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UN Information Center |
A public opinion poll on the results of the Millennium Summit was held September 9-10 at the request of UNIC by a leading Russian sociological monitoring agency, ROMIR. In a telephone poll conducted in Moscow and St. Petersburg, 500 residents of these cities, aged 18 or over, took part. They were all asked five questions with multiple choice answers.
The majority of those interviewed (75.2%) did know about the Summit, and about a third (32.2%) said that they were interested in it. In ROMIR's view, this should be interpreted as a very good result because it was achieved against the backdrop of apathy and information "fatigue" in Russia caused by a chain of tragic events in August. In addition, the event coincided with the beginning of the autumn political activities in Russia.
In all, 20.6% of the respondents believe that the results of the Summit will
greatly influence the situation in the world. Together with those 39% respondents
who believe
that the Summit in New York will somewhat change the situation in the world,
the number of those who believe in the positive results of the Summit is really
great. Yet, it is also characteristic that one fifth (20.2%) think that the
summit will not change anything in the world. This type of scepticism may be
due, in part, to the fact that, from the viewpoint of many Russians, the UN
is associated with global decisions which are slow to take effect and are not
designed to produce short-term results.
At the same time, almost two-thirds (63%) of the respondents believe that the
UN activities in Russia will help improve the country's position on the international
stage. Russians give a relatively high appraisal of the UN role in the modern
world. In particular, 42% of the respondents agree, in principle, with the claim
that "UN indeed poses the international community with the most pressing
tasks ahead and can help solve them." ROMIR notes that of all international
organisations the
UN commands the greatest respect and trust: according to the April poll (in
which 1,500 respondents from 94 populated areas were interviewed) UN was rated
first, with 20.3% as opposed to the EU's 17.2% and NATO's 5.7%.
The results of the poll show that, even despite reduced interest to foreign politics and international developments, the UN is still trusted by Russian society. At the same time, it is interesting that the level of positive expectations, as regards UN, is much higher in St. Petersburg than in Moscow. The number of those who disagree with UN having a guiding role to play in international developments is much higher in the capital (32.4%) than in St. Petersburg (16.8%). According to ROMIR, the Millennium Summit had considerable influence on Russian public opinion raising awareness among the population to international problems in general and UN activities, in particular.
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OCHA United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
The mission held extensive consultations with stakeholders in humanitarian action. Team members met in Nazran with the Government of the Republic of Ingushetia, where the UN carries out most of its programmes. Consultations took place for the first time inside Chechnya with the Administration of the Republic of Chechnya, where UN humanitarian action has gained some speed over the past two months. In addition, the mission met non-governmental organisations working in Ingushetia and Chechnya, as well as with representatives of groups of internally displaced persons. Discussions were also held with local communities during many of the site visits to camps, host families, hospitals, water facilities, distribution points, schools, and so forth. The mission's main findings were:
Protection of the local population in Chechnya and the displaced per
sons in Ingushetia remains the priority. During the next seven months there
is little prospect of return for displaced persons who fear for their safety
and lack the material resources to re-establish their livelihoods in their places
of origin.
The humanitarian situation remains extremely difficult for the affected population and the federal and regional authorities could do more to assist populations in need. Thanks to generous and timely donor support (pledges total US$ 41 million of a requested US$ 50 million, i.e. 82 per cent) the UN and its partners are supplementing the government's efforts.
The establishment of an independent UNSECOORD office, which provides professional advice to the humanitarian community at large and manages the UN agencies' security has been critical for operations.
The United Nations in the Russian Federation organised a mission to review ongoing humanitarian programmes, re-assess needs in the Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia, and begin elaborating the UN Consolidated Inter-agency Appeal for the Northern Caucasus: 2001.
The mission comprised members from FAO, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, OCHA, and UNSECOORD. Members from the Russian Government's Ministry of Emergencies (Emercom) and Ministry on the Affairs of Federation, Nationalities and Migration Policy joined the mission. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also participated. This was the first time that ICRC joined a UN mission preparing a consolidated appeal: it is hoped that the precedent will become standard practice in Russia and other countries.
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UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
Mr Akmed Malsagov, Prime Minister of Ingushetia and Mr. Sudang Kaentrakool,
Head of UNHCR Office in Vladikavkaz/Nazran after signing the memorandum
UNHCR continues efforts to improve the situation for the IDPs in their current
locations.
The joint UNICEF/UNHCR mine awareness campaign was ongoing. Fifteen thousand posters were printed and a scheme for training of trainers was developed to be implemented with the Danish Demining Group during September. UNHCR implementing partner Voice of the Mountains continued its mine awareness education programme in Ingushetia,and so far 3,300 IDP children in Ingushetia have benefited from direct training under this project.
