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- Where are there United Nations Associations?
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For information about ,
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Please read the message about the earthquake in Haiti from Secretary-General Bonian Golmohammadi here>>
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New Years Message from
Secretary-General Bonian Golmohammadi
 The past twelve months have been characterized by complex and interconnected global challenges resulting in a renewed need for collaboration across borders, cultures, sectors, and generations.
Several momentous events took place at the United Nations, many of which can be considered encouraging achievements for the organization. In June, the President of the 63rd session of the General Assembly convened a summit of world leaders at UN Headquarters to assess the global financial crisis. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized that the crisis has revealed the need for a “renewed multilateralism” and that because “challenges are linked. Our solutions must be, too.” The meeting showed that, the United Nations needs to be more actively and effectively involved on this issue....
READ THE ENTIRE MESSAGE HERE>>>
 On Monday 9 November 2009, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with a delegation from WFUNA including President Park Soo-gil, Secretary-General Bonian Golmohammadi, Executive Committee Chair Kathryn White, Director of the Board of the Friends of WFUNA John C. Whitehead and Vice-President of UNA-Republic of Korea Amb. Chang-beom Cho. During the meeting in the Secretary-General's office, followed by a working lunch, the participants discussed a variety of topics relating to the relationship between UN leadership and WFUNA, as well as current global issues. Two points that were raised by WFUNA were: strengthening the role of the United Nations in the G20, and developing a funding scheme for UN climate change projects for implementation after the UN Climate Change Summit in December 2009. The Secretary-General agreed that both issues were very relevant, and welcomed the proposal of WFUNA to continue advocating for these goals in the future. WFUNA presented its new climate change project, Go Beyond, which is being developed in the context of the Global Citizen Campaign. Mr. Ban Ki-moon gave positive feedback on the initiative and agreed to consider an official endorsement.
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How many hours was the longest speech ever given at the UN?
The anti-gun statue at the visitor's entrance of the United Nations is a tribute to which music idol?
Why did Franklin D. Roosevelt once interrupt Winston Churchill in the bathtub?
.....think you know the answers? Find out by taking the
UN Quiz
This quiz was created for United Nations Day (24 October 2009). To check how UNAs from all over the world celebrated UN Day click here >>
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 The 39th Plenary Assembly of the World Federation of United Nations Associations was hosted by the UNA-Republic of Korea in Seoul from 10-12 August 2009. The Plenary Assembly, which is the highest decision making body of WFUNA, was chaired by the outgoing President, Hans Blix, and saw the participation of 122 delegates from 49 UNAs, representing every region of the world. In addition, 43 youth delegates from 24 UNAs held their meeting at the same time. The Plenary Assembly made decisions about the policy priorities and programmatic direction of the organization for the next three years; specifically it issued the Seoul Declaration and a set of Resolutions ranging in focus from the Responsibility to Protect to Climate Change. Additionally, the Plenary elected the new leadership of the Federation, most notably the new President, Park Soo Gil, who is the former Korean Ambassador to the United Nations. More information about the outcomes of the Plenary Assembly is available here >>
To read Amb. Park Soo-gil first article as President click here >>
WFUNA Launches Human Rights Website
In December 2008,  WFUNA launched a new website entirely dedicated to human rights:
www.humanrightsnexus.org
The website, available in all six UN languages, is intended to facilitate access to educational materials on human rights, enhance interaction and information sharing between UNAs, and to support closer engagement of UNAs with the work of the UN Human Rights Council and human rights treaty bodies. A strong focus will be placed on human rights education as 2009 will be the International Year of Human Rights Learning. The website is sponsored by the Russian Friends of WFUNA and UNA-Russia.
Read the full press release in English, French, Spanish, Chinese
WFUNA Partner on First UN/ DPI Organized Model UN Conference
 For the first time ever, the United Nations Department of Public Information with WFUNA as a co-organizer, held the Global Model UN (GMUN) conference for University students at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland from 5-7 August. The conference was a simulation of General Assembly plenary sessions and the Assembly’s Main Committees, on the theme “The Millennium Development Goals: Lifting the Bottom Billion out of Poverty.” We hope that GMUN will inspire the next generation of leaders to become involved in national and global issues. Please visit: www.un.org/gmun
Youth Voices Promote the MDGs through Film
 The Global MDG Summit – Mumbai 2008, organized by WFUNA, the Indian Federation of UN Associations and Jai Hind College, took place from 7-11 November in Mumbai. UN Under Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka and other UN staff sent video messages to the opening ceremony, where officials from the partner and host organizations spoke. Over 300 participants from 13 countries representing every region of the world participated in a day of learning about the MDGs, followed by a strategy day when the student formed “MDG teams” and then two film-making days that included an opportunity for the students to spend a day with local NGOs in rural villages in India. The resulting 16 fully student-made videos (2 on each MDG) were presented at the closing ceremony that was attended by NGO activists, Bollywood stars and noted filmmakers.
