Issue No. 75 - September 2007
In this issue:
o Overview
o UN Perspectives: Mr. Sergio Duarte
o WFUNA Activities on Disarmament
o UNAs and Peace and Security
o NGOs on the Move
o Book Recommendation
o Film Recommendations
It  It It It is with great sorrow that we inform you that our Honorary President, Arthur Ross, died peacefully at home in his sleep on Monday morning 10 September.
At its meeting in Beijing the Executive Committee agreed by acclamation to send a message of appreciation to Arthur Ross for the tremendous support that he has given to the World Federation.
"Your vision of the essential need for the United Nations to have the active support of a global network of people dedicated to educating their communities about the indispensable purpose and programs of the United Nations, and working together to support the United Nations at all levels, has inspired people all over the world to form and sustain United Nations Associations. It is in large part due to the great generosity of your commitment to the World Federation itself, that our organization has been able to thrive and continue to grow."
We will inform you later of how best you can forward your condolences to his wife Janet and his sons Alfred and Clifford.
Message from WFUNA President Hans Blix
 "In today's rapidly integrating world community, global treaties and global institutions, like the UN, the IAEA and the OPCW, remain indispensable. Even with their shortcomings they can do some important things that states acting alone cannot achieve. They are therefore essential instruments in the hands of the state community to enhance security, to jointly operate inspection systems, and to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction" Dr. Hans Blix, WMD Commission Report, May 2007
Who's Who at the UN
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi of Pakistan will become the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan. Mr. Qazi will succeed Jan Pronk of the Netherlands, who left the post last year.
David Shearer of New Zealand has been selected to serve as Deputy Special Representative for Iraq focusing on humanitarian, reconstruction and development issues. Mr. Shearer will also serve as the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq.
Ms Henrietta Joy Abean Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu of Ghana has been appointed as the Deputy Special Representative for Liberia, focusing on the rule of law.
Bader Al-Dafa of Qatar was appointed Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Mr. Al-Dafa has represented his country in the Russian Federation, France, Egypt and Spain, and most recently in the United States, where he also served as Qatar's observer to the Organization of American States.
What's Happening at the UN
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (Eighth session)
3-14 September, Madrid, Spain
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions
4 September - 21 December, New York
Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol marks its 20th anniversary
15-21 September, Montreal, Canada
General Assembly 62nd Session
18 September - December, New York
High-level meeting on climate change
24 September, New York
GAID - Global Forum on Youth
24-26 September, Geneva
Second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism
1-3 October, Davos, Switzerland
UN Partnerships in Action: The Three Tiers
Please see articles in "Topic People are Talking About: Disarmament" section
 STAND UP Against Poverty and for the MDGs 2007
UNAs around the world will be joining the UN Millennium Campaign on 16 and 17 October in their efforts to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people to STAND UP Against Poverty, and for the Millennium Development Goals. Last year, more then 23 million people in 87 countries stood up and took action to remind governments of the promise that they made in 2000. The goal is to double this number in 2007. The UNA-Dominican Republic , for example, is planning to organize STAND UP as part of their Model UN conference in October. All of the near 3,000 participants will gather to STAND UP, and this will be documented in photos and video. We would like to ask all UNAs planning STAND UP events to let us know at editor@wfuna.org
 Online discussion: Women, political participation and decision-making in Africa
Participate in the online discussion from 4 September to 14 October on the theme "Women, political participation and decision-making in Africa", which is being organized by the UN Division for the Advancement of Women and the Economic Commission for Africa in cooperation with the E-Network of National Gender Equality Machineries in Africa. The purpose of the online discussion is to contribute to a better understanding of women's political participation in Africa. To get involved, see:
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/forum/forum-daw-politicalparticipation2007
WFUNA Highlights
 The 193rd Executive Committee met in Beijing, China from 2-3 September 2007. Minutes of the meeting will be available in the member section of the website shortly. In his statement to the meeting, Dr. Hans Blix, WFUNA President, emphasized the importance he attached to the role of UNAs in promoting understanding of the United Nations. He was most warmly welcomed by Mr Li Zhaoxing, the former Foreign Minister of China, at a reception held for the Executive Committee at the Great Hall of the People and was interviewed on China Central Television and various newspapers.
