Additional information on the High-Level Meeting is available at the web site of the President of the General Assembly at http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/issues/HLMonHIV.shtml

UNAIDS web page at http://www.unaids.org/en/

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The Council noted in a declaration that the Middle East was standing eye to eye with one of the most serious crises in years. Paet said the European Union is prepared to all it can to overcome the current impasse in the peace process and alleviate tensions in the region as a whole. "The Gaza ceasefire is the first important step toward abatement of tension," said Paet. "At the same time the ceasefire only has a point if violations cease and it is supported by the political process," he added.

The Council stressed the need to implement rapidly and completely the road map for peace in the Middle East, leading off with the most important points: the complete and rapid guaranteeing of freedom of movement and access, release of prisoners and recommencing security related cooperation.
Paet said that these first but important steps must lead to concerted negotiations concerning the final status of Palestine. "The goal is the same as it was: to end the occupation which began in 1967 and the creation of an independent, democratic and vital Palestinian state," said Paet.

With regard to Iran, the foreign ministers of the European Union expressed concern that Iran's policies could have a negative effect on Middle Eastern security and stability. Paet noted that Iran has become the most powerful state in the Middle East. "Iran must take its role in the region far more conscientiously," emphasized Paet. Paet added that Estonia hopes for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear question and expressed regret that Tehran has not displayed a serious attitude to the proposals of EU foreign policy head Javier Solana.

Speaking of problems related to Africa, the EU's foreign policy heads drew attention to Sudan's Darfur region. In the declaration passed, the Council expressed deep concern over the security and humanitarian situation and human rights violations in Darfur. Paet said that the expanding violence in Darfur has led to an abrupt worsening in the humanitarian situation, forcing the suspension of humanitarian operations. "We believe that violence must end immediately and that all sides must honour human rights pursuant to the recent declaration if the UN Human Rights Council," said Paet. "The Sudanese government must commence cooperation with the international community, since the level of violence in the country requires rapid intervention," he added.

Estonia has provided support for the improvement of the humanitarian situation in Sudan since 2004. This year the Foreign Minister sent 800,000 kroons for a humanitarian aid project in Sudan. The African country has been gripped by civil war for the last 21 years, as a result of which the country has been classified by the UN as one of the world's biggest humanitarian disaster zones. The UNHCR has specialized in aiding refugees in the region and humanitarian aid goes above all to refugees and displaced persons in southern Sudan.

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On 11 October, medical supplies, purchased for 50,000 kroons from the Foreign Ministry's means earmarked for Humanitarian aid were sent to Pakistan with the disaster relief team.

In addition, Estonia allocated 1.5 million kroons to NATO to support the NATO air bridge for delivering humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

More information on development co-operation is available on Foreign Ministry's home page at: http://www.vm.ee/est/kat_425/.

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The team arrived in Pakistan today morning, October 11. The team’s specific working area will be assigned shortly after the arrival. The length of the mission is twelve days and according to the planned agenda, the team will reside and work from its own base camp.

The Estonian Rescue Board’s chief director, Mati Raidma also joined the team and he will start working in the disaster area as a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team. Estonia is represented in the UNDAC since 2000. In previous years Raidma has taken part of UN missions in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Yakutia and Georgia.

At the beginning of this year the Estonian Disaster Relief Team worked in Indonesia in the Banda Aceh region.

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Estonian Ambassador to the UN Tiina Intelmann stated that Estonia’s relations with Iraq have in reality existed for some time already. Estonia’s and the international coalition’s mission is more significant than ever – a new, democratic Iraq has to be rebuilt. “Also here Estonia can lend assistance primarily through the UN activities,” Ambassador Intelmann noted. Recently, the UN Security Council emphasised that all layers of the Iraqi population would like to see a stronger UN involvement in rebuilding Iraq. Estonia intends to offer experts to the UN working group helping write the Iraqi Constitution.

The Republic of Iraq recognised the Republic of Estonia on 1 January 1992. On 5 August 2004, the Government gave instructions to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Iraq. Estonian Defence Minister Margus Hanson visited Iraq from 2-6 November 2004, meetings with Iraqi Defence Minister Hazim al-Shalaani and Commander of the Coalition Forces General George Casey. The Defence Minister also met with the Estonian light infantry platoon ESTPLA-9 and the Estonian cargo handling team CT-3.

