January 2013– The atlas provides sound scientific information on the connections between weather and climate and major health challenges. These range from diseases of poverty to emergencies arising from extreme weather events and disease outbreaks.

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The Secretary General of the African Federation of Environmental Journalists (AFEJ) Mr. Daud Abdi Daud who has been tracking the rape case and was among few journalists present at the attorney general on Tuesday 22 January to follow the case affirmed that the raped women clearly stated her position and tells the attorney general that she was raped by uniformed government soldiers even her father and uncle were confirmed the case as well as her husband who is in a one of the detained people publicly voted for that his wife was raped by uniformed government soldiers.
The drivers and dynamic in this case should be investigated and prosecuted by the African Union and the United Nations as publicly acknowledged that rape violence is a tactics of war crime according Zeinab Hawa Bangura the special secretary general representative in conflict related sexual violence.
The human rights groups worried the situation and issued triangle statement today to address the rape violence and the journalist custody. For your information kindly have looked the below statement from the Committee to Protect the Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International.

Somalia: Free Journalist, Others Unlawfully Detained
Police Response to Sexual Violence Chills Media Freedom
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/12/somalia-free-journalist-others-linked-rape-allegation

The African Federation of Environmental Journalists (AFEJ) calls in need of attention release by all the detained innocent people including the journalist without political row among the Somalia government institutions over the ongoing rape violence and generally solicited Somalia environmental journalists to do accurate coverage over the rape issues which is now imperative one with a lot of worry.
For more information of the ongoing Somalia rape violence please contact AFEJ Secretary General Mr. Daud Abdi Daud who is now tracking the cases wholly on +252616349997 or email dimbil@afejnews.org

(Addis Ababa, January 21, 2013) – The African Union (AU) should make human rights central to its discussions about crises situations in Africa at its summit meeting this week in Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch said today in an open letter to the AU chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The Ordinary Summit begins on January 21, 2013, and AU heads of state are due to meet on January 27 and 28 in Addis Ababa.

The AU summit should address the human rights crises in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Somalia as well as the human rights challenges around upcoming elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe, Human Rights Watch said. Of particular concern are the human rights implications of the deployment of an African Union/United Nations-supported international military force in Mali and the need to ensure proper safeguards for protecting civilians and a human rights monitoring capability. Potential abuses not only by the Malian security forces but also by the armed forces of countries potentially taking part in the operation bring particular urgency to the situation, with the recent resumption of hostilities in Mali.

“The AU summit is an important regional forum for ensuring that human rights considerations are injected into every crisis response,” said Tiseke Kasambala, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “The AU has a crucial role to play in ensuring that the military intervention in Mali does not contribute to further human rights violations in already insecure environments. That means abiding by international law and making civilian protection a priority.”

In eastern Congo, concerted regional and international action is required to help end the cycle of abuses, Human Rights Watch said. Over the past nine months, M23 rebels in eastern Congo have committed widespread abuses amounting to war crimes, including deliberate killings of civilians, summary executions, rapes, and recruitment of child soldiers. The rebels have received significant logistical and military support from neighboring Rwanda.

Talks between the M23 and the Congolese government, which began in December 2012 and resumed in January, appear to be faltering and so far, have made little progress.

“The violence in eastern Congo continues to lead to appalling loss of civilian life,” Kasambala said. “Rwanda should immediately stop supporting the abusive rebel group M23 and the AU should insist that M23 commanders implicated in war crimes are brought to justice.”

Ongoing talks over the deployment of an African-led intervention brigade as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo should consider mandating this force to support arrest operations of suspects sought on international and national warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said.

In Sudan, the human rights and humanitarian situation has deteriorated, particularly in the conflict-affected areas of Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur. The fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-North) in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states has affected nearly one million people, forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands from both states since mid-2011. The Sudanese military has used indiscriminate aerial bombardments in populated areas of both states. 

Government forces along with government-affiliated militia are also responsible for other serious abuses against civilians in both states, such as ground attacks on villages, destruction of grain and water sources that are critical to the survival of the population, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence against women and girls. Sudan has blocked humanitarian aid groups from the areas outside government-controlled towns where civilians are in dire need of food aid.

In Darfur, armed conflict between the government forces and militias and the rebel groups continues, in addition to inter-ethnic clashes over resources. Scores of people have been killed in the fighting and the AU/UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) peacekeepers have repeatedly come under attack. The Sudanese government restricts the movement of AU/UN peacekeepers and nongovernmental organizations, preventing access to large parts of the region. The AU should press the government of Sudan to grant immediate and unfettered access to humanitarian agencies in the conflict-affected areas of Darfur, and Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, Human Rights Watch said.

