Issue No. 66 - October 2006
The World Federation Meets in Latin America
 For the first time in its 60 year history, the World Federation of United Nations Associations will be holding its Plenary Assembly in Latin America from 6-10 November 2006. The Plenary, the decision-making organ of the World Federation, will be attended by over 50 UNAs from all regions of the world. An International Symposium on the Millennium Development Goals will be held on the first day, and there will be public policy dialogues on two of the following evenings, on Citizen Participation and on Innovative Political Practices. All the events will be held in the Palace of the Congress, National Senate Building in Buenos Aires.
With the support of the government of Argentina at the highest level, these events will include UN representatives, Latin American politicians, business leaders, civil society activists, academics and young people - who will be holding their own conference in parallel with the Plenary Assembly. Confirmed speakers and attendees include Ms. Alicia Bàrcena (Kofi Annan's Chef de Cabinet), Dr. Hans Blix, Chair of the Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction, Dr. Jerome C. Glenn (Director, Millennium Project) and Mr. Arthur Navarro (Founder, Latin Economic Forum), Mr Vicente Garcia, CIVICUS representative to the UN, amongst others.
 At the Plenary Assembly, delegates will review the 60 year history of the World Federation and share ideas and expectations for the future program of work, and engage in dialogue on a wide range of issues, including development and environmental sustainability, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the protection of human rights and global health issues. Expected outcomes include a declaration addressed to the incoming UN Secretary-General
To learn more about these events, including schedules and a full list of speakers, please visit: www.wfuna.org
Global Civil Society Champion: Cedric De Coning
Many members of the World Federation's community are familiar with Mr. Cedric de Coning, who served as the Secretary-General of UNA-South Africa from 2003-2006. It was during his involvement with the organization, that UNA-SA hosted the first - and quite successful- World Federation African Regional Model UN conference. This event not only strengthened and expanded UNA-SA's membership and activities, but it created new opportunities for young UNA members all over the region. Before getting involved with UNA-SA, Mr. de Coning held several positions with various NGOs and the UN. Earlier in his career, he spent 9 years in the Department of Foreign Affairs, during which time he was posted in Washington DC and Addis Ababa. More recently he served in the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and in 2002 he was with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in New York. Throughout his career, Mr. de Coning was involved in academia, balancing the practical, hands-on work with research and policy development. His main areas of focus are civil-military coordination; peacekeeping and peacebuilding; and negotiation, mediation and facilitation.
Currently, Mr. de Coning is a research fellow with both the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and ACCORD. At ACCORD he heads the African Civil-Military Coordination and the Training for Peace (TfP) Programs. The latter is focused on training and policy development in the civilian dimension of peacekeeping. For instance, TfP ACCORD has supported the African Union over the past year to develop a policy framework on the civilian dimension of the African Standby Force. At NUPI he is involved in research on the security and development interface, which is also the theme of his doctoral research.
With the 61st General Assembly now in session, it quite a busy and momentous time at the UN. Reflecting on the significance of what is happening in New York, especially in terms of peacekeeping efforts, Mr. de Coning writes, "this General Assembly session, and the coming months, will be particularly challenging for the UN. Apart from very important internal UN reform issues, it has to address many critical international issues such as Darfur, the Iran nuclear dispute, the Palestinian question, the Israeli-Lebanon peace process, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire, Afghanistan, Kosovo, DRC, Burundi, Somalia, etc. The UN is increasingly in demand, and in August the Security Council took decisions on Lebanon, Timor-Leste and Darfur that will increase the number of UN peacekeepers with 50%, pushing the UN's peacekeeping budget from US$4.7 billion for 2006 to over US$8 billion. This can be understood as a significant vote of confidence in the UN, if we take into account that US$4 billion was thought to be unsustainably high earlier this year. The stage is set for a very challenging year ahead and the decisions reached at the 61st General Assembly will have a significant impact on all of us".
For more about ACCORD, please vist: www.accord.org.za
UN Partnerships in Action: Implementing the Millennium Declaration
GCAP Month of Mobilization
GCAP is uniting again in global solidarity for the Month of Mobilisation 2006, which runs from September 16th through to October 17th. During this month, millions of people across the world will "Stand Up Against Poverty" with GCAP. To find out how you can get involved take a look at the GCAP Toolkit to find suggestions for simple actions around the launch of the month and for the Global Day of Action on World Poverty Day (October 17th). The toolkit is available at: www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/action/oxfampoverty.pdf
"Stand Up Against Poverty, Stand Up for the Millennium Development Goals"
The UN Millennium Campaign launched a global initiative to set a world record by mobilizing the most number of people to physically and intentionally "Stand Up Against Poverty" and for the Millennium Development Goals from 15-16 October. Join the UN Millennium Campaign and organize your own STAND UP event or join an existing initiative in your area by contacting the closest local Millennium For more, go to: www.millenniumcampaign.org
 Getting the Peacebuilding Commission off the Ground
In early September, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) organized a working conference for civil society representatives, UN staff, and governments on the topic of operationalizing the newly formed Peacebuilding Commission. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways in which civil society can effectively engage in the work of the Commission. In addition to a dialogue between members of the PBC Organizational Committee and NGOs working in the security field, there were presentations from representatives from the Missions of Burundi and Sierra Leone - the first two cases the PBC will take on. In order to guarantee the efficiency of this important new UN body, successful collaboration and partnerships are key.
