days to be released. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, the top two will compete in a run-off in two weeks.

The entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention on 29 April 1997 was a milestone in the international community¡¯s efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons. Since coming into effect, the Convention has contributed to steady progress in the destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles. Membership in the Convention has increased to 182 States Parties, covering 98 percent of the world¡¯s population. And the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), established by the Convention to facilitate implementation of its provisions, has made important gains in eliminating from the world an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.

The world has come a long way since the first large-scale use of chemical weapons during the First World War, which inflicted unspeakable horror on its victims. However, a lot remains to be done. To date, more than 25 percent of the States Parties¡¯ declared chemical weapons stockpiles have been eliminated under international verification. That slower-than-anticipated rate of progress led the Conference of the States Parties, last December, to extend the final date for the destruction of declared stockpiles. I call upon all possessor States to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles according to the agreed deadlines. I also urge all Governments that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the Convention without delay.

On this important anniversary, which is also the Remembrance Day for Victims of Chemical Warfare, let us reaffirm our commitment to building a world free of chemical weapons. Let us honour the victims of chemical warfare, and redouble our efforts to ensuring that no life on earth will be lost ever again due to the use of chemical weapons.

http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2541