“An urgent response is required to resolve the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan,” Kasambala said. “The AU should demand that the Sudanese government immediately stop the indiscriminate aerial bombardments and other violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.”

During the past year, a new government replaced the transitional authority in Somalia, and AMISOM troops made significant military advances into territory held by the Islamist armed group Al-Shabaab. The human rights situation in Somalia nonetheless remains poor, Human Rights Watch said. State security forces have been implicated in serious violations of fundamental rights that contribute to the insecurity of the population. These include killings of journalists in government-controlled areas, rape, and severe restrictions on access to food and shelter for displaced people.  

Foreign forces including Kenyan forces under AMISOM command, as well as Ethiopian forces, have also committed abuses in south-central Somalia during military operations, including indiscriminate shelling.

“The AU should urge the Somali authorities to end abuses by state security forces,” Kasambala said. “The AU should also ensure that respect for humanitarian law and accountability for abuses during military operations by AMISOM are a priority.”

The deployment of a long-term AU election observer mission to Kenya this coming March is an important contribution to free and fair elections, but the possibility of election-related violence is a growing concern, Human Rights Watch said. In the past year, 400 people have been killed and over 200,000 people displaced in incidents of ethnic, resource-based, and politically motivated violence in the coast region of Northern Kenya and parts of Nairobi. The pre-election violence has been among the worst in Kenya since 1992.

Few of those responsible for the violence that followed the 2007 elections in Kenya have been brought to justice, raising fears that those responsible for the violence during the 2007 elections could carry out further acts of violence in 2013.

“The ongoing violence and lack of justice for victims of human rights abuses during the 2007 elections makes it vital for the AU to send a strong message to the Kenyan authorities that grave abuses should not go unpunished,” Kasambala said.

The AU should provide for early deployment and sufficient numbers of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and AU election observers to Zimbabwe, where a lack of institutional and legal reform has raised the specter of violence and other rights abuses during elections to be held in 2013. The AU should keep the monitors on the ground after the elections, long enough to deter violence and intimidation.

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Mali, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/mali
 For more Human Rights Watch reporting on the Democratic Republic of Congo, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/drc
 For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Sudan, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/sudan

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Somalia, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/somalia

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Kenya, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/kenya
 

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Zimbabwe, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/zimbabwe

For more information, please contact:
In Addis Ababa, Tiseke Kasambala (English): +251-927-423-196 (mobile); or kasambt@hrw.org
In New York, Daniel Bekele (English, Amharic): +1-212-216-1223; or +1-917-385-3878 (mobile); or bekeled@hrw.org
In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow (English): +31-6-21-59-73-56 (mobile); or lefkowl@hrw.org
In Paris, Jean-Marie Fardeau (French, English, Portuguese): +33-6-45-85-24-87 (mobile); or fardeaj@hrw.org
In London, Carina Tertsakian (English, French): +44-207-713-2764; or +44-790-350-3297 (mobile)

Geneva/Nairobi, 19 January 2013–International effort to address mercury—a notorious heavy metal with significant  health and environmental effects—was today delivered a significant boost with governments agreeing to a global, legally-binding treaty to prevent emissions and releases.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury—named after a city in Japan where serious health damage occurred as a result of mercury pollution in the mid-20^th Century—provides controls and reductions across a range of products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted.

These range from medical equipment such as thermometers and energy-saving light bulbs to the mining, cement and coal-fired power sectors.

The treaty, which has been four years in negotiation and which will be open for signature at a special meeting in Japan in October, also addresses the direct mining of mercury, export and import of the metal and safe storage of waste mercury.

Pinpointing populations at risk, boosting medical care and better training of health care professionals in identifying and treating mercury-related effects will also form part of the new agreement.

Mercury and its various compounds have a range of serious health impacts including brain and neurological damage especially among the young.

Others include kidney damage and damage to the digestive system. Victims can suffer memory loss and language impairment alongside many other well documented problems.

Initial funding to fast track action until the new treaty comes into force in the expected three to five years’ time has been pledged by Japan, Norway and Switzerland.

Support for developing countries is also expected from the Global Environment Facility and a programme once the convention is operational.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) which convened the negotiations among over 140 member states in Geneva, said at the close:” After complex and often all night sessions here in Geneva, nations have today laid the foundations for a global response to a pollutant whose notoriety has been recognized for well over a century.”  

