UNITED NATIONS

The UN's 50th anniversary celebrations in San Francisco started in early July on a gloomy note owing to the realisation that the organisation was going broke. Irregular budget contributions by member states -- according to secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali -- have landed the UN in deep financial trouble. The crises could affect the organisation's peacekeeping activities around the world.

The establishment of a "child rights information network" has been proposed by the UN Children's Fund and some internationally acknowledged NGOs to prepare a database on child rights issues, ensure easy access to this information for all concerned and identify the gaps in our knowledge-base on child rights. A blueprint has already been prepared, and a 3-day meeting of the concerned NGOs in Paris in July discussed the charter of the proposed network.