Visit the World Federation's blog on UN reform for UNA thoughts on the PBC: http://wfunauna.civiblog.org
 UNEP-Google Partnership
Touring a virtual planet earth, zooming in on environmental hotspots, and comparing today's crisis zones with yesterday's areas of natural beauty have all become possible thanks to a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Google Earth. Google's 3D virtual world browser now provides the option to use the "UNEP: Atlas of our Changing Environment," which offers satellite images of 100 environmental hotspots from around the world. The project builds on the success of UNEP's popular hardcover release One Planet, Many People: Atlas of our Changing Environment, which was produced in cooperation with NASA, the United States Geological Survey, and the University of Maryland. This program uses images from this publication together with satellite depictions of changes to the African landscape, and several new images and updates.
Download Google Earth for free at: http://earth.google.com/
World Habitat Day
On 2 October, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in partnership with the CONGO Committee on Human Settlements, will be hosting the event "World Habitat Day: Cities, Magnets of Hope" from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm at Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, United Nations, NY.
 BREAKING NEWS - 2 October 2006
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon is likely to succeed Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary general after winning an informal poll on Monday with no opposition from the five veto-bearing nations, diplomats said.
With his five competitors trailing in the poll, Ban's selection in nearly assured. An official poll is due later this month after which the 192-member U.N. General Assembly must approve the council's recommendation.
For more, go to: www.reuters.com
Human Right Council - Second Session
The Human Rights Council is meeting in Geneva from 18 September to 6 October for its second session. This session is devoted to the presentation and examination of reports, especially those submitted by the special procedures, the Secretariat, the High Commissioner, the OHCHR and the Secretary General. During the 2nd session, the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning will organize a workshop on "Mainstreaming Human Rights Education and Learning into the Special Procedures Mechanism". This side event will feature mandate holders of Special Procedures of the HRC such as the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, and others. The NGO Working Group's purpose is to ensure the participation of NGOs in the processes of global policy making on Human Rights Education and Learning in relations to UN institutions, especially the Human Rights Council. The Working Group is chaired by Soka Gakkai International and co-chaired by Pax Romana and the World Federation. For more information see: www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
UN Reform to top General Assembly Agenda, Says New President
As the General Assembly opened its 61st session on 12 September, the body's new president promised to focus on alleviating extreme poverty and advancing the process of UN reform undertaken during the previous session. "The General Assembly has to continue to evolve and strive to deliver sustainable solutions to the major challenges of our time," Sheikha Haya Rashid Al Khalifa told delegates. "Reform is a process rather than an event." She noted that several recommendations of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document have yet to be fully realized, such as disarmament and non-proliferation, Security Council reform, mandate review and system-wide coherence. She added that it was important to consolidate the reforms that had been achieved in the past year, notably by ensuring that the new Peacebuilding Commission and Human Rights Council have a real impact on large numbers of people.
Who's Who at the UN
Haya Rashid Al Khalifa became the first female General Assembly President since 1969 as the 61st session of the General Assembly opened.
Anna Tibaijuka of Tanzania, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), was named Director-General of the UN Office in Nairobi.
Korean diplomat Kyung-wha Kang was appointed as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma was appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace.
Former Nigerian Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar was appointed Special Envoy for Gambia to help ensure peaceful presidential elections.
Lieutenant General Giovanni Ridinó was appointed as Director of the newly established Strategic Military Cell for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
What's Happening at the UN
To stay updated about news and events at the UN and within the NGO community, sign up for newsletters and e-groups. More information provided here>>
61st Session of the UN General Assembly
The GA is now in session. The Commission's started their work on 2 October at UN Headquarters in NY.
