11-09-07

潘基文敦促國際社會就氣候改變和貧窮採取行動 (Ban Ki-moon Urges International Action on Climate Change, Poverty)

聯合國秘書長潘基文呼籲採取緊急行動控制氣候變化。他說，氣候變化對世界各地的發展構成威脅。潘基文星期四在訪問智利期間表示，他作為聯合國秘書長的首要任務之一就是敦促世界各國針對全球變暖採取行動。

潘基文定於星期五將前往南極，聽取科研人員有關氣候變化的介紹。然後，潘基文將前往巴西，視察亞馬遜河的情況，並了解巴西政府怎樣解決濫伐森林的問題。

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for urgent action to confront climate change, which he says is a serious threat to development everywhere. During a visit to Chile Thursday, Ban said galvanizing international action on global warming is one of his main priorities as secretary-general. 

The secretary-general is scheduled to visit Antarctica Friday to hear a briefing on climate change from research scientists. He will then travel to Brazil to visit the Amazon River and see how the Brazilian government has been dealing with deforestation issues.

東盟起草新憲章促人權民主但不干涉內政 (ASEAN Has New Draft Charter Promoting Human Rights, But Non-Interference)

東南亞國家領導人起草了一份歷史性憲章，謀求促進人權與民主，同時維持不干涉成員國內部事務的政策。

這個憲章將在11月20號在新加坡舉行的東南亞國家聯盟年度高峰會議上正式推出。東盟擁有10個成員國，這將是東盟成立40年來首次將擁有一部成文的憲章，明確東盟的基本原則和組織規則。

東盟1967年成立時是一個反共產黨聯盟，但是現在卻包括越南和寮國這兩個共產黨國家以及軍人統治的緬甸。

憲章草案要求成員國加強民主、良制和法治，並促進和保護人權和基本自由。草案禁止東盟成員國干涉其他成員國的內部事務。

Southeast Asian leaders have drafted a landmark charter that seeks to promote human rights and democracy while upholding a policy of non-interference in each other's domestic affairs.

The charter is to be formally presented in Singapore November 20th at the annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It will be the first time in ASEAN's 40-year history that it will have a written charter spelling out its basic principles and organizational rules.

ASEAN was founded in 1967 as an anti-communist coalition, but now includes two communist states -- Vietnam and Laos -- as well as military-ruled Burma.

Its draft charter commits members to strengthen democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law, and promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, it bars ASEAN countries from interfering in the internal affairs of another.