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New York: United Nations officials have stressed the need to look after the world's drylands, which are home to more than one billion poor people and where efforts to achieve key development targets face particular challenges.

New York: Top United Nations officials have underscored the urgency of combating organized crime, which a new report has found is gaining in global reach and posing a greater threat to peace, development and even national sovereignty.

New York: Some 400,000 people have been uprooted by the violence that began in Kyrgyzstan last week, the United Nations refugee agency said, citing figures provided by governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground.

New York: Governments, employers and workers meeting at the annual conference of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) have adopted a new international standard on HIV and AIDS - the first international human rights instrument to focus specifically on the pandemic as a workplace issue.

New York: Development models that focus attention on the poor while expanding job opportunities, increased government spending on social services and aid flows from affluent nations are all successful strategies for alleviating global poverty, the United Nations says.

New York: Political solutions that address the grievances which fuelled the long-running civil war in Sri Lanka are necessary to heal the wounds left by the conflict, the top United Nations political official said today as he wrapped up a two-day visit to the South Asian country.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on June 16 concluded the third review of Guatemala's economic performance under a program supported by an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). The Guatemalan authorities intend to continue treating the arrangement as precautionary. The arrangement, in the amount equivalent to SDR 630.6 million (about US$927.2 million) was approved on April 22, 2009 and with completion of the present review, a total equivalent to SDR 588.6 million (about US$865.4 million) is available for drawing.

An IMF mission headed by Mr. Joël Toujas-Bernaté has been in Tunis since June 2, 2010 to conduct the regular consultation under Article IV of the IMF Articles of Agreement, which requires an annual review of the economic policies of all IMF member countries. This review will conclude with the preparation of a report, which will be discussed by the Executive Board of the IMF in July 2010.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed, on June 16, Chad's second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-entitled National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS II)-and a Joint IMF/World Bank Staff Advisory Note.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a new three-year Policy Support Instrument (PSI) for Rwanda. The IMF's framework for PSIs is designed for low-income countries that may not need, or want, IMF financial assistance, but still seek IMF advice, monitoring, and endorsement of their policies.