Issue No. 70 - February 2007
In this issue:
Message from Dr. Hans Blix, President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations
Global Civil Society Champion: Working Group on Girls
UN Partnerships in Action: Implementing the Millennium Declaration
Who's Who at the UN
What's Happening at the UN
WFUNA Highlights
Inside Global Civil Society: How it Networks
Message from Dr. Hans Blix, President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations
Dear friends in the World Federation,
 It is a great honor and a personal pleasure for me to be the President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. As many of you may know, I attended a World Federation summer school in Geneva in 1950 and had the good fortune to win one of your first essay competitions. The prize was a visit to New York and the opportunity to work in the UN Secretariat for a month - an experience that set me on my career path as an international lawyer.
So it was with a feeling of a circle in my life being completed, that I met with the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, as your President, on Tuesday 27 February. He warmly welcomed me and expressed his appreciation for the very valuable role of United Nations Associations.
 We discussed the importance of people understanding what the United Nations is really all about. Mr. Ban said that he had found that people in different parts of the world had very different perceptions of the United Nations. In some places they were very positive, but in other places people had become cynical about the need for a global institution to facilitate international cooperation for development, peace and human rights. We discussed the damage that had been done to the United Nations over the handling of the complex situation in Iraq.
I emphasized that the United Nations is needed now more than ever. Because we are facing global threats, that affect us all, we need a strong and effective United Nations.
Those of us who are committed to supporting the United Nations, share an intellectual and political interest in the substance of policy issues that are shaping the debates about multilateralism and globalization. I am interested to learn more about how UNAs engage the interest of opinion leaders, and the public at large, in understanding the purposes and principles of the United Nations. I would like to encourage everyone to share their thinking and advocacy strategies on this question, as well as on the substantial policy issues.
You may contact Hans Blix at president@wfuna.org
A press release on the meeting between Dr. Blix and Mr. Ban is available at: www.wfuna.org/news/releases.cfm
Global Civil Society Champion: Working Group on Girls
 "I am a member of a radio club...we promote the rights of children through radio and we sensitize others on bad things that happen in our communities and in the country....I can talk in front of everybody because I believe that if people get to know what is happening they will be able to help us to fight against it. I would love if we could find solutions together...." - Magnoudewa, 14, Togo
 The membership of the Working Group on Girls (WGG) of the NGO Committee on UNICEF in New York is a diverse group representing a variety of ethnic, political, and religious non-governmental organizations. The WGG is dedicated to promoting the rights of girls worldwide, advancing the status of girls, and assisting them to develop their full potential as women. According to the WGG, the biggest challenge for girls, especially those who are marginalized, is visibility. Establishing the visibility of the girl child is fundamental to ensuring the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against them.
The WGG was established in the winter of 1993-94 to engage interested NGOs, both national and international, in developing an advocacy network on behalf of girls. The WGG recognizes that improving the lives of girls can have wide reaching consequences. When the situation of a girl is improved so is her family's, and this in turn effects the development of her community as a whole.
 The involvement of the WGG with the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is especially pertinent this year, as the theme for the conference is "the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child". The WGG has been working in partnership with the NGO CSW Committee in New York, and it has been playing a major part in the preparations for the Commission. When the theme was announced, the WGG encouraged governments and NGOs to send girls to the event. The Mary Purcell Grants for Girls travel offered by the WGG have helped ten girls travel to New York to join some 200 others at the Commission. A special tent has been set up to enable the girls to caucus together on different issues. Many will speak out about their solutions to the most pressing problems for girls: poverty, HIV/AIDS, armed conflict, sexual violence, lack of education, child labor. The girls will learn how to advocate, and generally empower themselves through engaging others in discussions about violence against girls. Their goal is to have their voices heard and to ensure that their perspectives are integrated into the CSW outcome document.
Please visit the website of the Working Group on Girls at www.girlsrights.org to read more about them, and their goals at the CSW.
UN Partnerships in Action: Implementing the Millennium Declaration
 Right to Food Information Website Launched
The right to food is one of the most fundamental human rights that every person in the world should have. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has launched an interactive website on the right to food, providing information for policy-makers, legal practitioners, civil society organizations, UN staff, academics and the general public. Through the website, users can increase their awareness of the human right to food, access resources for capacity-building at the national and international levels, and find guidance, methods and instruments to assist in the implementation of the right to food at the country-level. For more information, see www.fao.org/righttofood/portal_en.htm
 Film on Nuclear Weapons
The National Threat Initiative (NTI), an organization working to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction globally, produced a film for HBO entitled Last Best Chance, to raise awareness about the threat nuclear weapons pose to global society today. The film is based on events that have occurred and that potentially could happen if nuclear weapons continue to exist in the world we live in. This docudrama shows the need to control and disarm nuclear weapons due to the threat of black market transfers and nuclear terrorism. The organization is co-chaired by Ted Turner and former US Senator Sam Nunn. To order a free copy of this film, go to: www.lastbestchance.org
For more on NTI, visit: www.nti.org
Launch of Climate Change Initiative
The UNA-Brazil, in partnership with the World Federation, is holding a high level Forum on Sustainable Development in New York on 30 April 2007. Speakers include former Presidents Clinton and Bush. A project, originated by UNA-Brazil, aimed at creating a corporate governance code on climate change will be launched. More information about this initiative will soon be available on the World Federation's website.
