|
 The UNA-Mexico (AMNU) was founded in 1985. Through its history, AMNU has been dedicated to education, indigenous rights and human rights.
Since 2007 Deport-es para Compartir (Sports-to-Share) has been the main program run by AMNU. Deport-es para Compartir was modeled after the original Sport-in-a-Box program developed in 2005 by the UNA-Canada. Through two years of hard work, AMNU’s growing team built a program completely adapted to the Mexican reality.
Deport-es para Compartir is a civic and educational program that combines the power of 3 pillars:
1) Create awareness about the 8 Millennium Development Goals. The program aims not only to spread knowledge, but above all, to convince children of their own power to act locally in order to contribute globally.
2) Promote healthy lifestyles. The program is based in a friendly methodology, through games that involve physical activity. AMNU is convinced of the power of games, given that they are the natural language of children. All games include a set of values such as teamwork, fair-play, gender equity, tolerance and respect. Mexico has a very high index of child obesity, so this kind of encouragement is urgent.
3) Value national diversity. At the end of the program, children prepare treasures such as drawings, letters, hand crafts and exchange it with another community that participates in Deport-es para Compartir.
AMNU makes an effort to precisely analyze the impact that this program is having on children, including conducting surveys immediately after participating in the program, as well as 6 months later.
Watch a video about Deport-es para Compartir at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hp7mXZ_5k4
 Since 2007 AMNU has implemented the program with 12,500 children from 12 different states in Mexico. This semester they are working simultaneously with 100 indigenous shelters located in the most marginalized zones, and with a public primary school in Mexico City. The AMNU team that started with 2 young people has now grown to nearly 30 young people from different backgrounds, all very committed to taking the program to more children with the same quality. AMNU welcomes volunteers who are interested in experiencing Deport-es para Compartir with them in Mexico.
-
 Objectives:
Undertaking domestic and international programmes designed to help realize various objectives of the United Nations(UN)
Promoting public awareness of the UN's spirit of international cooperation
Indirectly contributing to world peace and peaceful settlement of international disputes
Legal Status:
Non-profit, private association
Non-government organization(NGO) registered with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MOFAT)
Finances
Membership dues paid up annually by its members
Subsides and contributions by the government
Contributions and donations made by business associations and other private sector
Brief History
Nov. 1947 Launched as "Kookjeyonhap Daehan Hyop-hoi"(UN Association of Great Korea)
Aug. 1949 Renamed as "Kookjeyonhap Hankook Hyophoi"(UN Association of Korea)
Sept. 1952 Joined the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA) as an associate member (Promoted in Sept. 1968 to a full member)
Oct. 1962 Registration with the Ministry of Information as one of the earliest social organizations in Korea (Registration No. 8)
June 1994 Licensed as a private association under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 1994 Renamed as "UN Hankook Hyophoi" (UN Association of Korea)
2.
Enhancing Public Awareness of the UN
-
Celebration of UN Day (held annually)
- The UNA-ROK hosts a luncheon or dinner meeting on or around UN Day (24 October) by inviting its members, diplomatic corps and other UN-related people.
- The meeting is addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade or other celebrities. (E.g. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the U.N. in 2008)
-
Model UN Conference (held annually)
- Hundreds of students from all over Korea gather and compete with each other in the annual Model UN Conference for 4 days during the summer.
-
UN Essay Contest (held annually)
- The UNA-ROK selects a current topic on which inter-collegiate students nationally may write an essay.
-
Tour to the UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva
- Top prizewinners from Model UN Conference and UN essay contests and chaperones are given an opportunity to go on an educational tour to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and Geneva.
 Other related activities
- The UNA-ROK actively participated in 1995 in activities held in celebration of the Anniversary of the UN, including the photo-exhibition, concert, children's art festival, thesis contest among college students, international seminars and issuance of commemorative coins
- The UNA-ROK organized a lecture (report) on the roles played by Korea as member of the Security Council during 1996-99
Research & Publication
-
Organization of Seminars and lectures concerning UN
- For a recent example, UNA-ROK held a workshop on "The United Nations Moves Forward: Where To?" in April 2007.
-
Translation and Publication of UN-related books and other printed materials
- For example, UNA-ROK published a book titled "Basic Facts about the United Nations" in 1995.
-
Newsletter
- Since July 1997, UNA-ROK has issued an 4-page newsletter quarterly.
International Cooperation
-
Cooperation with the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA)
- UNA-ROK will hold the 39th Plenary Assembly of WFUNA in August 2009 in Seoul, Korea
-
Cooperation with other national UNAs
- UNA-ROK has had an exchange of visits with UNA-China, UNA-Japan, UNA-Russia and UNA-Germany since 1995.