“Everyone in the world stands to benefit from the decisions taken this week in Geneva– in particular the workers and families of small-scale gold miners, the peoples of the Arctic and this generation of mothers and babies and the generations to come. I look forward to swift ratification of the Minamata Convention so that it comes into force as soon as possible,” he said.

Fernando Lugris, the Uruguayan chair of the negotiations, said : “ Today in the early hours of 19 January 2013 we have closed a chapter on a journey that has taken four years of often intense but ultimately successful negotiations and opened a new chapter towards a sustainable future. This has been done in the name of vulnerable populations everywhere and represents an opportunity for a healthier and more sustainable century for all peoples”.

Ambassador Franz Perrez of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Switzerland said:”Switzerland, which initiated with Norway the negotiations for a mercury convention, is very pleased about this impressive success. It will help us to protect human health and the environment all over the world and is a proof that multilateralism can work when political will exists.”

“This treaty will not bring immediate reductions of mercury emissions. It will need to be improved and strengthened, to make all fish safe to eat,” said David Lennett from the Natural Resources Defense Council representing the Zero Mercury Working Group a global coalition of environmental NGOs “Still, the treaty will phase out mercury in many products and we welcome it as a starting point.”
 
The decision to launch negotiations was taken by environment ministers at the 2009 session of the UNEP Governing Council and the final and fifth negotiation took place this week in Geneva.

The scope of the new treaty which puts in controls and also reduction measures in respect to mercury is as follows.

Products

Governments have agreed on a range of mercury containing products whose production, export and import will be banned by 2020.

These include:-

·        Batteries, except for ‘button cell’ batteries used in implantable medical devices

·        Switches and relays

·        Certain types of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)

·        Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps

·        Soaps and cosmetics

Certain kinds of non-electronic medical devices such as thermometers and blood pressure devices are also included for phase-out by 2020.

Governments approved exceptions for some large measuring devices where currently there are no mercury-free alternatives.

·        Vaccines where mercury is used as a preservative have been excluded from the treaty as have products used in religious or traditional activities

·        Delegates agreed to a phase-down of the use of dental fillings using mercury amalgam.

Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining

The booming price of gold in recent years has triggered a significant growth in small-scale mining where mercury is used to separate gold from the ore-bearing rock.

Emissions and releases from such operations and from coal-fired power stations represent the biggest source of mercury pollution world-wide.

Workers and their families involved in small-scale gold mining are exposed to mercury pollution in several ways including through inhalation during the smelting.

Mercury is also being released into river systems from these small-scale operations where it can contaminate fish, the food chain and people downstream.

·        Governments agreed that the treaty will require countries to draw up strategies to reduce the amount of mercury used by small-scale miners

·        Nations with artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations will draw up national plans within three years of the treaty entering into force to reduce and if possible eliminate the use of mercury in such operations

·        Public awareness campaigns and support for mercury-free alternatives will also be part of the plans

From Power Stations to Cement Factories

The new treaty will control mercury emissions and releases from various large industrial facilities ranging from coal-fired power stations and industrial boilers to certain kinds of smelters handling for example zinc and gold.

Waste incineration and cement clinker facilities are also on the list.

Nations agreed to install the Best Available Technologies on new power plants and facilities with plans to be drawn up to bring emissions down from existing ones.

The negotiations were initially looking to set thresholds on the size of plants or level of emissions to be controlled. But it was decided this week to defer this until the first meeting of the treaty after it comes into force.

Notes to Editors

Background to the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury (INC5) http://unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/Negotiations/INC5/tabid/3471/Default.aspx

Global Mercury Assessment 2013 http://www.unep.org/publications/contents/pub_details_search.asp?ID=6282

Time to Act

http://www.unep.org/publications/contents/pub_details_search.asp?ID=6281

 For More Information Please Contact Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson on Tel: +254 733632755 or when travelling +41 79 596 5737

Nigeria has released two improved cassava varieties in an effort to maintain its lead as the world’s largest producer of the root crop, improve incomes of farmers and make them smile.

The varieties were developed through a collaborative effort between the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Nigerian Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike. The two varieties are originally recognized as IITA developed genotypes: IITA-TMS-I982132 and IITA-TMS-I011206. But with the official release, they are to be known as UMUCASS 42 and UMUCASS 43 respectively. 

