UN Connections No. 79
Issue No. 79 - February 2008
In this issue:
o Overview on Sustainable Energy
o UN Perspectives: Minoru Takada
o UNAs and Sustainable Energy
o NGOs on the Move
o Book Recommendation
o Film Recommendations
Message from WFUNA President Hans Blix
 "To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. We will have regional conflicts and use of force, but world conflicts I do not believe will happen any longer. But the environment, that is a creeping danger. I'm more worried about global warming than I am of any major military conflict." Dr. Hans Blix in a March 2003 interview with MTV
Who's Who at the UN
 Bruno Cotte of France, Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko of Uganda, and Fumiko Saiga of Japan, were chosen in secret balloting as judges to serve on the International Criminal Court.
 The appointment of Edward Luck as Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect has been approved by the UN Security Council.
Thomas W. Bifwoli of Kenya, Awni Momani of Jordan, Ian Rowe of Canada and Anoop Swarup of India have been appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the four experts to serve on a panel authorized by the UN Security Council to monitor the arms embargo, travel ban, and assets freeze set up as a result of the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
 Oscar-winning American actor and director George Clooney has been appointed a UN messenger of peace. He will specialize in promoting UN peacekeeping issues in addition to his current work on the Darfur crisis.
 Cheick Sidi Diarra of Mali has been appointed Special Adviser on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
What's Happening at the UN
Commission for Social Development, forty-sixth session
6-15 February 2008, New York
Thematic Debate " Addressing Climate Change: The UN and the World at Work"
11 February - 12 February, New York
Commission on the Status of Women, fifty-second session
25 February - 7 March 2008, New York
Committee against Torture, Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, fourth session
11-15 February 2008, Geneva
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, seventy-second session
18 February - 7 March 2008, Geneva
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, forty-fifth session
11-22 February 2008, Vienna
Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization
15 February - 7 March 2008, New York
International Mother Language Day
21 February 2008
Human Rights Council, seventh session
3 March - 28 March, Geneva
UN Partnerships in Action: The Three Tiers
 Students for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World
WFUNA's global competition to involve youth in a vision for a world free of nuclear weapons is going strong! With a growing list of partners, the goal of sparking a truly global youth movement aimed at worldwide nuclear disarmament is moving forward. Nuclear disarmament has been in recent news and momentum is building across the globe for complete nuclear disarmament. Get your entries into www.disarmamenthub.org to win a trip to Geneva!
 UN Information on Disarmament
Disarmament Forum, the quarterly journal of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) offers clear, forward-looking and accessible analysis on disarmament and security issues. Each issue focuses on a specific topic related to disarmament and security. Since its launch in 1999, Disarmament Forum has covered a wide variety of topics-from small arms and cluster munitions to fissile materials and missiles, from Latin America to the Middle East, from sensitive technologies to terrorism. It is the sole regular UN publication dedicated to disarmament and security issues.
If you would like to receive updates from Disarmament Forum, send your full mailing address to abletry@unog.ch or subscribe online at
www.unidir.org/html/en/disarmament_forum.php
World Economic Situation and Prospects
World Economic Situation and Prospects is a joint product of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Conference on Trade and Development and the five UN regional commissions. It provides an overview of recent global economic performance, short-term prospects for the world economy and key global economic policy and development issues. One of its purposes is to serve as a point of reference for discussions on economic, social and related issues taking place in various UN entities during the year.
More information at: www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp.html
 UN Cartoon
The second episode of "United Nations for kids", an animated short documentary created by Andreas S. von Warburg, is now available on YouTube. The episode is an overview of the Millennium Development Goals and the role of the UN in achieving them:
United Nations for kids - Episode 2 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVmysydR-k
United Nations for kids - Episode 1 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=0baMsmuR29Q
 Right to a Violence-Free Existence
The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is currently campaigning to "Say No to Violence against Women!" The effort engages numerous members of civil society, the private sector, and UN partners to draw attention to gender-based violence that continues to pervade our global society. Visitors can demonstrate their support for the initiative by adding their name to the campaign's virtual book, at www.saynotoviolence.org
WFUNA Highlights
WFUNA Executive Committee
The will be meeting in New York from 27-29 March 2008. Background documents for the meeting as well as the minutes will be available in the member section of the WFUNA website as they become available.