Work is in progress to further improve the water/sanitation and shelter conditions in the camps. The Memorandum of Understanding between UNHCR, the Government of Ingushetia, and the Ingushetia water authority Vodokanal was signed to rehabilitate the Ingushetia Water Supply System with UNHCR’s material contribution valued at some US $ 400,000.
Thousands of displaced children and local children spent their vacations together in summer camps, due to the cooperation between UNHCR and the Ministry of Education of Ingushetia on implementation of this project. Twenty nine summer school camps in six different districts of Ingushetia hosted some 8,000 children from IDP families and local vulnerable families, as well as 400 children from IDP families had rest in the summer recreational-health camp “ERZI” in Ingushetia this summer. Finally, 2,500 children were provided with transportation to the two summer camps in North Ossetia.
On 30 August 2000, eight truckloads of UNHCR supplies arrived to Kurchaloi district, Chechnya. This was the second convoy to Kurchaloi district since last October. The convoy delivered wheat flour, buck wheat, blankets, jerry cans, detergent and plastic sheeting to the IDPs in Chechnya for the total weight of 160 MT. The distribution of relief items was undertaken among IDPs, host families and most vulnerable people by Administration of Kurchaloi district and UNHCR local monitors.
As of 28 September 2000, UNHCR has sent a total of ninety six convoys with food and non-food items to the North Caucasus. Out of this number seventy six were sent to Ingushetia, nine to Dagestan, two to Karachyevo-Cherkessia, one to North Ossetia, one to Kurski District of the Stavropol krai and seven to Chechnya. From September 1999 until now UNHCR procured, delivered and distributed food and non-food items totalling over US $ 12,5 million.
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On 20 August 2000, the annual selection committee of the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) scholarship programme was held. It gave the approval to 12 beneficiaries, who will continue their studies in the higher institutions of the Russian Federation.
DAFI, a German-funded scholarship programme, has been implemented by UNHCR
in Russian Federation and Belarus since 1995. DAFI provides assistance to students
of high academic ability who have already embarked on higher education courses
but have no financial means to pursue them in their current locations. Depending
on the respective needs and results of assessment by the selection committee,
three separate forms of assistance are provided to the students: stipend, tuition
fees or both stipend and tuition fees.
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Children in the meeting with UNHCR representatives on their way from the expedition back home
In August, the first participants of the archaeological expedition "Olvia", a joint project of UNHCR and the Russian Research Center for Human Rights, visited the UNHCR Office in Moscow to share their expressions of the summer vacations with the organisers of the programme.
The main objective of the two UNHCR-funded archaeological expeditions for refugees' and forced migrants' children was to rehabilitate them both physically and psychologically through changing the environment and by helping them to overcome psychological traumas and poststressful syndrome. Settlement Chistopoliye and Village Parutino in Ukraine became a location of the expeditions and a summer camp for 100 children from the Sverdlovsk, Kaliningrad, Saratov and Smolensk regions mostly from vulnerable families in the age of 12-20.
The established programme will be continued as the organisers of the expeditions will conduct trainings for the representatives from various regions of Russia on the subject of organisation of similar expeditions and the purchased essential equipment was handed over to the children, who participated in the programme.
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UNHCR partially funded the organisation of a summer camp for 100 children from
families of involuntary relocated persons residing in various regions of the
Smolensk region and simultaneously the camp was hosting as many as 100 local
children from the socially vulnerable
families. The summer camp near Smolensk has been hosting children for 21 days,
who enjoyed the sport, education and entertainment activities and were supervised
by 50 students of psychology of the Smolensk Humanitarian University as well
as by professional psychologists. UNHCR emphasised its contribution on food,
cultural and rehabilitation programmes for children, having shared expenses
for the programme with the Regional Migration Service. The special attention
was paid to psychological rehabilitation and a correction programme was designed
for each child during their vacations. While on vacation children learnt to
be tolerant to each other since childhood.
At the opening ceremony of the summer camp
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For your UN file .
The Security Council
The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security. The Council may convene at any time, day or
night, whenever peace is threatened. Under the Charter, all Member States are
obligated to carry out the Council's decisions.
There are 15 Council members. Five of these - China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States - are permanent members. The other 10 are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Member States have discussed making changes in Council membership to reflect today's political and economic realities.
Decisions of the Council require nine yes votes. Except in votes on procedural questions, a decision cannot be taken if there is a no vote, or veto, by a permanent member. When the Council considers a threat to international peace, it first explores ways to settle the dispute peacefully. It may suggest principles for a settlement or undertake mediation. In the event of fighting, the Council tries to secure a ceasefire. It may send a peacekeeping mission to help the parties maintain the truce and to keep opposing forces apart. The Council can take measures to enforce its decisions. It can impose economic sanctions or order an arms embargo. On rare occasions, the Council has authorized Member States to use «all necessary means,» including collective military action, to see that its decisions are carried out. The Council also makes recommendations to the General Assembly on the appointment of a new Secretary-General and on the admission of new Members to the UN.