“Both varieties performed well in different cassava production regions of Nigeria with high yield, high dry matter and good disease resistance.  The roots of these varieties are yellow and contain moderate levels of pro-Vitamin A,” says Dr Peter Kulakow, IITA Cassava Breeder.

Potential maximum yield of the two varieties is between 49 and 53 tons per hectare, according to pre-varietal release trials that were conducted between 2008 and 2010. Local varieties produce less than 10 tons per hectare. The varieties are also resistant to major pests and diseases that affect cassava in the country including cassava mosaic disease, cassava bacterial blight, cassava anthracnose, cassava mealybug and cassava green mite.

Dr Chiedozie Egesi,  NRCRI Cassava Breeder, who presented the varieties before the Nigeria Varietal Release committee—the body in charge of officially releasing varieties—said the varieties have the following distinct qualities:

1.       Good for high quality cassava flour—a sought after trait by researchers for the cassava transformation agenda in Nigeria.

2.       High dry matter which is positively related to starch and crucial for cassava value chain development

3.       High leaf retention which is positively related to drought tolerance and is crucial for cassava production in the drier regions and in mitigating the impact of climate change, and

4.       Moderate levels of betacarotene for enhancing nutrition.

Over the years, cassava has transformed from being a “poor man’s” crop to now a cash crop and an industrial crop, as cassava is being processed to products such as starch, flour, glucose and ethanol. This transition has placed demand on cassava.

Researchers say developing new improved varieties is one way that will boost the steady supply of cassava roots to this ever increasing demand.

According to Dr Egesi, continuous breeding of such improved new varieties will help in stabilizing production, processing and marketing of cassava products.

“The impact of these efforts will be felt in areas such as rural employment and a virile cassava industrial sector,” he added.

                                                                                                      ###

For information, please contact:

Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org

Mercury Treaty: Last Chance to Address Health Effects
In Final Talks, Western Governments Should Agree to Include Prevention, Treatment

(Geneva, January 10, 2013) – A proposed international treaty to address the damaging effects of mercury should include specific provisions to protect the health of children and other vulnerable populations, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments are to meet in Geneva beginning January 13, 2013, for a fifth and final round of talks for the treaty. Mercury is a toxic metal that attacks the central nervous system and is particularly harmful to children.

So far, the draft treaty has been focused on the environment and neglected the important role that the health sector has to play in addressing the problems caused by mercury, Human Rights Watch said. Western governments have resisted including stronger health provisions.

“Delegates to the mercury treaty negotiations should seize this last chance and draft effective health strategies to prevent and treat mercury poisoning,” said Juliane Kippenberg, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Millions of people around the globe are exposed to mercury on a daily basis, in artisanal mining and elsewhere. There is a dire need for stronger prevention and treatment of mercury poisoning.”

Human Rights Watch research has documented how small-scale gold miners use mercury to extract gold from the ore, and risk mercury poisoning as a result. At least 13 million people work as artisanal gold miners globally, including many children. Few are aware of the harm mercury can cause.

In Mali, Human Rights Watch interviewed children as young as 11 about their daily work with mercury. In Papua New Guinea, a doctor told Human Rights Watch researchers about the impact of mercury on small-scale gold miners: “We have dozens of cases of mercury poisoning. ….They stare blankly at the wall. You cannot talk to them, they are not conversant, nothing. They are like zombies. And we have several cases that did not recover.”

Many health systems are ill-equipped to address mercury poisoning. During a Human Rights Watch investigation in Tanzania, a medical officer in a mining area expressed concern that health workers were “failing to diagnose” people suffering from mercury poisoning because they lack training.

A proposal by Latin American governments for a stand-alone article on health in the mercury treaty was a positive move, Human Rights Watch said. The article should require more public health information, research, surveillance, testing, treatment, and capacity-building of health systems to respond to mercury exposure. In a submission to governments, Human Rights Watch proposed specific language for a health article.

Human Rights Watch welcomed the fact that the current treaty article on small-scale gold mining requires parties to undertake public health activities for artisanal mining communities, but said this is not sufficient to address the problem. Mercury is used in a variety of areas, and as a result affects many different populations. Among other things, it is used in the production of chlorine, of poly vinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic, and of batteries, and in dental medicine. Burning fossil fuels, primarily coal, also significantly contributes to mercury emissions.

At the last round of negotiations, in July 2012, Western governments – in particular Canada, the United States, and European Union members – rejected including a stand-alone article on health, contending that treaty is primarily about the environment.

