The President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, held talks today with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), in which he discussed the transformative developments of the Arab Spring movement in Syria.At a meeting in Cairo, Mr. Al-Nasser and Nabil Al-Araby agreed on the need for continuing international efforts to find a peaceful solution to the intensifying crisis in Syria, which is part of the broader Arab Spring across North Africa and the Middle East.

Since the Syrian uprising began in March last year, more than 5,400 people are believed to have been killed. In addition, tens of thousands of others, including children, have been arrested, with at least 18,000 reportedly still arbitrarily held in detention. Thousands of others are reported missing amid the crisis, which has sent 25,000 people to other countries to seek refuge and displaced more than 70,000 within the country.

Mr. Al-Nasser also commended the LAS for its role in working to find a solution to the crisis and reaffirmed the United Nations’ full support for the League’s efforts.

Last Thursday, the General Assembly adopted a resolution backing Arab League efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria while strongly condemning the continued “widespread and systematic” human rights violations by the Syrian authorities.

The meeting between the two officials also addressed including the Palestinian issue, the democratization of Yemen and Libya, as well as the revitalization of the General Assembly and Security Council reform.

UN News – West Africa is facing a significant increase in waste generated by electronic equipment which poses mounting health and environmental risks, according to a United Nations report released today.About 85 per cent of the waste produced in the region comes from domestic consumption, the report reveals. However, the problem is further exacerbated by industrialized countries importing used equipment which often proves to be unsuitable for re-use and end up being discarded.

“Effective management of the growing amount of e-waste generated in Africa and other parts of the world is an important part of the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient Green Economy”, said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The report assessed the situation over two years in five countries – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria – and found that they produce between 650,000 and 1,000,000 tons of domestic e-waste each year, which can have a negative impact in the environment and increase the risk of health issues.

As for waste coming from other countries, the report notes that the United Kingdom is the dominant exporting country to Africa for both new and used electrical and electronic equipment, followed by France and Germany.

According to UNEP, although the use of electrical and electronic equipment is still low in Africa compared to other regions, it is growing at a staggering pace as more people start using mobile phones and personal computers.

The report, which was prepared by the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and partners, also documents the economic and environmental potential of building a resource recovery and waste management system for electronic waste, along with the risks of continuing on the present course.

“We can grow Africa’s economies, generate decent employment and safeguard the environment by supporting sustainable e-waste management and recovering the valuable metals and other resources locked inside products that end up as e-waste,” Mr. Steiner said, adding that the report provides various strategies to limit damages and provide economic opportunities, something that is crucial for long-term sustainability.

“E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream world-wide and a key waste stream under the Basel Convention,” said Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention. The convention’s secretariat is administered by UNEP.

“Dealing with electronic and electrical equipment properly presents a serious environmental and health challenge for many countries, yet also offers a potentially significant opportunity to create green businesses and green jobs.”

The United Nations relief chief has expressed deep concern at the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Sudan’s states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where continued fighting is killing countless civilians and displacing hundreds of thousands of others.

In a statement issued last night, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said action was urgently needed to assist the needs of people caught up in the conflict.

Ms. Amos, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, called on the Sudanese Government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) to respond swiftly and positively to the joint proposal of the UN, the Arab League and the African Union for humanitarian workers to be granted immediate access to those in need in the two states.

“What is needed above all else is for the fighting to stop and for the two sides to commit to resolving the current dispute through peaceful means,” she said.

Ms. Amos welcomed the Security Council press statement earlier this week that urges Khartoum and the SPLM-N to allow unhindered access for aid personnel, and for both sides to return to talks and agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, which lie on the border between Sudan and its recently independent neighbour, South Sudan, have been beset by fighting for nearly a year. The SPLM-N was previously part of the rebel movement that fought for the independence of South Sudan.

Two top United Nations officials visiting Niger, one of the countries hit hardest by the current food crisis across Africa’s Sahel region, have called on governments and donors to respond to the crisis in ways that will build resilience among local communities for the future.

Helen Clark, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, yesterday wrapped up a two-day joint visit to Niger by travelling to the Tillabéry region in the country’s southwest for a first-hand look at the impact of the crisis.

Miss Clark and Ms. Amos visited an agricultural project supported by the UN in the village of Molia that allows villagers to grow vegetables in a sustainable way and at the same time improve their nutrition and boost their incomes.

“This project shows how a tiny initial investment can make a major difference,” Ms. Amos said. “Just a few kilometres from here, there is a village which has not had this investment, where people are leaving their homes and have taken their children out of school so that they can look for food.”

Miss Clark noted that the wider crisis in the Sahel, where poor harvests caused by recurring drought has created severe food shortages, has left an estimated 10 million people across eight countries in urgent need of assistance.

“It has been wonderful to come to Niger and see the Government owning the problem, taking leadership and developing clear strategies,” she said. “We are all here to support that and to mobilize the funding to make it possible to implement the strategies.”

During the visit to Niger, Miss Clark and Ms. Amos also met President Mahamadou Issoufou, Prime Minister Brigi Rafini and government ministers working on food security. They also held talks with the UN Country Team, donor representatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) specializing in humanitarian and development issues.

Earlier this week, senior officials from UN humanitarian agencies, donor countries and affected governments agreed on an action plan to deal with the crisis in the Sahel.

An independent United Nations human rights expert today called on Uruguayan authorities to implement measures to provide access to health and sanitation to its poorest and most marginalized communities.“Uruguay has achieved significant progress in terms of access to water and sanitation, but it is now urgent to prioritize access for vulnerable and marginalized individuals,” said Special Rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation Catarina de Albuquerque, who recently finished a visit to Uruguay.

“Every person without exception must have access to drinking water and sanitation in an affordable, acceptable, available and safe form,” Ms. Albuquerque stressed during a press conference. “States must continually adopt measures to ensure that access to these fundamental rights is guaranteed,” she added.

Ms. Albuquerque emphasized that the right to sanitation goes beyond sewerage and urged authorities to adopt a national plan that focuses on alternative sanitation options.

“The water and energy services regulatory unit must be given more capabilities and independence, as well as more financial and human resources so it can monitor these essential rights,” she said.

“It is important that Uruguay knows how to maintain the progress it has achieved, which is why it is essential that the Government reinforce its monitoring and controlling capacities of big agro-industrial and mining projects,” she noted.

During her visit this week, Ms. Albuquerque visited various neighbourhoods in Montevideo, the capital, and in other parts of the country. She also met with local authorities as well as with representatives of civil society.

Ms. Albuquerque will present her full report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in September this year.