Mr. Pang Sen, chairman of the Executive Committee, facilitated the deliberations on a wide range of issues. The Secretary-General, Pera Wells, reported on the work of the secretariat highlighting progress being made in building the global UNA network, the new WFUNA disarmament website, project proposals on climate change, the outcome of the annual human rights seminar held in Geneva and steps that had been taken to implement the resolutions adopted at the Buenos Aires Plenary Assembly, including in relation to youth. The Executive Committee approved two Memoranda of Understanding, one with UNA-ROK for the 2009 Plenary Assembly and the other to accept the Millennium Project as an autonomous project under the auspices of the World Federation
The Executive Committee and WFUNA Secretariat would like to thank UNA-China for hosting this meeting.
Delegations from the following UNAs attended the DPI/NGO conference on climate change at UN Headquarters in New York from 5-7 September: Bangladesh, Canada, Dominican Republic, Finland, Georgia, Haiti, Pakistan, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealan, Uganda, UK, USA, and the Millennium Project.
 The Geneva Seminar on Health and Globalization
Responding to the 38th Plenary Assembly Resolution on Global Health Issues, UNA-Israel launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening its partnership with the health sector and with UN agencies working on health. From 24-28 June the UNA, together with WFUNA, held the Geneva Seminar on Health and Globalization, with the goal of highlighting the work of the UN and other international agencies on health. Participants were senior healthcare professionals interested in having a better understanding of the work of the UN in health, and to develop personal contacts with colleagues in their sub-specialties.
 Mr. Michael Platzer from UNA-Austria was an observer at the Dialogue on Long Term Cooperative Action to Address Climate Change and the fourth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex 1 (industrialized) Parties under the Kyoto Protocol, held 27 to 31 August 2007 in Vienna. A summary of his experiences is available by clicking here>>
 UNA-Australia convened its annual conference in Melbourne on 27 August. Participants from around the country and from New Zealand discussed the "report card" that the UNA had done on the Howard Government's performance at the UN..please see….for the report. Both the WFUNA President and Secretary-General participated in the events. Former Foreign Minister and head of the International Crisis Group, Gareth Evans, introduced Hans Blix as the key note speaker at the dinner.
 The 1st World Federation of United Nations Associations Latin American and Caribbean Regional Model United Nations Conference will be hosted by the UNA-Dominican Republic at the Barceló Bávaro Convention Center on October 10th to 14th 2007 in the context of the International Conference of the Americas - CILA 2007, which will simulate 14 different organs and commissions of the United Nations and other regional and international multilateral institutions. There will be a regional UNA representatives meeting in conjunction with the Model UN. Currently there are delegations registered from the following UNAs: Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, and Venezuela. For details, go to:
www.wfuna.org/what/education/upcoming_model_un_events/mun_americas.cfm
Since its establishment in April 2007, the UN Youth Association of Peru, Arequipa city section has held 3 major activities:
Children's rights morning with primary school students: The UNYA spent a morning with  the kids in their school to talk with them about their rights and their problems, and read them the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
World No Tobacco Day; "Only for Smokers" conference: The U NYA joined health specialists who gave speeches to students and the public about the dangers of smoking. A video was shown to visually demonstrate the effects of smoking.
World Environment Day play: UNYA Peru - Arequipa, wrote and staged a play about our behavior towards the planet. The goal of the play was to encourage people to think about the repercussion of our actions to the planet.
 Kati DePetrillo is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied sociology and political science. She is interested in pursuing a career which combines her interest in social work and international relations, but is still determining what that may be. Outside of her career goals, Kati loves studying languages and playing music.
 Shruti Pant, the Youth Program Coordinator intern in the New York office, recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Southern California. She has a strong interest in international development issues, and more specifically in democracy and good governance. Though originally from India, Shruti has lived and schooled in seven different countries and looks forward to traveling more in the future. In addition to seeing the world, Shruti enjoys reading and yoga in her spare time.
 Nop Pathomworachai from Thailand who is interning at the Geneva office, graduated from Silpakom University with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Communications. Having been awarded a prestigious European Union scholarship, she is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Policy and Management. Nop has an interest in the areas of educational management and human resources development.
 Natalya Zorina, an intern in the Geneva office comes from Russia where she studies International Relations at MGIMO-University. She is starting her Master's Degree this year, and is currently focusing on learning to speak Japanese, and hopefully starting Chinese lessons soon. As her minor is East Oriental studies, she is interested in the history, policy and culture of Far East countries.