They indicated that including health strategies might interfere with the health sector and drive up the cost of the treaty’s implementation. They also said that current references to health strategies in the draft text were sufficient. Their stance caused a heated debate with Latin American and African governments, whose representatives wanted a stronger health article.

“The position of the United States, Canada, and the European Union has been disappointing,” Kippenberg said. “Wealthier countries should recognize that environmental and health strategies on mercury go hand in hand, and provide financial support for both.”

The treaty is scheduled to be adopted toward the end of 2013 as the “Minamata Convention” in Japan. In the 1950s, the city of Minamata in Japan was the scene of one of the worst mercury poisoning disasters in history, in which more than 1,700 people died and many more suffered lifelong disease and disability. Japan has remained in the background, though, in the debate over including health strategies in the treaty.

“Today, Japan has a chance to say, ‘Never again,’” Kippenberg said. “It should take a lesson from Minamata and actively press to include health strategies in the mercury treaty.”

Around the world, environmental degradation – including contamination from mercury – has resulted in the denial of rights, including the right to health, Human Rights Watch said. Governments should recognize international human rights law in the preamble to the treaty and integrate human rights into environmental law.

Mercury poisoning can cause a wide range of health problems. Mercury can attack the cardiovascular system, the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system, and the lungs. Symptoms of exposure include tremors, twitching, vision impairment, headaches, and memory and concentration loss. Higher levels of mercury exposure may result in kidney failure, respiratory failure, and death.

Mercury is particularly harmful to unborn babies and infants, and can be transmitted during pregnancy and through breast milk. It can cause irreversible damage to a child’s development. Researchers have described mercury poisoning as an “invisible epidemic.”

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on the dangers of mercury, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/dangers-of-mercury

To read the Human Rights Watch report on the dangers of mercury in Mali, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/12/06/poisonous-mix
To read the Human Rights Watch report on the dangers of mercury in Papua New Guinea, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/02/01/gold-s-costly-dividend

For more information, please contact:
In Geneva, Juliane Kippenberg (English, French, German): +41-77-472-9194 (mobile); or kippenj@hrw.org
In New York, Joseph Amon (English): +1-917-519-8930 (mobile); or amonj@hrw.org

(Johannesburg, January 10, 2013) – Zimbabwe’s “unity government” is failing to carry out reforms in the country’s Global Political Agreement that are vital for the country to hold credible, free, and fair elections in 2013, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 28-page report, “Race Against Time: The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe’s Elections,” assesses the legislative and electoral reforms undertaken by the unity government, which was established in 2009 after the 2008 elections resulted in violence. The unity government consists of the former ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the two factions of the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The deeply fractured unity government has failed to reform key laws or the justice system, which remains extremely partisan toward ZANU-PF, Human Rights Watch said. It has also failed to hold accountable those responsible for past human rights abuses, including during the 2008 electoral violence.

“To hold credible, free, and fair elections in 2013, Zimbabwe’s government needs to level the political playing field and create a rights-respecting environment now,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “This means amending repressive laws and replacing partisan police chiefs and election officials with impartial professionals.”

Many Zimbabweans are concerned that without the needed reforms elections expected in 2013 will result in widespread violence and human rights violations, as occurred in 2008, Human Rights Watch said.

The unity government has failed to make any changes to repressive laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Public Order and Security Act, and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. These laws have been used to severely curtail basic rights through vague defamation clauses and draconian penalties. ZANU-PF has not agreed to genuine and comprehensive institutional reforms to end the politically partisan leadership of key state institutions such as the security forces, election bodies, and government broadcasters.

The newly created Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission could help improve the human rights environment, but its mandate is limited to investigating and reporting on human rights abuses committed after the unity government was formed in February 2009, excluding the widespread electoral violence of 2008.

The reconstituted Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has new commissioners, but the secretariat staff is largely the same pro-ZANU-PF team that worked for previous commissions. ZANU-PF resists calls by civil society and the MDC factions for an independent audit of electoral commission staff followed by the recruitment of professional and non-partisan personnel.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), an inter-governmental body of 15 southern African countries, should independently assess and certify that conditions in Zimbabwe meet criteria in the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections before it clears Zimbabwe to hold elections, Human Rights Watch said. SADC should also deploy SADC and African Union election observers to Zimbabwe early and in sufficient numbers, and maintain them on the ground well after elections to deter violence and intimidation.

