UN Radio: IAEA Deplores Iran's Nuke Activities Concealment

IAEA Deplores Iran's Concealment of Past Nuclear Activities

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, has passed a resolution deploring Iran for its past concealment of its nuclear activities. The resolution of the IAEA's 35-member Board of Governors also paves the way for vigorous inspections of Iran's nuclear programme. It warns Iran of serious

consequences should it fail again to report on its nuclear activities. IAEA spokesperson Melisa Fleming says there are countries which have already told the Board that this means they will have no other choice but to report to the Security Council should Iran not live up to its obligations.

"It's going to be up to the Board then and it is also going to up to Mr. El Baradei if there is a case of a breach to qualify it because that means if there are any significant failures, rather than just minor accounting failures."

The head of the IAEA, Dr. Mohammed El Baradei, says the resolution strengthens his hand because it has the consensus backing of the Board of Governors.

FAO Says HIV/AIDS and Emergencies Slow Reduction of Hunger

The Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, says that HIV/AIDS and emergencies have contributed to slowing down global efforts to fight under-nourishment. FAO notes in its report that although some countries have done better in improving the food situation, overall the numbers at the global level indicate a slowdown in reducing the number of undernourished. The Chief of Basic Foodstuffs Service, Ali Gurkan, says the proportion of people affected by HIV/AIDS and emergencies are important factors for this slowdown:

"The higher the proportion and higher the number of emergencies that have taken place, the lower it seems is the achievement of those countries in trying to reduce the number of under nourished."

Mr. Gurkan says this may have a negative impact on cutting the number of under-nourished by half by the year 2015.

AIDS has Orphaned More than 11 Million in Africa: UNICEF

AIDS has already orphaned more than 11 million children across Africa. And according to the UN children's agency (UNICEF), the worst is yet to come as more parents die of the disease. UNICEF said that even in countries like Uganda, where they have succeeded in stabilizing or lowering HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, the orphan crisis will grow as parents already infected by the disease continue to die. The agency called for swift international aid to families and communities struggling to support AIDS orphans. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region worst affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with an estimated 26 million people infected with the disease.

Former Bosnian Serb General Appeals His Sentence

A former Bosnian Serb general has appealed against his 46 year prison sentence at the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Radislav Ksrtic was sentenced two years ago for his involvement in the massacres that took place after the fall of the Srebrenica enclave in 1995. A spokesman for the Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Jim Landale, says the prosecution is also appealing and is seeking a life sentence:

"So we are hearing from both parties over a course of two days. And at the end of that, the judges of the appeals chamber, five judges, will retire to consider the arguments that have been put forth."

Radislav Krstic was the commander of the Drina Corps of the Bosnian Serb Army which committed what is considered Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.

UNEP and UNESCO Appeal for Fund to Save Great Apes

Two UN agencies today appealed for $25 million to help save the great apes from extinction. UNESCO and the UN Environment Programme, UNEP, launched the appeal in Paris where a meeting on the issue is taking place. The fund is to help preserve the gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees in Africa and south East Asia. UNEP's spokesman for Europe, Robert Bisset, says the plan to save the great apes will be developed at the meeting over the next two or three days:

"It will essentially be used to implement different management plans, different strategies at the local level whereby the different great apes species can be saved from extinction."