-
International Activities as an NGO
- UNA-ROK participated in the Millennium Forum held in May 2000 in the UN Headquarters
-
Organization of Speeches/Seminars with participation of UN-related VIPs
Support of UN-related Activities
 Established in 2007 by a group of citizens and NGOs committed to the principles and values of the Charter of United Nations, ANUP is one of the most recent UNAs to become a member of WFUNA.
ANUP’s first steps were mostly devoted to building institutional structure, enlarging the base of support, establishing institutional relations and partnerships with stakeholders, defining its own political and social goals, and putting in place management and organization rules.
As a result of this process, ANUP now has: a main office and 11 other offices/representations throughout the country, 47 affiliated NGO partners, more than five hundred individual members, 4 conventions established with public and private entities and 2 working groups supporting the Board activity. The UNA has an NGO Council and a Business Council.
 "Associate Differences - Find Friends" - this campaign aims to maximize the work developed by Portuguese NGOs in the area of human rights promotion, campaigning against discrimination, and the promotion of participation and active citizenship. More then 25 schools and over 5000 people have participated in this campaign.
The “E&I Library – Equal Opportunities and Interculturality" project is designed to promote dialogue between citizens on equal opportunities and interculturality. The Human Library for the E&I works like a normal library, offering “readers” (visitors) the opportunity to interact with the “books” (people who represent social stereotypes). The main goal is to deconstruct all kinds of stereotypes, emphasizing the slogan "Don't judge a book by its cover".
 "Dinner with ANUP" - A space for debate, discussion and joint reflection on international themes, contributing to deeper ties between ANUP associates, partners and stakeholders.
A nationwide voluntary project on energy efficiency and sustainability is a result of a cooperation agreement between ANUP and the Portuguese electric company. ANUP is managing a cross national power saving lamps distribution, involving more than one thousand volunteers.
 UNA-Rwanda is a non-profit, voluntary community organization working for peace and security, economic prosperity, clean environment and human rights through promoting the aims and objectives of the United Nations. The UNA advocates for the implementation of the MDGs in Rwanda.
UNA-Rwanda is a youth-led UNA – almost all members are young people. They work in schools through the UNA’s Patrons in Schools program where they train primary and secondary pupils on the work and functioning of the UN, and on ways in which young people can advocate for the organization. In addition, the UNA is building networks of young people interested in UN issues, and has developed a program that connects primary and secondary school students with mentors at University.
 The Information and Resource Center for the UN and MDGs is run by the UNA and provides a library for members and visitors with information about the UN and the MDGs. There are training workshops about advocating for the MDGs held at the Resource Center. The UNA runs a program on human rights education, and a conflict resolution program on fostering peaceful co-existence among different people through dialogue.
UNA-Rwanda was set-up with support from, and works in partnership with, other UNAs in the region. Recently the Secretary-General of UNA-Uganda, Mr. Richard Baguma visited Kigali to give a presentation about UNA best practices and to brainstorm opportunities for the UNAs of Rwanda and Uganda to collaborate. The UNA has a close working relationship with the UN in its country, including agencies such as UNAIDS. They signed an MOU with the UN resident coordinator outlining collaborative efforts to promote the UN in the spirit of “one UN delivering as one”.
Over 50 years of Public Diplomacy
 Since its foundation in 1956, the United Nations Association of Russia has been an international non-profit organization dedicated to building understanding of the ideals and work of the United Nations among the Russian people. It runs educational and humanitarian campaigns and promotes public initiatives at a local level. UNA-Russia positions itself as a public diplomacy tool supporting constructive Russian participation in the UN system through its various programs.
 UNA-Russia succeeded in expanding the area of their activities during the years of perestroyka in Russia. Integrating of youth into UNA-Russia’s activities gained particular attention. Special UNA-Russia commissions on a wider range of issues were created. UNA-Russia offices were opened in many regions of the country.
UNA-Russia has been an active participant of major international events and projects. Preparing the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, years 1991 and 1992 saw 12 large cross-national conferences on environmental issues, sustainable development and particular regional solutions. One of these was organized by UNA-Russia. The 2002 Johannesburg Summit on sustainable development hosted the presentation of the Baykal region sustainable development project that was carried out jointly by UNA-Russia and the government of the Republic of Buryatia together with UN agencies.
UNA Russia Projects Today
 Since UNA-Russia aims to educate Russians about the UN and build constituencies for it through its programs and chapter efforts, UNA-Russia has published a number of books and brochures dedicated to UN history as well as reports on UN related themes. The latest publication of interest was a collection of Russian delegations speeches to the General Assembly, prepared by the Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Since 1990, jointly with Moscow State Institute of International Relation (University) the UNA annually holds the Moscow International Model United Nations program. Every spring approximately 500-800 participants arrive to Moscow from various parts of Russia, CIS and internationally, to step into the shoes of UN diplomats discussing current global affairs from their states’ point of view.
