Compubase Gets Education Ministry Approval for ICDL Training
Detained journalist's wife missing, says Reporters San Frontier
ABIDJAN, 4 September (IRIN) - The lobby group for media freedom, Reporters sans frontieres, has said the wife of Hassan Bility, the Liberian editor who has been held incommunicado for more than two months by the government, went missing two weeks ago.
It said Bility's wife, Maria Nyenetue, left the capital city, Monrovia, on 20 August to try to see him, after apparently receiving word from him that he was in Klay, 50 km to the northwest, and needed some money.
Nyenetue left after declining to give money to the person who brought the message, according to RSF ('Reporters Without Borders'). Bility is the editor of the private weekly newspaper, The Analyst. He was arrested with two other people in Monrovia, allegedly on suspicion of operating a LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) terrorist cell in the capital city.
In a statement on Wednesday, RSF expressed "extreme concern" about Bility's fate, saying he had been accused by the Liberian government of plotting with rebel forces to kill President Charles Taylor. The government should respect the Liberian constitution and bring the journalist before a judge, it added.
"Despite numerous requests since his arrest, he has not appeared in court and the government has not kept its promise to allow a Red Cross representative to see him," RSF stated. "The three [Bility, Ansumana Kamara and Abubakar Kamara] are being held in a secret place without formal charges in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which says anyone arrested must be brought before a court and charged within 48 hours," it added.
The media freedom watchdog quoted the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Reginald Goodridge as saying that Bility had been a "central figure" among "those who have been running cells in Monrovia actively collaborating with the LURD and their supporters in the United States" with the aim of assassinating President Taylor.A LURD spokesman denied Goodridge's claim.
In July and August, the Liberian authorities refused to present Bility and the two others in court as demanded by several human rights organisations, and despite a habeas corpus order by Liberia's supreme military court, RSF added.
4 September 2002
WHO Releases first Global reference Guide onSafe and Effective use of essential medicinesGuide Promotes Consumer Rights and Patient Safety
Geneva - In its efforts to promote safe and cost-effective use of
medicines, the World Health Organization (WHO) today releases the first
edition of the WHO Model Formulary. The formulary is the first ever
publication to give comprehensive information on all 325 medicines
contained in the WHO Model List of Essential Drugs. It presents
information on the recommended use, dosage, adverse effects,
contra-indications and warnings of these medicines. Correct use of this
tool will improve patient safety and limit superfluous medical spending.
Bad prescribing habits are very common in all countries of the world.
They lead to ineffective and unsafe treatment, exacerbation or
prolongation of illness and harm to the patient. In addition,
inappropriate treatment increases the costs to the patient, the insurance
system or the government.
The new formulary is primarily intended as a model for national
governments and institutions, to be used as a basis for developing their
own national formularies. It is particularly relevant for developing
countries, where commercial and promotional materials are often the only
available source of drug information to health workers, prescribers and
patients. The WHO formulary may also be useful for individual prescribers
- and for this reason it is available at reduced cost for developing
countries.
"Unfortunately, developing countries do not always have access to unbiased
information about medicines," explains Dr Hans Hogerzeil, from the
Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy department at WHO. "The formulary
aims to address that problem and provide a service based solely on
scientific evidence."
It is estimated that only two-thirds of developing country populations
have some form of access to essential medicines. For those countries,
pharmaceuticals can represent as much as 40% of the health care budget.
Because of its considerable impact on the quality of care and the cost of
treatment, the selection of essential medicines and their appropriate use
constitute the most effective approach to improving equitable access to
health care.
This principle also applies to industrialized countries, where questions
of medical insurance coverage are always important concerns for the public
and central to policy debates.
The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, recently updated to include 12
essential antiretroviral medicines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, is
compiled to focus pharmaceutical efforts on priority conditions and
quality medicines that are the most cost-effective and safe, and as
affordable as possible. For instance, the vast majority of medicines
contained in the WHO Model List are well-known and well-established
pharmaceuticals which are off patent and available from many sources.