The European Union and the United States should also maintain restrictive measures on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle, including travel bans and assets freezes, pending tangible human rights reforms, Human Rights Watch said.

“SADC should not only call upon Zimbabwe’s political leaders to carry out critical reforms, but clarify the consequences if they don’t,” Bekele said. “SADC and donor governments should not shy away from using sanctions on individuals and other measures to improve respect for human rights in Zimbabwe.”

Background
The June 2008 presidential runoff elections in Zimbabwe were characterized by widespread intimidation and political violence – largely by pro-ZANU-PF militia and supporters against opposition MDC activists – that left over 200 people dead.

The SADC Election Observer Mission concluded that the 2008 election did not conform to SADC standards, leading to negotiations and the signing of the Global Political Agreement in November 2008. The unity government was established in February 2009 to carry out the reforms necessary to pave the way for genuinely free and fair elections.

Mugabe has called for holding elections in March. The timing of national elections is governed by Zimbabwe’s constitution, which provides that parliament, unless dissolved earlier, shall last for five years, counting from the day the person elected as president enters into office. Mugabe was sworn in on June 29, 2008, and the presidential and parliamentary term of office ends on June 29, 2013. The constitution requires holding new elections no more than four months after that date. If elections are not held in March as Mugabe has indicated, the latest they can be held constitutionally is October 29.

“Race Against Time: The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe’s Elections” is available at:
http://hrw.org/reports/2013/01/10/race-against-time-0

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Zimbabwe, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/africa/zimbabwe

For more information, please contact:
In Johannesburg, Tiseke Kasambala (English): +27-11-062-2852; or +27-79-220-5254 (mobile)
In London, Dewa Mavhinga (English): +44-778-7587-550
In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow (English): +31-6-21-59-73-56 (mobile); or lefkowl@hrw.org
In New York, Daniel Bekele (English, Amharic): +1-917-385-3878 (mobile); or bekeled@hrw.org

Most Comprehensive Assessment Ever of Global Emissions Released Ahead of Final Negotiations on New Mercury Treaty

Binding Treaty Can Deliver Major Health and Environmental Benefits in Developing and Developed Countries

Nairobi/Geneva, 10 January 2013 – Communities in developing countries are facing increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, according to new studies by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increasing emissions of mercury into the environment, due mainly to the use of the toxic element in small-scale gold mining, and through the burning of coal for electricity generation.

The Global Mercury Assessment 2013 reports that emissions of the toxic metal from artisanal gold mining have doubled since 2005, in part due to new and better information, but also due to rising gold prices that are expected to lead to further increases.

Due to rapid industrialization, Asia is the largest regional emitter of mercury, and accounts for just under half of all global releases.  

The UNEP study assesses for the first time at a global level releases of mercury into rivers and lakes. Much human exposure to mercury is through the consumption of contaminated fish, making aquatic environments the critical link to human health.

In the past 100 years, man-made emissions have caused the amount of mercury in the top 100 metres of the world’s oceans to double. Concentrations in deeper waters have increased by up to 25 per cent.

The study, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of mercury emissions by region and economic sector, also highlights significant releases into the environment linked to contaminated sites and deforestation.

The report says an estimated 260 tonnes of mercury – previously held in soils – are being released into rivers and lakes.

Along with a parallel UNEP publication Mercury: Time to Act, the new assessment will be formally presented at the International Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC5), to be held in Geneva on 13-18 January 2013. Governments attending the major conference are aiming to conclude discussions on a global legally binding treaty to minimize risks to people and the environment from exposure to mercury.

This would reduce cases of neurological and behavioral disorders, and other health problems linked to mercury, as well as the contamination of soils and rivers caused by man-made emissions of the metal.

Governments gave the green light to negotiations towards a global treaty back in 2009 at the UNEP Governing Council held in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Mercury, which exists in various forms, remains a major global, regional and national challenge in terms of threats to human health and the environment,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

“In 2009 at the UNEP Governing Council, nations agreed to launch negotiations for a legally binding treaty aimed at bringing down releases from sources such as industry and mining, address mercury-containing products, and tackle historical pollution sites—the final negotiations begin in just a few days’ time,” he added.

“Mercury has been known as a toxin and a hazard for centuries—but today we have many of the alternative technologies and processes needed to reduce the risks for tens of millions of people, including pregnant mothers and their babies. A good outcome can also assist in a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mr. Steiner.