UN Foundation report: "Confronting climate change: avoiding the unmanageable and managing the unavoidable".
The UN Foundation released its scientific expert report on climate change for the 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development - see www.unfoundation.org
 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Planet
What can you do about climate change? Have a look at Environmental Defense's website, which contains a printable booklet of tips on home energy use, how to calculate your personal pollution, and how to cut pollution both at home and while traveling by car. Environmental Defense provides handouts to distribute and a list of organizations that work to offset carbon production. Go to: www.fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=135
 UNGA President's Briefing for NGOs
On 21 February 2007, civil society was invited for a briefing by the office of the President of the General Assembly on the topics of Security Council Reform, Financing for Development, System-wide Coherence, the Capital Master Plan, the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Environmental Governance, Gender Equality and the Dialogue among Civilizations. The Dutch Deputy PR Ajan Paul Hamburger said, that Security Council Reform touches the very heart of the UN system and its legitimacy. Since the '05 Summit, new momentum has been garnered for flexibility that can lead to practical proposals that will better reflect the current global power structure in the world. Council reform decisions had to be legitimate, equitable, and credible. Currently, the African and Latin American regions are underrepresented. Mr. Hamburger said that the UN is reaching a crossroads on what constitutes international peace and security. A reorientation is occurring, based on the UN Charter principles, experience of the past, and today's global dynamics.
NGOs campaign for new UN Women's Agency
A coalition of over 150 international NGOs represented at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will urge Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to implement a proposal for the creation of a new UN women's agency. "We are hoping that when women from around the world are present in New York for the CSW, we will have an opportunity for the Secretary-General to hear firsthand how critical this reform is, not only for improving women's lives, but also for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and improving the well-being of all," says June Zeitlin of the Women's Environment and Development Organisation. The Declaration adopted at the World Federation's 38th Plenary Assembly supports this proposal. For more information, see
www.ipsterraviva.net/Europe/article.aspx?id=4403
What's Happening at the UN
26 February - 9 March, New York
19 February - 9 March, Geneva
12 March - 5 April, Geneva
30 April and 11 May 2007, New York
Whose Who at the UN
 , currently the US Ambassador to Indonesia, was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
, currently China's Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Geneva, was named Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
of Japan, currently Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, was named Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.
Muhammad Shaaban of Egypt, currently National Coordinator for Reform Initiatives in the Middle East, was named Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management.
 Football legends Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane will be featured in an all-star match against poverty next month as part of a push to raise awareness of and funds for the MDGs.
WFUNA Highlights
The 192nd session of the Executive Committee met in New York from 2- 3 March 2007, in conjunction with the UNA-USA Biennial National Convention. The Chairman welcomed the participation of the first representative of the recently established WFUNA-Youth. Highlights of the ExCo included decisions on the following:
- A 3 year strategic plan of action with expected outcomes for the 39th Plenary Assembly in Seoul in 2009
- The proposal to have the Millennium Project, which produces the annual "State of the Future Reports" come under the umbrella of the World Federation. See www.stateofthefuture.org
- Establishment of a Task Force to coordinate efforts to expand the membership of the World Federation, ideally to have a UNA in every UN member state
- A project to create a Corporate Governance Code of Conduct on Climate Change
- The World Federation's annual human rights seminar in Geneva will be held in July
- The UNA-Dominican Republic will host the Model UN conference on the Millennium Development Goals for UNAs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The African Regional Model UN will be hosted by the UNA-Kenya. Both events will be in autumn 2007. The Secretariat is actively seeking a UNA to host the 2007 Asia and Pacific Model UN.
The next ExCo meeting will take place in Beijing, China on 2-3 September 2007.
To follow up a resolution of the 38th Plenary Assembly, UNA-Spain is convening a conference on the situation in the Middle East to be held in April. The meeting will bring together representatives of UNAs, NGOs, governments and academics to identify practical proposals for advancing peace in the Middle East.
The UNA-Flanders Belgium organized a conference in Brussels on the UN Security Council on 5 March 2007. The morning panel was on how the Security Council works in practice, and the afternoon panel was on the topic of international and European perspectives on the Security Council.