 Strategically the project aims to help forward the development of civil society in Russia by drawing the attention of young people, especially students, to the actual international affairs effecting the interests of all social groups of Russia and each citizen in particular. Moreover, having discussions within the frame of Model UN helps participants understand the United Nations working principles and get an introduction into both difficulties and opportunities for international cooperation.
 In the year 2004 at the opening ceremony of the Model UN, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave the keynote speech. Last year speakers included WFUNA President Hans Blix. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Strategic Communications and Public Information, Kiyotaka Akasaka is expected for the coming Moscow International Model United Nations that will be held from 13-17 April, 2009.
 Each year, the UNA-Russia and the UNESCO department of MGIMO hold a national essay contest with the participation of thousands of school-students from all over the country. This year participants are asked to write on the matter of the UN’s role in managing the economic crisis.
The UNA-Russia hopes that the discussions provoked by these events would spread beyond its bounds and the UN agenda topics would keep engaging generations of Russians.
 The UNA-Sudan is a national non-profit organization established in the mid-sixties. Its mandate is to engage the Sudanese public in the work of the United Nations and promote awareness of critical international issues. The UNA implements a variety of national projects focused on specific issues and targeted audiences. The Association strives to foster understanding of what the UN is, and where it is going, by creating links between UN activities and the daily lives of the Sudanese.
Climate Change:
UNA-Sudan developed a program on climate change for promoting dialogue among citizens and Sudanese authorities, and conducting advocacy activities on the impact of climate change on society, and the link with UN climate change processes at the national level. The UNA organized several lectures and panels on this issue. UNA-Sudan mobilizes the media, academic institutions and civil society on the basis of integrated and effective advocacy and operational programs.
 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
UNA-Sudan has been a pioneer in bringing to the attention of senior government officials and civil society the strong commitment of, and obligation towards the MDGs by the country and the need to achieve the MDGs for the well-being of the people. In close collaboration with UNDP, UNA-Sudan implements advocacy activities in co-operation with the MDG national technical team. The UNA-Sudan organized two workshops, the 1st an MDGs Orientation Workshop for Mass Media, and the 2nd on the Role of NGOs and CSOs in achieving the MDGs.
Conference of the United Nations Associations of the Great Lakes Region (GLR):
UNA-Sudan organized the Conference of the UNAs of the GLR of Africa on 27-28 May 2008. The conference succeeded in activating and bringing together UNAs in the Great Lakes Region and drawing attention to the need to activate and establish new UNAs in the region. It emphasizes the need for strengthening public awareness of UN activities, especially in the fields of peacekeeping and development.
 UN International Days:
In collaboration with UN and Government partners, the UNA organizes events to mark UN Day, World AIDS Day, and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
UNA-Sudan Youth Branch:
UNA-Sudan organized the 1st General Assembly for the UNA-Sudan Youth Branch in conjunction with International Youth Day on 12 August 2007. The Conference decided the Rules of Procedure of the UNA-Sudan Youth Branch. Nine members were elected for the Executive Committee of UNA-Sudan Youth Branch. The seconded Youth Branch general assembly will be held in April 2009.
 On-going Projects:
Establishing a website of UNA-Sudan & UNA-Sudan Youth Branch (www.unasudan.org) expected to be launched on 20 April 2009 during the General Assembly of UNA-Sudan.
Having been provided with a plot of land for its headquarters by The Council for International Peoples’ Friendship, UNA-Sudan has already prepared architectural drawings and estimated cost of building of its center. The UNA has already received some donations and is currently embarking on further fundraising.
For more than six decades UNA-USA has worked to improve understanding among Americans about the United Nations’ goals and initiatives. Fostering direct interaction between US citizens and the UN, UNA-USA helps people have a direct impact in their local community, their country and around the globe.
President Obama and his top officials have pledged to strengthen America’s global leadership through a renewed emphasis on international cooperation, diplomacy, and active participation at the United Nations. UNA-USA set up a online platform to show the new President that Americans support his efforts to strengthen American leadership in the world and at the United Nations by giving the possibility to the public to edit and send letters to President Obama through their website. For more details click here>>
William H. Luers, UNA-USA president, Thomas R. Pickering, UNA-USA co-chairman, and Jim Walsh of Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently published “How to Deal With Iran,” an article in The New York Review of Books. The essay lays out a proposal for the Obama administration on how the new president can begin direct discussions with Iran in a regional and multilateral context, specifically regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addressing an ever-growing need and calls for discussions with Iran, the article examines the many issues that have strained US-Iran relations. To read the article click here>>
 UNA-USA has numerous programs, partnerships and fund-raising efforts to further solidify the bridge connecting citizens to a better world. Whether demining dangerous countryside and assisting landmine survivors with its Adopt-A-Minefield® campaign, raising awareness and financial support for the fight against HIV/AIDS among vulnerable children in Africa with the HERO campaign or engaging students in Global Classrooms® with literacy programs and model UN proceedings, UNA-USA helps mobilize and educate Americans in global affairs.