Mercury released from industry and other man-made sources can circulate in the environment for up to centuries at a time. This means that it is likely to be several years or decades before reductions in mercury emissions have a demonstrable effect on mercury levels in nature and the food chain.

The UNEP studies say this reinforces the need for swift action by governments, industry and civil society to strengthen efforts to reduce mercury emissions and releases. Delays in action, say the reports, will lead to slower recovery of ecosystems and a greater legacy of pollution.

Rising levels of mercury present in the Arctic are also highlighted.

An estimated 200 tonnes of mercury are deposited in the Arctic each year, generally far from where it originated. Studies have shown a ten-fold increase in levels of mercury in certain Arctic wildlife species in the past 150 years, due mainly, it is thought, to human activity.

Global Trends in Mercury Emissions and their Impacts

The UNEP reports state that global emissions of mercury have remained relatively stable in the last twenty years, with 2010 emissions from human activities thought to be just under 2,000 tonnes.

Despite improved availability of data on mercury, the emissions estimate is still subject to uncertainty, and covers a range of 1010 to 4070 tonnes.

Along with coal burning, the use of mercury to separate metal from ore in small-scale gold mining remains the chief source of emissions worldwide.  

Annual emissions from small-scale gold mining are estimated at 727 tonnes, or 35 per cent of the global total.

Greater exposure to mercury poses a direct threat to the health of some 10-15 million people who are directly involved in small-scale gold mining, mainly in Africa, Asia and South America. An estimated 3 million women and children work in the industry.  

Mercury-free methods and other low-cost solutions for reducing emissions during gold extraction are available, but socio-economic conditions, and low awareness of the risks of mercury, are barriers to adopting safer techniques.

“Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is recognized as a major challenge in efforts to reduce emissions from mercury,” said Fernando Lugris (Uruguay), Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee.

“While taking into account the impacts on national development, we must move to set national goals and reduction targets. Other efforts should work towards the formalization of the sector, which is largely unregulated. As well as reducing health risks from mercury, this could give workers greater rights under labour laws,” added Mr. Lugris.

Coal burning is responsible for some 475 tonnes of mercury emissions annually, or around 24 per cent of the global total.

Despite increased coal combustion in certain regions, more stringent regulations on pollution in several countries have contributed to reducing overall mercury emissions from coal burning and off-setting part of the emissions arising from increased industrial activity.

Other sources of mercury highlighted in the UNEP publications include:

·        Metal and cement production, through fuel extraction and combustion of fossil fuels
·        Consumer products such as electronic devices, switches, batteries, energy-efficient light bulbs and cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams and mascara. Mercury contained in such goods can also enter the waste stream.
·        Dentistry: Around 340 tonnes of mercury are used annually to make fillings and other dental products, of which up to 100 tonnes are likely to enter the waste stream
·        Plastic production – particularly the manufacture of poly vinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is in high demand in many countries where there are extensive building projects
·        Chlor-alkali industry (production of chlorine and caustic soda from salt)
·        Primary mining – although the practice is now limited to a handful of countries with only one (Kyrgyzstan) still exporting

Action on Mercury

Efforts to tackle the environmental and health threat posed by mercury have grown over recent decades, according to the reports.

Notable actions include:

·        The UNEP Mercury Products Partnership has set the goal of reducing demand for mercury-containing thermometers and blood pressure devices by 70 per cent by 2017
·        USA has finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard which predicts to reduce mercury emissions by 20 tonnes by 2016
·        European Union banned mercury exports in 2011 and the USA has just started an export ban from 1 January 2013
·        UNEP has supported National Action Plans by Argentina, Uruguay and other countries to find environmentally-sound solutions for the storage and disposal of excess mercury and waste products

Yet despite such steps, coordinated action on a global level to reduce environmental and health risks posed by exposure to mercury has been comparatively slow.  

The UNEP studies state that accelerated action, such as finalizing a global, legally binding treaty, promoting the availability of low-mercury technologies, and other measures, can support a sharp decline in demand for mercury.

To achieve this, primary mining of mercury should be ceased as soon as possible, and demand met by investing in improved recycling measures.

Governments should ensure regulatory frameworks and incentives to promote the transition to viable, safe and commercial alternatives, resulting in reduced releases of mercury and other pollutants.

Notes to Editors

UNEP produced its first Global Mercury Assessment in 2002 and a subsequent study in 2007. The 2013 assessment is the most comprehensive to date, and includes information on the release and impacts of mercury in aquatic environments for the first time.