To make access to information as wide as possible, the WHO Model Formulary will be available on the internet at the following address:
www.who.int/medicines.VCD Hi-Fi system and 21-inch FLAT TVs created for local consumers
September 4, 2002
Panasonic, the leading global manufacturer of consumer electronics and home entertainment products along with their sole agent in the UAE, Oman National Electronics, has
announced the launch of two innovative product ranges at a press conference held
yesterday (Wednesday, September 4, 2002). The products, which include a range
of 21-inch flat-screen TVs and VCD Hi-Fi systems, have been exclusively designed
for the Middle East consumers."The Middle East is a steadily growing market that plays a crucial role in our
overall global business strategy. The newly launched products have been created
after incorporating the preferences and demands of customers in the region,"
said Masato Tomita, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East, FZE (PMM).
"The fact that these products were specifically designed to suit the taste
of the Middle East consumers is reflective of our deep and underlying commitment
to the region," he added.VCD Hi-Fi Systems
The Video CD Hi-Fi, SC-VK800 is a powerful 7000-watt music system featuring a
Multi-Amp system with a total of 14 speakers. Incorporating a Twin Subwoofer
system along with a Super woofer, you get a powerful bass sound to enjoy movie
theater sound effect with VCD software. The attractive visual appearance of the
product is matched by state-of-the-art features, which also include a 5 VCD/CD
changer with the facility to play MP3 and CD-R/RW discs and an amazing new Super
Sound equalizer."We felt that it was an opportune moment to introduce the products as the Middle
East is currently witnessing a great demand for Video CD Mini Hi-Fi system, estimated
at over half a million sets, with a total value of Dhs 500 million. Panasonic
currently holding 20 per cent market share, plans to achieve a target of 25 per
cent in the Middle East, " said Sho Kusuki, Manager, Consumer Electronics, PMM.
Targeted at teenagers and the youth of the region, the music system packs a host
of innovative features along with striking good looks and a visually appealing
LCD display. In addition to a powerful sound output, the system also allows users
to play their own CD compilations and reproduce music recorded in MP3 format.
After downloading tracks from the Internet to the PC, then transferring them
to a CD-R or CD-RW, SC-VK800 enables the disc to be played on the system. Also
available in the VK series are models SC-VK700, SC-VK 550 and SC-VK540.Tau PS70 series – 21" Flat Colour TV
The new TV models launched TC-21PS70R, TC-21PS75R and TC-21PS77X, incorporate a totally new concept and design in 21 inch Flat TV's. The PS series boasts an
elegant new design with a gleaming Mirror Trim finish and a striking new look.
The features for TC-21PS75 include a Twin Digital Comb Filter for clearer and
natural images, Super VM (Velocity Modulation) for extra sharpness of bass sound,
Bass-Reflex subwoofer, Wing Type stereo 2-speakers and Virtual Hyper Base for
amplifying low sounds."In 2002, the estimated market size for colour TVs in the Middle East and Africa
is estimated at 8 million units and Panasonic is targeting a 10 per cent of the
4 million branded imported TVs market size. It has been a deliberate move to
launch the new 21-inch TV in the Middle East, as this segment commands the largest
market share among TVs," said Yasuyuki Shimizu, Manager, Consumer Electronics,
PMM. "The introduction of the PS series tailor made for the Middle East, is the
result of an extensive and comprehensive market survey based on this region's
consumer needs and tastes. Targeted at young couples just starting out life together,
its size, sound and design is a perfect match thus giving it an edge over other
TV models."Of the other models of the PS series, TC-21PS70R is similar to the PS75 except
it does not have the Bass–reflex Subwoofer while the TX-21PS77X is Panasonic's
first model to incorporate Farsi Tele-Text specially in order to meet the Iran
market consumer requirements.The PS series comprise technologically advanced features as well as improved
colour and sound qualities. The Mirror Trim Design is a new concept that provides
a shining mirror finish to the TV. The VK series of VCD HiFi systems and the
PS series of Tau 21 inch flat TV models are available with Panasonic's sole agent in the UAE, Oman National Electronics at their showrooms and other major electronics
dealers.Compubase Gets Education Ministry Approval for ICDL Training
Dubai -September 4, 2002
CompuBase, the UAE-based computer learning market leader, is the
Emirate's first private training organisation, approved by the Ministry
of Education, to become an accredited certification centre for the
International Computer Driving Licences (ICDL), the global competency
standard for computer literacy.Sponsored by UNESCO-UCO and recognised as an accreditation standard in
more than 57 countries, ICDL certifies the basic skills required to use
computers at home or in the office."ICDL is rapidly becoming an employment pre-requisite by renowned
organisations worldwide. It brings a new dimension to computer training
in the UAE, providing a practical, flexible and cost-effective way of
learning, testing and certifying primary computer skills," said Jamil
Ezzo, Deputy Managing Director, CompuBase.