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
5th Session
30 October - 3 November, Geneva
Human Rights Committee
88th Session
16 October - 3 November, Geneva
WFUNA Highlights
European UNAs Convened by UNRIC
European UNAs and the World Federation's Secretariat were invited by UNRIC (United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe) to convene in Brussels on 11 September to discuss matters of mutual interest, i.e. cooperation between UNAs and UNRIC, UNAs and their relationship with national governments, fundraising by UNAs, upcoming events, and other matters. This meeting was a follow-up to the Symposium of European UNAs that took place in Geneva in March 2006 and to the submission of a report by the World Federation to UN Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between UNRIC and the World Federation. For more information on UNRIC go to www.unric.org
Model UN Conferences in Armenia
The recently established UNA-Armenia has been working closely with the local UNCG (UN Communications Group) since 2005. As a result of this fruitful cooperation, the UNA-Armenia, with support from UNCG/Armenia, is now organizing 6 Model UN Conferences in three regions of Armenia and in the capital, Yerevan. To implement these activities the UNA has trained 12 of its members on running a Model UN conference. On the first day of each conference, every Model UN participant will attend a workshop on the UN's current activities and projects. This DPI supported event will be a unique opportunity for participants to get acquainted with the UN and to learn about ways to stay involved with the organization within the framework of UNA-Armenia activities.
On 28 September 2006 the UNA-Mauritius held a seminar on "Awareness & Prevention on HIV/AIDS, Human Values and Stress Management". For details, please email: una.boss@intnet.mu
 Inspiration, insight and lots of fun…reflections from Roel van der Meij on the DPI/NGO Conference
What a short visit to the Big Apple can do to you. Last week I had the honour of attending the annual NGO-DPI Conference on behalf of UNA-The Netherlands. With great memories, I look back.
The World Federation office made me feel welcome from the start. They brought me into contact with UNA reps from all over the world. Sharing experiences, ideas and life stories with these colleagues was very uplifting. Especially learning about the Young Professionals program that some UNAs are running filled me with enthusiasm and plans for the future.
My visit also gave me ample opportunity to present our ambitious new plans to organize a UN Youth conference. In March 2008 we plan to bring UN-youth from all over the world together on the topic of UN youth participation and to visit the UN-institutions in the region. Our ambition is that this conference makes the participants realize that they have a voice that will be heard, that more countries will include a youth representative in their GA-delegations, and that the WFUNA-Youth network will be strengthened through this new impulse. These plans have been very well received, which encourages us to continue our hard work.
Being back in the Netherlands, I realize there is a lot of work to be done. We hope you will work with us!
April Jaucian has recently graduated with an MBA degree from the University of the Philippines. Her work experience covers areas in community development, fund raising, research, and business management. She is currently the Programme Coordinator for several of the World Federation's initiatives including the Global Essay Competition on Peace and Disarmament. You may get in touch with her at jaucian@wfuna.org.
Pol Fontanet Perez from UNA-Spain will be the Youth Programme Coordinator at the NY office for the next six months. He is a member of UNA-Spain where he has worked in the youth related issues and in the organization of the first Catalonia Model United Nations. He is competing his Master in international relations at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. You can contact him at fontanet@wfuna.org
Orion Wenczel from the USA joined the World Federation's NY office as a communications and research intern for a three month period. He is currently a graduate student at the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Orion can be contacted at: wenczel@wfuna.org
Global Civil Society: How it Networks
Assessing the State of Civil Societies Around the World
CIVICUS published the 25th country report of its Civil Society Index Programme on 20 September. The latest country study was the People's Republic of China, highlighting the nascent and constrained nature of Chinese civil society, but also pointing to the tremendous transformations that are currently going happening. The entire set of the first 25 Civil Society Index country reports attests to the vast diversity of civil society around the world. In 2007, CIVICUS and the Kumarian Press will publish the 1st Global Report on the State of Civil Society, which will contain approximately 45 brief country chapters summarizing the key results of the CSI assessments. For more information go to: www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUSPressreleaseCSI25thcountryreport.doc
NGOs Gather in New York
At least 2,500 representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world gathered at UN Headquarters in New York from 6-8 September for the annual DPI/NGO conference that this year focused on the theme of fostering partnerships for security and sustainable development. The aim of the conference was to build-on what has already been accomplished by greater civil society participation in debates at the UN, as well as sharing best-practices and lessons-learned through concrete examples of effective partnerships and grassroots efforts. For more, go to: http://2006.undpingoconference.org
World Competition Addressing the Global Future
The Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University launched the Global Millennium Prize, the first ever worldwide competition for secondary school students to address the 15 Global Challenges facing humanity. The Competition invites students (age 15-19) to choose one of the AC/UNU Millennium Project's 15 Global Challenges and to research and write an essay on how they think one of the Global Challenges could be addressed between now and the year 2015. The deadline for submission is 15 November, 2006. For more information, visit: www.globalmillenniumprize.org
"We the Peoples" Forum
Share your insights and experiences of participating in networks and partnerships shaping relationships between the emerging global civil society and the UN.
Tell us all about "best practices", new initiatives, and how to optimize the benefits of information communication technologies.
Send your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future issues to the Editor at editor@wfuna.org.
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