Mercury: Time to Act is available at: http://www.unep.org/PDF/PressReleases/Mercury_TimeToAct.pdf

Statistics on regional emissions of mercury can be found in Chapter 3 of the 2013 Global Mercury Assessment.

More information on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC5) to be held in Geneva on 13-18 January 2013 is available at:
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/MercuryNot/MercuryNegotiations/tabid/3320/language/en-US/Default.aspx

For more information, please contact:

Nick Nuttall, Acting Director, UNEP Division of Communications and Public Information, on +254 733 632 755 /+41 79 596 5737, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Bryan Coll, UNEP Newsdesk, on Tel. +254 207623088 or E-mail: unepnewsdesk@unep.org

The Zimbabwe Environmental Journalists Association (ZEJA) was founded in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, by a group of 20 environmental journalists drawn from all media houses in Zimbabwe who participated in a climate change journalism training workshop that was financed by the British Council and co- facilitated by UNESCO and the Thomson Media Foundation (United Kingdom). At the workshop, participants realized that environmental journalism was poor and lacking in the country’s media outlets and training institutions. This conclusion inspired them to join forces and form a professional association.

On the other hand, The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) is an international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, dedicated to help the public take into account scientific knowledge in its understanding of critical socio-economic issues and play a greater role in the governance of science and technology.   Since the public is mainly educated about science and technology through the mass media, the World Federation aims at strong, critical coverage of issues in science and technology, environment, health and medicine, agriculture, and related fields.

The Federation was founded in November 2002 at the 3^rd World Conference of Science Journalists in São José dos Campos, Brazil, where Canadian science writer and broadcaster Véronique Morin was elected its first president. At the 4^th World Conference in Montréal, in October 2004, more than 600 participants from 58 nations attended, as well as representatives from 30 science journalism associations worldwide, and Australian science journalist and magazine editor Wilson da Silva was elected the Federation’s second president.

On 18^th April 2007, during the 5^th World Conference of Science Journalists held in Melbourne (Australia), BBC science journalist Pallab Ghosh became President. On 1st July 2009, Ms. Nadia El-Awady from Egypt was elected as the fourth president during the 6^th World Conference held in London (United Kingdom).

The current President, Mr. Vesa Niinikangas from Finland, was confirmed as president on 29^th June 2011, in Doha (Qatar) on the last day of the 7^th World Conference of Science Journalists.

The Federation is governed by a seven-member international board with representation from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

“This donation is to support the Forest Project for the positive impact on the lives of the children,” says Mrs. Helen Chatburn – Ojehomon, the Primary Years Program Coordinator at IIS.

The IITA Forest Project has over the years provided children and teachers with the opportunity to learn about forest conservation, biodiversity, and the negative effects of deforestation.

Located on about 350 hectares in Ibadan, the IITA Forest Reserve is one of the few surviving and best protected secondary forests in western Nigeria with more than 230 different types of butterflies. It also plays host to 250 different species of birds, and over 450 plant species, most of which have medicinal uses.

Mrs.  Chatburn – Ojehomon explained that funds for the donation were raised by the children through the MathBuster Challenge—a sponsored educational program that encourages learning and enjoyment of mathematics. Funds raised from the sponsorship go into charity, and sponsors could be friends, parents, and relatives.

This year is the ninth in the series of the MathBuster Challenge, and the program has supported different projects in the past. The Forest Project of IITA was chosen in 2012 because the students had learnt about environmental degradation and deforestation during their numerous visits to IITA forest; as such the issues brought inspiration and interest in the project to them.

“The children feel this project should continue. And basically, we want to link their learning with action so that they can use their learning to help the community,” Chatburn – Ojehomon said.

Mrs  Deni Bown, Coordinator of IITA Forest Project, commended the children and the school for the gesture, stressing that the conservation of Nigeria’s forest is  vital to the survival of the country’s people.

Underscoring the importance of forests to human existence, Mrs. Bown likened the forest to the human skin.

“The forest is like the protective ‘skin’ of the planet earth. If you remove it, the earth gets hotter. And if we lose our forest to a certain level, we will have irreversible global warming” the forest expert said.

Mrs. Bown noted that the Institute’s Forest Project was a clear demonstration of the link between forests and agriculture—that they could go hand-in-hand.

She also explained that the Forest Project has over the years organized educational and guided tours to the forest for children because of the belief that they are future leaders and would make good use of the knowledge.

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For information, please contact:

Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org