News from Harrow Labour

Gareth Thomas MP talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Gareth Thomas, Harrow West MP and Minister for Trade and Development, visited New York this week to attend an international humanitarian meeting and to speak in the UN Security Council.

Mr Thomas met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to discuss climate change, drug trafficking and to raise continuing concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka.

He discussed whether aid agencies and NGOs are being allowed to help Tamil and other citizens returning to their homes, he also encouraged the United Nations to continue to press for full access to the Government of Sri Lanka’s closed and so called ‘open’ refugee camps.

Mr Thomas also met with Sir John Holmes, Head of the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance, which leads the co-ordination of the UN effort in Sri Lanka and with Ann Veneman, Head of the UN’s Children’s Charity UNICEF to raise the same issues.

Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas said:

“I was pleased to able to raise a series of issues in New York at my meetings at the UN including climate change and drug trafficking. I also raised concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka and in particular the plight of those hardest hit by the conflict.”

Other news from Harrow Labour

• Harrow Labour and Lib Dems join forces to slam Tory scrutiny failure - 26 February 2010
• MPs, anti-poverty groups, and churches unite against vulture funds - 15 February 2010
• Poll shows Harrow residents still very unhappy with Council - 12 February 2010