The launch of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Report 2008 took place at the Swiss Hotel in Ankara, Turkey, on 17 July.
UNIC Ankara facilitated the launch in cooperation with UNCTAD officials. Journalists, policy makers, diplomats, government representatives from Turkey and representatives of least developed countries attended the event. At the launch, UN and Turkish Foreign Ministry officials discussed development partnerships with LDCs, one of the major themes of this year's report.  The report was simultaneously launched in several countries on this day.
 
Turkey has emerged as an important development partner of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Turkey hosted a major Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries entitled "Making globalization work for LDCs" in Istanbul on 9-10 July 2007 and also hosted a high level panel event, "Trade and Development for African LDCs' Prosperity: Action and Direction", in Izmir on 4-5 March 2008.

On 17 July the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Kathmandu participated in the launch of the Least Developed Countries Report 2008, which was entitled "Growth, Poverty and the Terms of Development Partnership."

At the launch the UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal and Director of the UN Information Centre emphasized the importance on the part of Nepal's Government in making the right policy choices in order to place Nepal on a track to faster and more equitable growth. He also underlined the vital role Nepal’s donors must play in supporting Nepal in these efforts.

“This is one club Nepal really doesn’t want to be a member of” said the Resident Coordinator. “We need a much greater sense of urgency amongst all those responsible to get Nepal out of it. Only effective economic  policies that create employment, increase agricultural productivity and reduce dependence on commodities can ensure that growth – when it comes - will translate into poverty reduction. One third of Nepal’s population continue to live in some of the worst conditions to be found on the planet.”

The report was published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

To commemorate World Population Day on 11 July the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura, together with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB), the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of National Solidarity, Human Rights and Gender, organized a one-day media workshop on the theme, "Family planning is a right, let's make it real". The workshop took place in the Centre and was attended by 70 journalists and media professionals.

The expert panel included the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General, government officials, and a representative of civil society. The UNIC distributed a press kit containing the Secretary-General's message in Kirundi and French, the declaration of the executive director of UNFPA, and local and international fact sheets on the population issue.

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lima participated in the first peacekeeping operations course for correspondents, organized by the Peruvian Joint Armed Forces Peacekeeping Operations Training Centre, which took place between 11 and 14 July. The objective of the course was to provide journalists from media and public institutions with information about UN peacekeeping operations to enable adequate coverage in conflict zones.

UNIC’s Information Officer discussed the key objectives of a public information strategy in conflict zones, within the framework of UN Peacekeeping Operations. She emphasized that the key factors in such a strategy were to guarantee information that would facilitate cooperation between the parties involved in a peace process, get the support of the local community for the peacekeeping mission, and provide timely information about the operation to the international community.

“One of the first tasks of the UN mission is to make sure that the presence of the peacekeeping forces and the mandate of the Security Council are understood”, UNIC’s Information Officer said. “It is also very important to have the local community participate in the peace process. A public information strategy in peacekeeping operations highlighting best professional practices, ethical stands and the promotion of human rights, tolerance and reconciliation is a priority”.

The journalists who participated in the course discussed not only the role of the UN in conflict zones, but also the importance of the media for the reconstruction of the social connections affected during conflicts.