A UN-backed polio immunization drive is now underway in Iraq after a one-week delay due to security concerns. The goal is to immunize every child under five. This is Iraq’s second polio campaign this year. Iraq is currently polio-free, but a recent global resurgence of the virus has brought a renewed threat to the region. See http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20610&Cr=iraq&Cr1=
On November 15, the European Court of Human Rights began hearings in the case of Behrami v. France. Mr. Behrami, a Kosovar, alleges France’s responsibility for the death of one of his sons and for serious injuries suffered by his second son. Both events occurred in 2000 while the two children were playing with unexploded cluster bombs, dropped during the NATO bombing raids of 1999. During the operation France was in command of multinational forces operating in the sector. More information about the case is available here.
The WTO Appellate Body ruled that the United States could challenge the collective implementation of EU customs regulations, but declined to rule whether or not the state-by-state EU system of regulation violated commitments to uniformity under WTO agreements. More particularly, the Appellate Body upheld a lower ruling that non-uniform EU regulation of customs on LCD monitors violated WTO commitments. The appellate body report, WT/DS315/AB/R, is available at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds315_e.htm.
The WTO’s General Council approved Vietnam’s membership agreement on November 7 after eleven years of preparation and 8 years of negotiations. The country will accede to membership thirty days after it informs the WTO of its ratification of the membership agreement. See http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres06_e/pr455_e.htm.
On October 27, an OECD Working Paper was released, entitled “From Inactivity to Work: The Role of Active Labor Market Policies.” The paper finds that unemployment benefit expenditures have risen in many OECD countries. It also gives an overview and an analysis of the work-availability requirements imposed on unemployment benefit recipients.
On October 16, the Intelligence Fusion Centre In Support of NATO (IFC) was officially opened in Britain. IFC’s mission is to share global intelligence among NATO allies and partner nations. In doing so, the Center hopes to intelligence support directly related to the Allied Command Operations (ACO).
For further information, see http://www.nato.int/shape/news/2006/10/061016a.htm.