 Climate Change Initiative
WFUNA is taking very seriously Ban Ki-moon's call for a global grassroots public awareness campaign to focus political pressure and keep global warming at the forefront of public consciousness. From February through April, UNAs, with the active support of WFUNA, have been asked to stimulate national level consultations with governments, civil society and companies in the Global Compact to determine their priorities in the follow-up of the Bali negotiations and to develop their ideas on the role, actual capacities and potential of the UN to respond to the challenges of climate. Reports will be posted on the WFUNA website, and the contributors invited to a conference in June to discuss the outcomes and develop forward-looking strategic positions.
 UPDATE on the second WFUNA-youth Project Management Workshop
held its second successful Project Management Workshop in Oxford, UK from 30 Nov- 1 Oct 2007. It was supported by , UNA Oxford and Oxford Model UN. Four youth from the whose project proposals were selected, participated in the workshop. In addition to strengthening their project plans, the workshop taught the participants project management techniques. This program is one way in which WFUNA-youth strengthens the ability of UNYAs and UN Youth Associations to support the principles and work of the UN. More information about this WFUNA-youth workshop and similar past workshops can be found online at www.wfuna-youth.org
Potential Publishing Credit
is getting ready to publish its Bi-Annual Bulletin, Volume 17, Spring. If you have essays about international relations, politics, the world, or Turkey, please send an inquiry letter and a summary of your paper to bmturk@tr.net for possible publication in the Bulletin.
UNYAs and Democracy
The term 'democracy' encompasses a number of ideas, from human rights to fair and free elections. WFUNA is interested in engaging its UNAs and UNYAs in an initiative that focuses on the kinds of issues that countries transitioning into democracy must face. How would your UNA/UNYA tailor a project to raise awareness of these issues and define what democracy means, especially to young people? Please send your ideas to monaghan@wfuna.org
Announcing APMUN 2008!
The will host the 3rd WFUNA Asia and Pacific Regional Model UN conference, "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015: Proactive Approaches beyond Conventional Wisdom" in Incheon City from 21-25 July 2008. The Model UN will be a simulation of ESCAP, and themes will include: pursuing alternative energy sources to ensure future peace, strategies for poverty reduction that diminish the risk of disasters, advancing towards a knowledge-based economy, and regional collaboration to stop human trafficking. A website will soon be available.
 The and the Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs will be hosting the 2nd annual Vienna International Historic Model UN conference from 9-13 March 2008. Go to: www.histomun.at
will be hosting the Canadian International Model UN conference from 12-15 March 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario. Go to: www.canimun.org
will be hosting the 5th annual Belgrade International Model UN conference from 27-30 March 2008. Go to: www.unaserbia.org.yu
will be hosting the Moscow International Model UN conference from 14-18 April 2008.
will be hosting the 3rd Annual International Model UN conference of Catalonia from 30 April- 3 May in Barcelona. Go to: www.anue.org/en/cmun
All of these Model UN conferences will be held under the auspices of WFUNA.
New Faces at the Secretariat
 Reka Molnar is a graduate student at the Seton Hall University Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations, specializing in International Organizations and Negotiation and Conflict Management. As an intern at WFUNA, Reka is interested to learn how to communicate and cooperate with other international organizations and how to promote a good relationship between the UN and the civil society.
Millennium Project News
By Jerome C Glenn, Director, Millennium Project
 It is time to call for a US-China global energy strategy that can meet the growing energy needs without greenhouse gases and nuclear waste. In addition to the conventional ideas like carbon tax and trading; reduce deforestation; industrial efficiencies and co-generation; conservation and recycling; and promoting renewable energy sources like wind, ground solar, regular geothermal, tidal, and current biofuels, there are some innovations to consider as well. For example: conversion to light emitting diodes; thermal eclectic production from waste heat recovery from power plants and parking lots; and producing animal protein directly from stem cells without growing animals saving vast amounts of land, water, and pollution.
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The Nuclear Energy Debate
By Marcus Wilson, Disarmament Program Coordinator, WFUNA
 Roughly 1.6 billion people still lack access to modern energy services which makes 'connecting the unconnected' a major global priority. But how can we do this without creating negative side effects that would jeopardize the environment for future generations? That is, how do we make it sustainable?