Overview on Disarmament
By Alexander Metcalf
 The United Nations has a long history of mobilizing the international community into action in the field of disarmament. For example, the Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy was convened in 1955, the Ten-Nation Committee on Disarmament was created in 1959, and negotiations over the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a cornerstone of international nuclear security, began as early as 1965. In fact, the General Assembly's first special session was convened in 1978 on the subject of disarmament, which resulted in the creation of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), a Geneva-based multilateral forum for negotiating disarmament issues.
The UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is the primary body responsible for coordinating the UN's disarmament activities. It supports the disarmament-related work of intergovernmental organizations, including the CD, the International Atomic and Energy Association (IAEA), and the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). UNODA maintains close contacts with NGOs dedicated to disarmament and non-proliferation.
To view entire article, please click here>>>
UN Perspectives: Sergio Duarte on the Past, Present, and Future of Disarmament
By Alexander Metcalf
 On July 2, 2007, Mr. Sergio de Queiroz Duarte was appointed the High Representative for Disarmament at the Under-Secretary-General level. Mr. Duarte, a career diplomat from Brazil, has been working in the disarmament field for many years. In 1966, he was part of the Brazilian delegation to the 18-Nation Disarmament Committee before working in the Office of the Special Representative of Brazil for Disarmament Affairs in Geneva in 1979. Later, as ambassador to Austria, Mr. Duarte represented Brazil before international organizations in Vienna, including the IAEA. In 1999, he was elected chairman of the Board of Governors of the IAEA.
Mr. Duarte has signaled his intention to change the debate in the disarmament community, particularly when it comes to the perceived tension between disarmament and non-proliferation. While some people believe that progress in one area must come at the expense of the other, Mr. Duarte believes that a common purpose must be found: "It is a recipe for disagreement. And I hope that we can bring some sense into this debate by saying, look, these are two different things, but they are complementary."
Mr. Duarte has a clear message for civil society: don't give up! He sees civil society as having an important role in raising public awareness of disarmament and non-proliferation. He stresses that activists must not only take their message to society in general, but to those in power as well. He believes that in order for real change to occur, the disarmament community must work together to achieve a coherent message.
Even though he is acutely aware of the challenges facing him, Mr. Duarte remains undeterred: "There are a number of things that we should not be completely despondent about. But we have to be realistic in this matter, acknowledge difficulties and the problems, but also we have to use the opportunities when they come, and let's try to make some opportunities."
WFUNA Activities on Disarmament
By Eli Groener
Inspired by the commitment of our President Hans Blix to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, the World Federation has renewed its efforts towards advocating world-wide disarmament and has been involved in several exciting new initiatives and programs on this issue.
In August, the World Federation participated in a workshop by the International Institute on Peace Education at the UN as part of a panel sponsored by Soka Gakkai International, which explored the issue of disarmament education with an emphasis on youth empowerment.
 The World Federation has strengthened its relationship with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. A delegation from the World Federation, led by Secretary General Pera Wells, met with the newly appointed High Representative for Disarmament, Mr. Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, to discuss his vision as a leader in the field of disarmament. Go to the Interview>>>>
As the cornerstone of the World Federation's disarmament efforts, we are pleased to announce the launching of our new website, the Global Disarmament Forum (www.disarmament-forum.org). Whether you are a disarmament expert, a young professional or a student, this website has something for everybody. Visitors to the website are given information about how the UN carries out its disarmament efforts through its various offices and agencies. There are links and brief descriptions of international treaties relevant to the field of disarmament, and profiles of individuals making a difference on peace and security.
To view full article, please click here>>>
UNAs and Disarmament
The UNA of the month for September is UNA-Sweden. To read about their activities in the field of disarmament, and generally about the UNA, click here>>
 Peace building, security, and disarmament constitute the main focus of UNA-Democratic Republic of Congo. It has played an active role in the UN Mission in the country (MONUC) as a partner in the peace process. UNA-DRC was awarded observer status in the 2006 UN/AU sponsored presidential, parliamentary and local elections and trained and dispatched a team of 350 election observers.
UNA-Japan has organized symposiums on the topic of peace and security in northeast Asia for the last 10 years. On June 26th and 27th 2007, they held a symposium entitled: "Initiation of renewed dialogue on Northeast Asia from Saitama City." Many issues were discussed, such as the nuclear situation on the Korean peninsula, the global energy situation and climate change, and challenges to the non-proliferation regime.
This November for the second consecutive year, UNA-Haiti is organizing a program called UNA Diaspora: the UN in the Caribbean. The purpose of this program is to educate about the UN on matters of peace, security, economics, humanitarian action and human rights with a focus on the Caribbean. UNA-Haiti contributed to a section in the Responsibility to Protect report sponsored by the Canadian government and the World Federalist Movement.