"It is designed for anyone who wishes to enhance their IT skills and
gain a basic qualification in computing, to help them with their current
job or to enhance their career prospects."The vendor neutral competency standard has been developed to increase
knowledge of personal computers and the use of common computer
applications. It covers the fundamentals of information technology;
using a computer and managing files; word processing; spreadsheets,
databases, presentations and information and communication, including
the Internet and email."As well as promoting and encouraging widespread computer literacy, so
that all people, regardless of their background, can be part of the
global information society, ICDL also benefits employers by providing a
reliable and consistent benchmark against which to assess new employees'
IT skills," said Ezzo.
Blue chip companies and organisations who recognise ICDL as a computer
skills standard include the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, the Bank of
England, BP Amoco, IBM, DHL, General Electric, Procter and Gamble, the
US Army and the Jordanian Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
ICDL courses will be launched at CompuBase's training centres in Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and Ajman on September 7. The company's unique flexible
learning system means anyone, who has registered for ICDL certification,
will be able to walk into a training centre between 8 am and 11 pm,
without an appointment, and receive hands-on, one-on-one instruction."Our convenient, flexible training system enables people to learn at
their own pace. They can choose what days and times are best for them to
train without worrying about missing a class," said Ezzo.
As well as providing ICDL training, CompuBase's three centres will also
test and certify anyone who believes they already possess the necessary
IT skills to pass the qualifying examinations without further training.An Al Barwardi Enterprises' (AE) technology group company,
CompuBase is the leading computer training company in the Middle East.
It provides professional, results-orientated training courses in office
automation, programming, networking and operating systems. CompuBase is
the only accredited Microsoft Authorised Training Centre, in the UAE,
recognised by the Ministry of Education.APOLLO HOSPITALS ENTERPRISES LTD.
Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited's (Apollo Hospital) has a well established track record, strong brand equity and large footprint within the country's healthcare industry. The healthy cash flows from its existing hospitals and pharmacy operations, its conservative capital structure and limited capital expenditure plans provide significant comfort to Apollo Hospital's ratings. The ratings also reflect the Indian healthcare sector's growth prospects given the increased awareness of healthcare, higher income levels and the impetus provided by the opening up of the health insurance sector. The ratings are, however, constrained by the sharp increase in Apollo Hospital's contingent liabilities in the current year, its exposure to the Apollo group's other unprofitable ventures and the increasing competition that has impacted the company's flexibility in tariff revision.
Apollo Hospital was the first corporate hospital to be set up in India. It currently owns 14 hospitals in southern India, has a 25% stake in the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi and has recently set up a hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in which it has a 31% stake. The company is also setting up a hospital in Ahmedabad, Apollo Akshaye, with a 51% stake, and another hospital in Kolkata, Apollo Gleneagles, where it has a 49% stake. Besides, Apollo Hospital has the largest pharmacy chain in the country comprising 120 pharmacies.
In addition to these businesses, the company has also diversified into hospital consultancy, where it provides project and operations management support to hospitals across the country. While its promoters hold a 32.82% in Apollo Hospital, non-resident Indians, financial institutions, mutual funds, private corporate bodies and the Indian public hold the remaining stake. Apollo Hospital reported an operating income of Rs 3.68 billion and a net profit of Rs 227.9 million for the financial year 2001-02.
Real test of Earth Summit begins - Annan
JOHANNESBURG, 4 September (IRIN) - The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday the real test of the success of the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was what delegates did on their return to their communities.Annan was speaking on the final day of the WSSD, which brought thousands of delegates to Johannesburg, South Africa, to seal commitments to global sustainable development.