On 20 June 2003, 43 Estonian servicemen were sent to Iraq on a 6-month peace support operation. In the second half of last year, the fourth replacement team consisting of 32 servicemen was sent to Iraq. Three staff officers are also serving in Iraq. In spring 2005, the Iraqi Prime Minister sent a letter to the Estonian Prime Minister asking to extend the mandate of Estonian servicemen for another year. On 20 April 2005, the Riigikogu decided to extend the mandate of the Estonian servicemen until the end of this year.

Estonia has also made material contributions to the rebuilding of Iraq. In 2003, a donation was made to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for Iraqi humanitarian aid in the total amount of 1 million kroons. In 2004, a voluntary donation was made to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for purpose-oriented support to the rebuilding of Iraq in the amount of 500 000 kroons. An Estonian police instructor has also been sent on a mission to Jordan to train Iraqi policemen. 500 000 kroons were also donated to the UN for financing security forces in Iraq. Estonia donated 2 400 Kalashnikov automatic rifles originating from China and 1.1 million cartridges to Iraqi security agencies. Estonia has also sent a military instructor to the NATO Training Centre in Baghdad.

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Two projects are directed at Georgia; an EU training programme for Georgian Civil Servants in co-operation with the EU TACIS aid program applied for by the Estonian School of Diplomacy and a project for the officials from the Georgian Parliament in co-operation with the Swedish Parliament applied for by the Riigikogu Chancellery. In the framework of the first project, the Georgian officials will be introduced to the Estonian experience in European integration and a week-long training course is scheduled for 12 Georgian officials, who work in the European integration departments of different Georgian state institutions. The goal of the second project is through practical parliamentary work experience to support Georgia’s endeavours in building democratic rule of law. In the framework of the project, a week-long study programme will take place for 10 officials of the Georgian Parliament.

The initiator of the third project is also the Estonian School of Diplomacy. The Foreign Ministry is going to allocate two scholarships for a Moldavian and a Georgian young diplomat to study international relations and European integration in Estonia.

The Foreign Ministry also approved monetary support for a humanitarian aid project in Indonesia conducted by the Rescue Board. The goal of the project is to send the logistics group of the Estonian Disaster Relief Team on a mission to Calang, Indonesia to support international humanitarian aid organisations (OCHA, UNDP, WHO, WFP) engaged in liquidating the damage done in South-East Asia

The Foreign Ministry also decided to support the Open Estonia Foundation’s project in co-operation with the GLEN (Global Education Network of Young Europeans) education programme. The main purpose of the project is to raise the knowledge of Estonians regarding development problems in poorer countries and the importance of development co-operation in communication between countries and peoples. The project will allow for students and young professionals to work in their fields in a developing country, to obtain cultural exchange experience and then actively participate in promoting a solidarity way of thinking in Estonia. The global education project GLEN was created in 2003 by the German organisation ASA and partner organisations of the seven new EU Member States. The purpose of GLEN is to promote the understanding of the world based on solidarity, justice and economy through volunteering work in a developing country among European youth. To attain the goals of the project three Estonian youths (aged from 21 to 30) will participate in three-month community projects approved by the partners of the project.

8 million kroons is allocated from the Foreign Ministry’s 2005 budget to development and humanitarian aid.

An overview of Estonian development co-operation is available on the Foreign Ministry’s home page at the address: http://www.vm.ee/eng/kat_178/

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The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has granted 500,000 Estonian Kroons (appr. 32,000 euros) to the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) as a response to their appeal and for the activities to help the victims of the Asian earthquake.

Estonia joins the global relief effort to assist the South-East Asian countries and their people to cope with a situation after devastating earthquake.

In addition Estonia has sent one medical staff to be part of OCHA UNDAC team in Indonesia. The task of this team is to coordinate the international rescue and humanitarian aid efforts in Indonesia.