Proposals for future energy solutions tend to fall into two fundamentally opposed categories: those for nuclear power, and those against it. The nuclear power debate is an emotionally charged and intensely important one. It impacts on a number of environmental, economic, peace and security, human rights and development issues, each of which have much to gain, or to lose, through investing in nuclear power. Below are the general outlines for each side of the argument.
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UN Perspectives: Mr. Minoru Takada
 Mr. Minoru Takada is the Manager of the Sustainable Energy Programme in the Bureau of Development Policy of UNDP. In an interview with UN Connections, he discussed his path to the UN, the various approaches that the organization has towards energy, and the future of this issue.
How did you get involved with the United Nations system?
I joined UNDP in 1996. Before that, my first actual job was as a volunteer in Africa, on a program offered by the Japanese government. I worked three years in Ghana as a teacher in a secondary school in a small village. I also got involved in the village development activities. The village had no electricity and no pipe-water; they relied on the river and the rain. That inspired me to come to the development stage. I was originally an engineer.
I applied to the Junior Professional Programme sponsored by Japan, from where I am originally from. I went in 1996 to the UNDP country office in Angola for two years. I was assigned to energy projects as well as other environment related projects such as water and garbage treatment. After that I got the opportunity to come to New York, and since then I have been working here on energy issues.
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UNAs and Sustainable Energy
On 14 November 2007, the co-organised an event with the Dutch Global Compact chapter on sustainability. More than 40 young professionals from NGO's, universities and the public and private sectors met in Amsterdam to discuss how young people can support the efforts of businesses to integrate the UN Global Compact initiative into their mission, and thereby contribute to sustainability. Herman Mulder, a Senior Advisor to both the Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, introduced the young professionals to the principles of the Global Compact and its emphasis on corporate social responsibility, and how this translates into sustainable and profitable business models. He reminded young professionals that their idealism and knowledge of these issues empowers them to make a difference even within their own organisations. Participants were able to discuss success stories on the efforts of some organizations to promote sustainability. Preparations are already underway to organize a follow-up event in April 2008.
 In April 2007, , in conjunction with WFUNA and the Forum Das Americas Conference, held the Sustainable Development Forum 2007. The issues discussed included: Rainforest Conservation and Rational Exploitation; Ethanol and Biodiesel; and Building the Future Environment. Ambassadors, journalists, Nobel Laureate winners and members of the Brazilian civil service were invited as guest speakers. In May 2008, another Sustainable Development Forum will take place in New York to raise awareness of the seventh and eighth Millennium Development Goals: ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. Among the attendees will be the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore.
celebrated UN Day on 24 October 2007 with a Tree Planting Campaign. The Campaign managed to raise awareness of both sustainable energy and development issues, highlighting the important role plants play in mitigating the effects of global warming. The Campaign continued for three months, and reached out to many of UNA-Uganda's networks in institutions of learning and rural areas.
NGOs on the Move
Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and World Information Service on Energy (WISE) work together with a network of offices in 12 countries on 5 continents to support grassroots community activists who are working for sustainable non-nuclear energy policy, and responsible radioactive waste management. NIRS and WISE promote a carbon-free, nuclear-free strategy to reverse the climate crisis based on energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy resources. www.nirs.org
 Practical Action is an NGO based in Great Britain that works in Latin America, East and Southern Africa, and South Asia, to develop appropriate technologies in areas such as disaster mitigation, energy and food production. In Peru they created the Appropriate Technology Demonstration and Training Center that aims to contribute to the creation and strengthening of the technical capacity of the region on renewable energy and rural electrification. They organize seminars and courses where participants have access to the facility demonstrations of solar thermal, micro hydro and other equipment. www.itdg.org/
 ENERGIA is an international network on women and sustainable energy. Their objective is to contribute to the empowerment of rural and urban poor women through a specific focus on energy issues. In 2005 they launched the program TIE-ENERGIA (Turning Information into Empowerment: Strengthening Gender and Energy Networking in Africa). Through the strengthening of human and institutional capacity, the project aims to ensure that the energy issues in Africa also integrate gender. www.energia.org/
 The Danish Organization for Renewable Energy works for a resource and environmentally conscious energy policies and self-sufficiency from renewable energy sources. They coordinate The European Sustainable Energy Education Forum, a network of energy and environmental organizations, that is now involve in the "Solar Schools Forum". The objective of this project is to gather energy-related educational materials and experiences, and make them accessible through a website (www.school4energy.net) for teachers and students to work on these issues. www.ove.org/eng/index-eng.htm
 Joint US-China Corporation on Clean Energy is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce China's carbon footprint. For the period 2008-2009 they have planned to launch a Chinese consumer media campaign in order to push consumers in that country towards a "green life" and in that way increase the demand for green buildings and products.