"We came here to get commitment for sustainable development and to go back home to take action," Annan said. "If we maintain momentum, this conference will have made a major contribution."In reply to criticism the summit had failed to win real progress on key development issues, he said that although the package of proposals made at the summit "were not everything", it was not a failure.
"We must be careful not to expect conferences like this to produce miracles," he said. "We came here to get commitment for sustainable development and [we must] go back home to take action. It is on the ground that we will be able test how we did."He said the major achievements of the conference included commitments to increase the number of people who have access to water and sanitation, and the provision of energy and power to the poor.
Alluding to the controversial issue of Western agricultural subsidies and product dumping, which have denied trade opportunities to developing countries, he said: "The poor will much rather trade themselves out of poverty than live from hand to mouth."The summit was attended by 104 heads of state and government, about 9,000 delegates, and 8,000 NGOs.
Delegates worked towards the adoption of a Plan of Implementation, which would detail actions needed to fight poverty and protect the environment.The highlights of the summit, listed by the UN, included the commitment to halve the proportion of people who lack clean water and sanitation by 2015, and the expansion of modern energy services to the two billion people without access.
Summit Secretary-General Nitin Desai said that while countries did not agree on a target for phasing in renewable energy, they did commit to green energy, and the phase out of subsidies for fossil fuels. They also agreed to support the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) objective of ensuring access to energy for at least 35 percent of Africans within 20 years. Countries also agreed to phase out, by 2020, the use and production of chemicals harmful to health and the environment.
Other highlights were commitments to reduce biodiversity loss by 2010, the restoration of fisheries to their maximum sustainable yields by 2015, the establishment of a representative network of marine protected areas by 2012, and a commitment to improve developing countries' access to environmentally sound alternatives to ozone-depleting chemicals by 2010.Multi-billion dollar financial commitments were also made, many by the US and Japan, who had disappointed some delegates by sidestepping important issues, such as renewable energy targets.
The US also refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol on reducing dangerous emissions into the atmosphere. But Russia stepped in and provided a "major country" signature, which was required to put it into effect.
However, many activists expressed concern that the important challenges of tackling poverty, and opening Western markets to the developing world, were not adequately addressed. There was no commitment to raise aid levels, and neither was the challenge of HIV/AIDS given prominence.
Oxfam described the summit as a wasted opportunity, and said the world's leaders had turned their backs on the poor.The organisation said that apart from "some gains on a few environmental issues, and on sanitation for the poor", rich countries had shied away "from targets, timetables and money".
"Thirteen million people in Southern Africa currently facing famine must now know that the world's leaders have let them down – there's no action to change the bad policies that have turned the drought into a crisis. The two billion living in absolute poverty must know that the visionary promise of the Millennium Development Goals was an empty thing. With no commitment to significantly raise aid levels, does anyone now believe that halving poverty by 2015 is possible," said an Oxfam spokesman, Andrew Hewett.
"We feel betrayed. We were expecting world leaders to deal with issues like poverty and the destruction of natural resources, but governments are more interested in promoting trade at the expense of social issues," commented Richard Navarro, of Friends of the Earth International
Agencies move to protect Southern African vulnerable from sex abuse
JOHANNESBURG, 4 September (IRIN) - Relief agencies have moved to protect women and children from sexual exploitation and abuse during humanitarian operations in drought-stricken Southern Africa.About 13 million people are threatened with starvation in six countries in the region. Among the most vulnerable are women and children, who also run the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse by those involved in the supply and distribution of relief aid.
In February, a joint assessment by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children Fund-UK (SCF), revealed that refugee children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had been subjected to sexual abuse. They had been exploited by those in positions of authority - employees of national and international NGOs, UN agencies, fellow refugees, and security forces of the host countries.
The report stated that the "exploiters appear to be able to pay for sex when and with whom they want, and to do so with impunity, since the very people they exploit are not able to complain about their situation for fear of their source of basic survival being removed".