On December 29 the Government of Estonia decided to dispatch the Estonian Disaster Relief Team to Indonesia Banda Aceh region with a purpose to assist the Government of Indonesia in response to the disaster caused by the major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. The team will depart from Tallinn, Estonia on January 3 and will stay in Indonesia for a two-week period. The Estonian Disaster Relief Team will be composed of 15 members, including 10 medical personnel (doctors and nurses), three logistics staff and two rescue officers from Estonian Rescue Board.

In addition, yesterday on December 30 the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs sent to Thailand, Phuket an Identification Team (DVI) with three experts.

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At the UN-hosted summit meeting held from 18-22 March, 58 heads of state and government participated, among them US President George W. Bush, President Jacques Chirac of France and President Tarja Halonen of Finland. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi also attended the conference.

On 21 March Foreign Minister Ojuland chaired a roundtable under the auspices of the UN Business Council (BCUN), in which officials from Korea, the Czech Republic, Poland and Mexico shared their experience regarding liberalisation of investments. Minister Ojuland also spoke about the foundation for the success of Estonia's reforms, emphasizing that the precondition warranting economic growth was political stability.

The document adopted at the conference, the Monterrey Consensus, expressed the joint standpoint of the developing and developed countries on how to guarantee the necessary monetary resources for attaining the goals laid down in the Millennium Declaration, for instance, reducing by half the gravest poverty by the year 2015.

In the words of Marina Kaljurand a review of the report as well as additional information was presented. "The presentation was received well and the feedback was positive," said Kaljurand. She added that, according to the committee members, the presentation of the report and the accompanying discussion would warrant a better implementation of the provisions of the convention. The discussion of Estonia's report will continue on January 29th when the Estonian delegation will answer any questions posed.

The Republic of Estonia acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 26 September 1991. The objective of the convention is to guarantee the observation of the principle of equal rights and human dignity and equal participation of men and women in the political, public, economic and cultural life of their country. The document forbids discrimination against women and obligates countries that have acceded to it to take measures for the elimination of discrimination against women. Presently, 168 countries have acceded to the convention.

All these countries are obligated to present periodical reports on legislative, judicial, administrative and other measures that have been implemented to enforce the provisions of the convention, as well as on the progress made in the field. The reports are presented to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women consisting of 23 independent experts. The committee examines the reports at its annual session.

In June 2001 Estonia presented the summarized report of its first, second and third periodical reports regarding its compliance with the provisions of the convention. The agenda of the committee's session from January 14th to February 1st at UN headquarters, in addition to the Estonian report, also contains the discussion of the reports submitted by Iceland, Portugal, Russia and other countries. The Estonian 5-member delegation consists of the officials of the ministries of foreign affairs and social affairs.

Estonia's presentation at the UN committee

Estonia's report on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (PDF 368 KB)

The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Bomb Terrorism on 15 December 1997 and Estonia signed it on 6 September 2000.

The Convention defines terrorist acts. Such acts are terrorist acts committed by a person while using a firearm illegally and intentionally delivered and mounted, or while exploding a blasting charge or other mortal device in a public place or against state property or public transport or infrastructure facility with the intention to cause death or grave injury to health or comprehensive destruction, which involves or may involve great economic loss.

The UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism on 9 December 1999. Estonia signed the Convention also on 6 September 2000.

Pursuant to the draft law of the ratification of the Convention it will be declared that according to the Convention the Republic of Estonia will not in relation to itself apply the Protocol in the Appendix of the Convention on the Prevention of Illegal Acts Directed against the Safety of Steady Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf.

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The convention was opened for signing on 29 September 1997 and 41 states have signed it before the Republic of Estonia. The convention will enter into force 90 days after 25 states have ratified it. As of today, 23 states have ratified the convention.

There is no spent fuel generated in the nuclear power stations in Estonia, but radioactive waste has been generated and it will be generated also in the future, for example, in medical institutions and enterprises. The Radiation Protection Act, passed in Estonia’s Riigikogu (Parliament) in 1997 provides a legal basis for radiation protection in Estonia and a number of governmental and ministerial legislative acts have been elaborated on its basis. The Estonian Radiation Protection Centre (under the administration of the Ministry of Environment) has the leading role in developing radiation protection legislation and controlling the adherence to the corresponding claims. Alara Ltd. under the administration of the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs deals with treating and storing radioactive waste.