The UNA-New Zealand's 2007 National Conference will be on the theme of "The UN and the Community" from 20-22 April. There will be three key messages:
1. The UN is important for the community.
2. The UN influences the community in many different ways.
3. Members of the community can influence the UN.
For more information, visit: www.unanz.org.nz
In January 2007 the UNA-Slovenia hosted a round-table on the role of the UN Secretary-General. The participants, mostly university students and UNA members, discussed how the role and functions of the Secretary-General have evolved since 1945. There was a presentation about each of the former Secretaries General, their legacies, and their major contributions. The panel, moderated by Bojko Bu?ar, President of UNA-Slovenia, was followed by a dynamic discussion with members of the general public.
The UNA-Albania has recently established an on-line discussion forum. They invite you to join the discussion at: www.una-alb.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2
Model UN News
Hosted by UNA-Russia, the 17th annual Moscow International Model UN Conference will be held from 9-13 April 2007. The conference will simulate the work of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice and the 4th GA Special Committee. The Moscow International Model UN is considered one of the largest in Europe. Over 800 delegates from various countries participated in the 2005 Conference. Registration ends on 15 March, so you still have time! You can find the agenda and further details at www.modelun.ru .
 The UNA-Spain is hosting the 2nd Catalonia Model UN conference in Barcelona, from 2-5 May 2007. C'MUN 2007 will simulate the Security Council addressing the situation in the Middle East, and several General Assembly Committees on issues such as disarmament, the future of the Kyoto protocol, the High Level Panel Report on the Alliance of Civilization, as well as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Want to know more? Check out the C'MUN website at: www.anue.org/en/cmun
The Canadian International Model United Nations (CANIMUN) Conference organized by the UNA-Canada is a four-day bilingual event held in Ottawa every March. The 5th CANIMUN conference will take place from 7-10 March 2007. The First Committee will discuss current nuclear non-proliferation activities, and conflict diamonds. Other committees will cover the topics of globalization and interdependence, eradication of poverty, protection of victims of armed conflicts, and a special peacekeeping session on the UN mandate in Lebanon. For more: www.canimun.org
The UNA-Brazil is co-organizing the 10th annual Americas Model UN (AMUN) conference from 29 July to 2 August 2007 in Brasília with the Brazilian Research Center on Foreign Relations. This year, 300 students will form six different committees. There will be a cultural night and a post-conference trip. UNAs are encouraged to send a delegation. For more on AMUN 2007 go to: www.amun.org.br/2006
Interested UNAs please contact Fernanda at UNA-Brazil, at: fernanda@unab.org.br
Inside Global Civil Society: How it Networks
The African Civil Society Forum "Democratising Governance at Regional and Global Levels to Achieve the MDGs" will be held from 22-24 March 2007, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The purpose of the Forum is to bring together representatives of NGOs from Africa to explore the most effective ways to partner with, and impact on, African institutions: the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the New Partnership for African Development. For more information, see www.ngocongo.org/index.php?what=resources&id=10376&language=en
Throughout 2005 and 2006, there were significant breakthroughs in poverty alleviation and a massive demonstration of public support worldwide, with over 50 million people participating in the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). To coordinate GCAP mobilisation plans in 2007, and to shape the future of the campaign, GCAP campaigners will join together at the Global GCAP Constituency and National Coalitions' Meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, May 3-5, 2007. For more information, please visit www.whiteband.org
The third ATHGO International Global Forum will convene at UN Headquarters in New York from 6-8 June 2007, for 400 young professionals and college age students, on the theme of Global Warming and Climate Change. The participants will examine the problem of global warming, existing countermeasures, implementation strategies, and accomplishments. The main goal is to produce a resolution that will suggest alternative strategies for reducing global warming, identify an appropriate vehicle for achieving a global effort, and design a practical implementation strategy. For more, go to: www.athgo.org
Iranian women's rights activists have launched the "One Million Signatures" campaign against gender apartheid, which demands an end to discriminatory laws against women. The campaign aims to collect one million signatures in support of granting women equal legal status with men. For more information, see:
www.learningpartnership.org/advocacy/alerts/iranmillionsigns0207
Are you interested in the UN, photography or both? Join "The United Nations Worldwide" (www.flickr.com/groups/unheadquarters/), a virtual group on the major photo sharing website Flickr. This group is for pictures related to the United Nations in every way. It features pictures of all UN buildings, of the UN at work in the field, as well as pictures from demonstrations, meetings, Model UN projects and so on. The aim of the group is to give a global view, through images, of the UN. Share your own photos, or just view the over 199 images already on the page!
 Looking for a way to make a difference? Create a one-minute video telling the world what young people think about the world they live in and how they're making a difference. In honor of the 5th Anniversary of the Special Session for Children, UNICEF is asking youth to look at the four priorities of the session's agenda "Building a World Fit for Children": promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence; combating HIV/AIDS. Videos will be reviewed by a global panel of media professionals and displayed on the main UNICEF website. The winning video will be made available for broadcast around the world on The International Children's Day of Broadcasting. For details go to: www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_3490.html
"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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