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New Year Poem
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Am The New Year
Author Unknown

Life, I am the new year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice
what you have learned about life
during the last twelve months.

All that you sought
and didn't find is hidden in me,
waiting for you to search it out
with more determination.

All the good that you tried for
and didn't achieve
is mine to grant
when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do,
all that you hoped but did not will,
all the faith that you claimed but did not have -
these slumber lightly,
waiting to be awakened
by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to Him who said,
'behold, I make all things new.'

I am the new year.

Orby.




December 27, 2007 | 10:26 AM Comments  1 comments

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UN Climate Change Conference Ends with an Agreement
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

By Beatriz Eraso Puig, Climate Change Associate, WFUNA Secretariat, NY

The United Nations Climate Change Conference came to its end on November 15 in Bali, Indonesia. The ministers and high-level officials of 187 countries reached an agreement that launches the negotiations to adopt a new climate regime that will enter into force in 2013, after the expiration of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol. They have set an agenda for the negotiations up to 2009, when the agreement should be presented in Copenhagen. Some of the key issues that will be discussed in the following two years will be: action for adaptation to climate change, ways to reduce greenhouse emissions, technology transfer and financing of adaptation and mitigation measures.

Mr Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that "this is a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change. Parties have recognised the urgency of action on climate change and have now provided the political response to what scientists have been telling us is needed".

During the conference the Parties also agreed on the steps that have to be taken on a number of crucial issues for developing countries: adaptation, deforestation and technology transfer.

Governments agreed to launch the Kyoto's Protocol Adaptation Fund to finance adaptation projects in developing countries through the Clean Developing Mechanism (CDM). The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will provide secretariat services and the World Bank will serve as trustee. The fund is currently worth 37 million USD, and this figure will increase 80-300 million USD in the following four years. But there was no agreement on other practical adaptation measures, so this issue will be in the agenda in the following meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice in 2008.

The mandate of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Expert Group has been extended, as it is critical to support LDCs in adaptation issues because of their low capacity to face this challenge.

The governments also reached a deal regarding the reduction of emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD). It is a system to compensate developing countries for protecting their forests. The agreement will launch projects to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. The Parties are encouraged to support capacity building and take actions to reduce deforestation. This issue is especially important for local and indigenous people whose life depend on forests. Deforestation will be an important part of adaptation and mitigation strategies in the future climate change deal.

Finally, there was progress on the technology issue, one of the main concerns of developing countries. The GEF, together with international financial institutions and the private financing sector, will put together a new strategic program to scale up the investment for the transfer of adaptation and mitigation technology in order to meet the demands of developing countries. The objective is to do more demonstration projects and create an attractive environment for investment and the private transfer of technology.

Regarding this last issue, the mandate of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer has been extended for five more years. This group will work on performance indicators to monitor and evaluate progress on the development, deployment and transfer of technology. Their work will be an important input for the new climate change agreement.

On the opening of the high-level segment that took place during the last three days of the meeting, Mr Ban Ki-moon said "the time for equivocation is over. The science is clear. Climate change is happening. The impact is real. The time to act is now". The Secretary General said that every UN agency, fund and programme is committed and that the UN is determined to be part of the answer to climate change. They want to lead by example, so the UN system will move towards carbon neutrality.

During the two-week conference, there were more than 10,000 participants: 3,527 delegates from 188 parties and 3 observer states; 5,037 representatives of 349 NGOs; 1,497 members of the press from 530 media organizations. Some of the public figures that attended the conference were: Mr Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General; Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia; Mr. Kevin Michael Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia; Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Economic and Social Affairs; Mr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Mr. Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank.

The decisions adopted are available online:
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php
For more information: www.un.org/climatechange




December 17, 2007 | 12:19 PM Comments  0 comments

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Presidents Bush & Yar'Adua at the White House
Related to country: Nigeria

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

In Focus: Global Diplomacy

10:50 A.M. EST

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, it's been my honor to welcome you
here to the White House. We just had a very extensive and fruitful
discussion on a variety of issues, and that's what you would expect
when friends meet together.

The President is committed to democracy and rule of law. He was very
articulate in his desire to make sure that the people of Nigeria
understand that their government will be fair and transparent, and
will be a government of the people. Mr. President, I am impressed by
your commitment to reform, your adherence to the concept of rule of
law, and your belief in transparency. And I congratulate you for
being a strong leader.

We also talked about social justice issues, the issue of education.
The President is committed to seeing to it that compulsory education
is followed through on in his country throughout the country, and I
admire that. And we want to help you. The United States has got a
program that is dedicated to making sure every child gets a good
education. It's in our national interests that that be the case.

It's also in our national interests, Mr. President, to help you if
you so desire on issues like HIV/AIDS and malaria. The President is
strongly committed to helping the Nigerian families affected by
these diseases get treatment and help. He understands that there
needs to be a comprehensive program of prevention, distribution of
antiretrovirals, and then a capacity to help the orphans who have
been left behind as a result of this terrible disease. And we're
committed, through what we call PEPFAR, Mr. President. I'm going to
the United States Congress and ask them to double our commitment,
because we believe it's in our interests to help you if you so
desire. It's in our interests from a security perspective; it's in
our interests from a moral perspective.

So we've had a good visit. I'm proud you're here, and I welcome you
and thank you for your time and for your heart.

PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA: Thank you very much, Mr. President. I feel
highly honored and privileged to be here and have the opportunity to
share these few moments with you. This is a moment that I'll never
forget in my life.

I have briefed Mr. President on the situation in Nigeria, our
efforts to anchor democracy on the rule of law; to help a credible
electoral process; and to ensure that the principles of justice,
equity will guide the conduct of affairs in Nigeria -- transparency,
accountability and the fight against corruption. And Mr. President
has expressed the support of himself and the government of the
United States as the people of the United States assist Nigeria to
ensure that we continue to uphold -- (inaudible) -- democracy, the <=AND UPHOLD
rule of law, zero tolerance for corruption, and the development of a
free market economy through economic reforms that we have been
effecting for the last eight years.

Now this will set the principles upon which we'll build and develop
a free society capable of growing an economy that will cater for the
development and needs of the people of Nigeria. And in this great
effort we are making we find great friendship and assistance from
the government and people of the United States. And we are very
grateful for this _expression of support, confidence and trust.

We have discussed a wide range of issues beside democracy and the
rule of law and the economic reforms. We have discussed about the
problems of HIV/AIDS, the problem of malaria, challenges in
education. And the United States government will help us to meet
these challenges as we go along. And I think this is an excellent
humanitarian gesture for which I, personally, and the people and
government of Nigeria are extremely grateful.

We have discussed security issues and the security within Nigeria,
itself, within the Niger Delta region and within the Gulf of Guinea.
And we have also discussed security issues -- peace and security on
the African continent. And we shall partner with (inaudible) to <======== AFRICOM
assist not only Nigeria, but also the African continent to actualize
its peace and security (inaudible) initiative, which is an <============ ??
initiative to help standby forces of brigade-size in each of the
regional economic groupings within the African continent.

I think what we have discussed has given me hope, and myself, the
government and people of Nigeria are inspired by the United States
of America's achievement and the principles which guide it. And this
is a posit we are trading, and the friendship and understanding of
the United States will propel Nigeria with this inspiration to make
the transformations that we need to do into a modern nation from an
underdeveloped nation, capable of meeting the development and needs
of its people.

I thank you very much, Mr. President, this is a rare opportunity.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.

END 11:05 A.M. EST

To watch the video, click or copy URL:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071213-1.wm.v.html