UNA-UK raises awareness on the issue of Great Britain's out-dated Trident missile system, which is due  to be replaced, through the publishing of a briefing note. UNA-UK held a workshop on the 'Trident and the NPT' in the Scottish Parliament on 29 January 2007.
UNA-USA created the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign (AAM) which provides assistance to landmine survivors and raises awareness on the global landmine crisis. Adopt-A-Minefield has raised over $18 million dollars for mine clearance and survivor assistance
NGOs on the Move
An increasing number of NGOs is focusing their energies on work on disarmament. Some of them target disarmament in post conflict environments, while others are concerned with disarmament at large and the creation of a nuclear weapons free world.
SUSUKUU, Liberia's oldest NGO, has been helping to disarm and re-integrate Liberian ex-combatants into society. The organization was initially founded as a trade union in 1971, but in the 1990s it started to focus its attention on disarmament work. Through its School for Guns program, SUSUKUU offers one year of education to ex-fighters in exchange for a weapon.
 German Menschen Gegen Minen (People against Landmines) is dedicated to de-mining in Angola, Mozambique and Namibia. It is clearing mine-suspect roads to promote development and enable delivery of humanitarian aid to post-war areas. www.mgm.org
The Atomic Mirror based in California, uses imaginative resources, arts and analysis to promote nuclear awareness, and offers tools of engagement for the creation of a nuclear free world. On Valentine's Day, 14 February 2007, the organization launched a year-long campaign Valentines to Tlatelolco: The Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Path to a Nuclear Free World. This campaign promotes awareness of the positive contributions of nuclear weapons free zones to security. To download, print and mail a Valentine Thank You message to Latin American and Caribbean countries for creating the world's first nuclear weapons free zone, visit: www.atomicmirror.org/action.htm
 Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen bombs (GENSUIKYO) since its establishment in 1955 has had numerous campaigns aimed at the prevention of nuclear war, the elimination of nuclear weapons, and the promotion of solidarity with victims of atomic bombings. The organization encourages everyone to visit their website and sign and send the Call for the Swift Abolition of Nuclear Weapons petition. To learn more about the project visit: www10.plala.or.jp/antiatom/html/e/e-sig_swift/Swift-index.html
Book Recommendation: Developing a Mechanism to Prevent Illicit Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons-Scope and Implications,
UN Department for Disarmament Affairs and the Small Arms Survey, 2007
 During the past decade, problems posed by unregulated arms brokering activities have become an issue of growing concern. This study, conducted under the auspices of the UN Coordinating Action of Small Arms examines existing instruments available to regulate sales of small arms and light weapons on the national and international levels.
The report insists that there is a need for a coordinated global action to regulate brokering activities and prevent, combat, and eradicate illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons. It looks at existing standards for the regulation of brokering activities developed by states and regional organizations and argues that such initiatives could serve as a basis for global effort to lessen and regulate illegal arms brokering. The report aims to identity options for regulations, to enhance understating of the issue and to clarify its most complex aspects.
Film Recommendation
The Last Atomic Bomb, 2006
This documentary directed by Robert Richter, traces the story of Sakue Shimohira, a Nagasaki survivor. The film takes Shimohira back to age ten, when seeking refuge in a shelter near ground zero. It not only tells the heart wrenching story of Shimohira and her own emotional struggle, but it also deals with the continuing controversy over the use of the bomb, discrimination in Japan against survivors, and censorship in both the US and Japan regarding the effects of the bomb. The film manages to link all of these elements to the nuclear build-up of the Cold War, the anti-nuclear movement which followed, and the many proliferation issues of today, and how they are relevant to those of the past. Released internationally in 2006, the film continues to gain popular support globally due to its effective commitment to firmly addressing the issue of nuclear proliferation, while simultaneously honoring those who perished because of it. Please visit www.NewDay.com for a copy and information on the film.
Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964
 Released in January of 1964, this satire, directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, was a very courageous, yet monumental creation during an unpredictable Cold War era. Kubrick received both criticism and admiration for this work, considering the political and social environment it was created in. The film is about a US Air Force General who goes mad and decides to destroy the USSR with his bombing squad, due to his own paranoia that communists were plotting to poison the American people. The US President, played by Peter Sellers, is then warned by the Soviet ambassador that should the USSR be attacked, it will trigger the Doom
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