Your key to new websites Gateway to gateways The World Bank Group now features a page on its website that offers direct links to six excellent "gateways"in the field of development. Gateways are thematic collections of links that help Internet users find information in specific areas. One link is to the website of the International Development Research Centre, created by the Canadian government to sponsor, collect and share research and knowledge to help communities in the developing world find solutions to their social, economic and environmental problems. Resources include numerous publications, a digital library, databases and an online magazine. Information is available in English, Spanish and French. Another link is to the Sustainable Development Gateway, itself linked to a network of eight sustainable development organizations around the world, including the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. Its online resources, available through primers, directories and background articles, cover 150 topics and some 2,000 documents. Its calendar of events and job bank are extensive and updated regularly. Commission help in Kosovo Information on the humanitarian and reconstruction efforts of the European Commission (EC) in Kosovo is now available at Economic Reconstruction and Development in South East Europe, a joint website of the EC and World Bank. The site focuses on the activities of the commission's Task Force for the Reconstruction of Kosovo (TAFKO). The site notes that, following damage assessment and de-mining activities, the highest priority for the reconstruction forces will be the basic rehabilitation of houses, restoration of electricity and water supplies, village employment and the reestablishment of customs services. Official documents of the EC initiative, The Stabilisation and Association Process for Countries of South-Eastern Europe, have recently been made public on the European Commission's website. One can review policies, minutes of meetings and agreements including the base document of the process of the Stability Pact adopted on June 10, 1999. The Pact lays down a framework for cooperation between the EU, the Commission, US, Russia, Japan, the Balkan countries, Turkey and other countries, plus regional and international organisations. Also available is the UN Security Council resolution setting up the Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), responsible for coordinating the reconstruction of Kosovo.Visit http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg1a/see/intro/index.htm.  Healthy soil  Those in search of information related to cleaning contaminated soils or groundwater may find the website of the Association for the Environmental Health of Soils (AEHS) a valuable source. The site offers new and archived full-length studies, access to four journals, several publications and a regular newsletter on the health risks and clean-up of soil and groundwater contamination. Besides providing a forum for conference calls, the site also features the 1998 Survey of the United States Soil and Groundwater Cleanup Standards. The site highlights links to US State Environmental Agencies, the US Environmental Protection Agencies of the Federal Government and many other US governmental and non-governmental organizations. Visit http://www.aehs.com/.

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