Africa/UK: U.N. Body Criticizes British Conservative Party Refugee Pledge

The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday criticized a pledge by Britain's Conservative Party to pull out of a five-decade-old global asylum accord if it wins the country's upcoming election. Rupert Colville, a spokesman for U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said Conservative leader Michael Howard's promise to withdraw Britain from the 1951 Geneva convention was "alarming," and that the consequences "would be extremely counterproductive." Under the accord, countries are meant to provide asylum for refugees.