United Nations Radio

UN Calling Asia - a weekly 14-minute magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.

In this edition:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Seoul on Thursday on his first official visit to his country since taking office 18 months ago. He called on the Koreans to contribute more to the world. UN Radio's Hak-Fan Lau travelled with Mr. Ban from Beijing to Seoul, and his report started from the moment Mr. Ban landed on home soil:

The report "Tackling Corruption, Transforming Lives," vividly illustrates how so-called "petty" corruption in Asia smothers opportunities for the region's most vulnerable people. Prepared by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, "Tackling Corruption, Transforming Lives," also shows communities and governments some steps they can take to fight corruption. UN Radio's Dianne Penn asked Anuradha Rajivan, the report's Team Leader, if there is a connection between poverty and corruption:

The UN Children's Fund is concerned about the impact of the global food crisis on poor children in India. A UNICEF team recently visited the north of the country, where malnutrition rates have skyrocketed. Sarah Crowe, UNICEF's communications chief for South Asia, previously served in Africa and even covered famines there. But she told UN Radio's Alpha Diallo that she was shocked by what she saw in northern India.

Producer: Gerry Adams