www.juccce.com/en
Book Recommendation
The MIT Press, July 2005
By: Jefferson W. Tester, Elisabeth M. Drake, Michael J. Driscoll, Michael W. Golay and William A. Peters
 This book focuses on the dilemma of how we can provide the benefits of energy to the population of the world without damaging the environment, negatively affecting social stability, or threatening the well-being of future generations. The solution, it suggests, will lie in finding sustainable energy sources and more efficient means of converting and utilizing energy. The book clearly presents the trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in evaluating and choosing different energy options, and provides a framework for assessing policy solutions. The book is available in hardcover.
Wiley, March 2006
By: Paul Kruger
 As the price of petroleum products increases, the world is scrambling to find a suitable replacement energy source. In this book, Professor Paul Kruger examines energy use throughout history and the expansion of our energy use beginning with the Industrial Revolution through the present. The book then analyzes the various alternative energy sources available, including renewable energy (hydroelectric, solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal), nuclear, and hydrogen. It considers the pros and cons of each energy source, based on our needs, availability, and environmental impact aspects. Finally, Dr. Kruger proposes the use of hydrogen as a fuel to sustain our energy supply produced by appropriate technology mixtures of renewable and nuclear energy. The book is available in hardcover.
Film Recommendation
2007, Director: Chuck Davis
 What is our future after oil? The documentary Transforming Energy attempts to answer this question. The film presents various sources of alternative energy as solutions to the problems of global warming and ever more expensive oil and gas. It focuses on the commitment and hard work of extraordinary engineers, entrepreneurs, visionaries, scientists and students who are already transforming our world by creating a new energy paradigm. Both inspiring and hopeful, the film explores the achievement and challenges of the work that lies ahead of all of us.
Available on DVD: www.transformingenergy.com
UNA of the Month: New UNAs
Working towards the establishment of new UNAs around the world was a priority for WFUNA throughout 2007. With a new year comes a renewed effort to make our organization truly global, by having a UNA in every UN member state. In addition to increasing the number of UNAs, WFUNA is making an effort to strengthen the existing ones. Programs supporting this goal in 2008 will include capacity-building workshops for new UNAs, and regional-level meetings between WFUNA, UNAs and UN Information Centers. The WFUNA Regional Model UN conferences planned for this year will be an opportunity both for capacity-building, and with working with people in the region who are interested in establishing new UNAs.
Update on new UNAs:
Approved by Executive Committee
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and : groups of academics and professionals in both countries established the UNAs. They are working together with existing UNAs in the region, and have made the MDGs their first priority. Dr. Coulibaly Drissa is the President of UNA-Cote d'Ivoire, and M. Georges T. Amegnikpo is the President of UNA-Togo.
Application Submitted for Review by 194th Executive Committee:
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: UNA-Colombia recently launched a project to train teachers to educate their students about the MDGs by using puppets. They are building a network of youth associations in Bogotá, and they have a cultural house for young people where they offer workshops and activities. They are planning to create a communication and information center to provide training to graduate students about the UN system and the MDGs.
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: A UNA is being established in Rabat, under the leadership of Mr. Talja Abderrezzak.
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: Under the leadership of Boris Radickovic, the UNA is planning programs in poverty reduction and the sustainable development of youth enterprises.
In process:
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: a group is working together with the UNA-Georgia
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: The UNA is supported by several notable personalities including the Minister of Defense, Former Portuguese Ambassadors to the UN, several Ambassadors and diplomats.
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: the UNA is planning to launch in 2008
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: a group in Rwanda has been working with the UNAs of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, to establish a UNA
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: The UNA-South Africa is working with interested constituencies to establish UNAs in these countries
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Colombia