MDG 1: Eradicate poverty and hunger
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
MDG 4: Reduce Child Mortality
MDG 5: Improve maternal health
MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
MDG 8: Develop a global partnership
  
Who We Are
Inspired by the opening words of the United Nations Charter "We the Peoples", the World Federation of United Nations Associations was established in 1946 as a peoples’ movement for the United Nations.
Today the World Federation is a global network of hundreds of thousands of people linked together through United Nations Associations (UNAs) in over 100 nation states. They have many and diverse programs, such as Adopt-a-Minefield, the Millennium Development Goals, Model UN conferences, human rights education and as well they provide regular media and parliamentary briefings on UN matters. As testimony to their valuable role, UNAs are the only national level organizations entitled to use the UN emblem.
The Plenary Assembly, the supreme organ of the World Federation, is held every three years. It is in effect a peoples’ assembly for the United Nations, where priority issues of concern to the international community are addressed and elections are held for the leadership positions.
Today, the World Federation has an ever more important role to play in fulfillment of its primary objective of being a ‘peoples’ movement for the UN’. We have inherited a great responsibility to help make the United Nations an ever more effective instrument for world peace and security, development and human rights and to bring the United Nations ever more closer to the real concerns and interests of “We the Peoples”.
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UNA of the Month:Italy (SIOI)
 The Italian Society for International Organizations (SIOI), otherwise known as UNA- Italy, was founded in Rome on 4 October 1944 upon the initiative of a group of people belonging to the Italian cultural and political world. They were inspired by the common ideal enshrined in Article 1 of its Statute “of spreading the knowledge of international policy problems with a view to contributing to a fair and peaceful set-up of the international community, to the European unification and the dissemination of knowledge and protection of human rights”.
SIOI’s activity was supported and encouraged by the government from the beginning. The then Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alcide De Gasperi, proposed its prompt adhesion to WFUNA. Hence – considering that Italy was not yet a UN member state - SIOI was the first Italian link with the United Nations, through its membership in WFUNA.
 Since its creation SIOI has established it’s headquarters in the prestigious Palazzetto di Venezia in Piazza Venezia and has become part and parcel of the Roman cultural scene.
SIOI cooperates with WFUNA, the UN Regional Information Center and with the United Nations International Crime Research Institute Liaison Office in Rome, to promote the activities and celebrate particular events of the United Nations. SIOI is also an active member of the International Forum of Diplomatic Training in Vienna.
The Society operates at the national level through its sections in Assisi (Office for the Support to the United Nations), Milan, Naples and Turin-Aosta
 SIOI has activities in five major areas: International Training, International Training Projects, International Conferences and Workshops, Research and Publications and International Documentation Centre and Library
SIOI pays particular attention to the youth world. In fact, the youth branch of the organization, the Students’ Movement for International Organization (MSOI) brings together students from around Italy, who intend to work in the various international relations’ sectors and are studying related topics at Italian universities. MSOI organizes conferences, workshops, and simulations of the United Nations and the European Union. Website: www.sioi.org
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Events
Committee on the Rights of the Child
11 - 29 January, Geneva
Human Rights Council, high-level task force on the implementation of the right to development
14 - 22 January, Geneva
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
18 January - 5 February, Geneva
Meeting of the States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
21 January, New York
Human Rights Council, Working Group on Situations
25 - 29 January, Geneva
Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
25 - 29 January, Geneva
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
25 January - 3 February, New York
Conference on Disarmament
January/March, Geneva
(View our events calendar 2009 >>)
Recommended Websites
Check out the WFUNA-youth website at: www.wfuna-youth.org
 Take a look at an exciting new socially responsible social networking/ email site. BluMail offers free email accounts and make-a-difference content to those in developing countries who will be coming online in upcoming years. Content will be provided by partnering United Nations organizations and global non-governmental organizations through Google's email platform. www.blumail.org
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