The West Africa report shook the humanitarian community, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered further investigations and a plan for remedial action. As a result, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) - whose members include UN agencies and humanitarian and development partners - formed a task force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises. The task force is co-chaired by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).A plan of action to create an environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian crises was developed in early July.
The southern African crisis, currently one of the largest in the world, is regarded as the litmus test for the success of the plan, said UNICEF regional child protection advisor, Hamish Young.
"With the current humanitarian operation in Southern Africa going to scale, there is an urgent need to address the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse. The issue is of even greater importance and urgency when set against the underlying crisis of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. In the six affected countries, HIV prevalence ranges from 13 percent (Mozambique) up to 33.4 percent (Swaziland)," Young said.
UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and SCF, have begun to work towards preventing sexual exploitation and abuse in the context of Southern Africa's humanitarian crisis.
A "training of trainers workshop" was held in Malawi in August. The 45 participants included representatives from government, the UN, NGOs, human rights organisations, transporters, the army, police, and village chiefs. Similar workshops were also conducted in Zimbabwe and Swaziland this week. Mozambique and Lesotho are scheduled to follow next week, and Zambia shortly afterwards.Amy Horton, WFP emergency officer in Malawi, told IRIN that humanitarian workers had "a responsibility to beneficiaries to make sure we provide the assistance in a respectful manner, it goes back to [the dictum] do no harm". In addition, all WFP partners are required to sign a code of conduct.
"This [programme] is trying to mitigate the abuse of power in the humanitarian context. We are going to stimulate awareness of the IASC code of conduct, we're going to conduct sensitisation and awareness campaigns," Horton said. A radio campaign was also in the pipeline. "The idea is to train a core team or cadre of trainers from each country, from each of the main organisations involved in the supply and distribution of relief aid, and also commercial operators, particularly the transport companies, because we know from experience that truckers have used relief food to buy sex," Young said.
The core team of trainers would ensure that every agency and organisation "gets their own house in order, in terms of reporting and monitoring procedures and means of dealing with cases". They would also conduct ongoing training in relation to protection and prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation, as "you always have a large increase and turnover of staff", particularly in humanitarian responses such as the Southern Africa emergency operation.
Young told IRIN that sexual exploitation in the humanitarian context was nothing new. "We all say it starts with the report on West Africa, but this has been going on for donkeys' years. It's just that West Africa forced us to pull our heads out of the sand. And the first big humanitarian operation to come after that was Southern Africa. So what we've done is to develop a pilot training package around the IASC recommendations, and also thrown in a lot of focus on HIV/AIDS because of the context in Southern Africa," he said.
In desperate situations, desperate people "offer transactional sex to try and obtain preferential treatment in the distribution of supplies and services", Young explained. There was also a lot of casual employment from within the beneficiary community in the distribution of aid, "and often there's a lot of transactional sex to get preferential treatment there". Communities needed to be trained to monitor themselves, Young said. Humanitarian workers had to be trained to understand that "they must say no, I am not interested in what you're offering" when offered sex for aid, he added.
On the part of the UN family and its partners, it was a matter of "enforcing what's already there, we have a code of conduct"."In most of these countries prostitution is illegal. When a worker takes food and uses it to pay for sex it's an illegal act. Firstly, it's theft, and secondly, purchasing sex is illegal and sometimes the age of consent is questionable," Young said.
Listed below are the core principles of the IASC code of conduct:
* Sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian workers constitute acts of gross misconduct and are therefore grounds for termination of employment.
* Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18) is prohibited regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally. Mistaken belief in the age of a child is not a defense.
* Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including sexual favours or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behavior is prohibited. This includes exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries.
* Sexual relationship between humanitarian workers and beneficiaries are strongly discouraged since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics. Such relationships undermine the credibility and integrity of humanitarian aid work.
* Where a humanitarian worker develops concerns or suspicions regarding sexual abuse or exploitation by a fellow worker, whether in the same agency or not, s/he must report such concerns via established agency reporting mechanisms.
* Humanitarian workers are obliged to create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of their code of conduct. Managers at all levels have particular responsibility to support and develop systems which maintain this environment.