UNA-USA initiatives are grounded in the belief that American involvement in global partnerships is essential to sustainable progress at home and abroad. So as the UN recently passed the midway mark of the Millennium Development Goals, UNA-USA continues to play a vital role in enhancing US participation in pursuing these goals.
UNA-USA’s 50th annual Global Leadership Awards dinner, held at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria in October 2008, honored Champions of the Millennium Development Goals, an event that recognized individuals and organizations that have made a major contribution in advancing the eight goals. Michael Douglas, two-time Academy-Award winner and a UN Messenger of Peace hosted the event. Ted Turner, chairman of the United Nations Foundation, received the inaugural UNA-USA Champion for Global Change Award in recognition of his longstanding commitment to the UN and UNA-USA.
 In 2007, UNA-USA paired with Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation to launch the annual Leo Nevas Human Rights Award. In commemoration of Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNA-USA presented the second annual Leo Nevas Human Rights Award at a luncheon at UN Headquarters on 15 December 2008.
Furthering efforts to promote US engagement in multilateral diplomacy and at the UN, UNA-USA Chairman’s Council brings together influential philanthropists, business leaders and internationalists for off-the-record discussions with leading figures. Founded by John C. Whitehead, the council holds monthly luncheons at the University Club in New York City to engage in an informal dialogue about issues facing the UN and the world.
For more details go to http://www.unausa.org
 The UNA-Israel was founded in 1960 and is one of the oldest UNAs in the region. It works to promote the values and norms of the UN and to disseminate information and stimulate discussion about human rights and global matters in Israel.
The UNAs activities include monthly meetings that attract approximately 40-50 participants, where ambassadors and other national and international experts hold lectures and seminars on recent matters related to human rights and the UN. Other activities include organizing secondary school-level Model UN conferences, and international seminars assisted by WFUNA.
The organization has approximately 200 members, of which a large percentage is actively involved in carrying out its various activities. To strengthen UNA Israel's work on youth, it is planning to set up a youth group.
 Adv. Michal Navoth who has for more than 15 years been a Committee Member of UNA-Israel, specializes in international law and follows the UN Human Rights Machinery. In recent years she represented UNA-Israel at seminars organized by WFUNA in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) held in Geneva. After participating in the 2005 seminar, which focused on the work of the OHCHR as well as to the future evolution of the Commission into a Human Rights Council (HRC), she presented the new concept of HRC in her lecture to members and guests of UNA-Israel and published an article on the issue: "From a UN Commission on Human Rights to a Human Rights Council - A Structural Change or Human Rights Reform?". On July 2008 Adv. Navoth participated in a seminar aimed at the evaluation of the second year of the HRC and commented on its work regarding the state of Israel.
UNA-Israel is cooperating with UNA-Sweden in a joint project "Training on Non-violent Conflict Management for Youth in Israel" later to be combined with a similar project that UNA-Sweden is conducting with UNA-Lebanon.
The President of UNA-Israel, Adv. Mayer Gabay, is former President and Judge of UN's Administrative Court. The Vice-President of UNA-Israel, Adv. Rena Shashua Hasson, is member of WFUNA's Executive Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee of WFUNA.
 Responding to the 38th Plenary Assembly Resolution on Global Health Issues, UNA-Israel launched an initiative which aims at strengthening its partnership with the health sector and with UN agencies working in health. The Geneva Global Health Seminar organized by UNA-Israel in 2007 and in 2008 highlighted the work of the UN and other international agencies in health. Dr. Inon Shenker led the seminars as Academic Director.
 The history of the UNA-Switzerland predates the beginnings of international relations within the UN family. It was founded during the lifetime of the League of Nations. When the United Nations was founded in the aftermath of World War II, the Swiss UNA lobbied in vain for a quick accession: Swiss distrust towards all organizations of the outside world was simply too big.
UNA-Switzerland’s efforts during the next couple of decades focused on the crucial question of accession, and had to neglect to a large extent such core activities as public opinion and information which its sister UNA’s in all UN member countries were and are engaged in. In March 1986, a first attempt to pass the hurdle of a popular vote failed by a huge margin, because almost three quarters of the voters opposed accession. That attempt was initiated by the Swiss Government and Parliament, and the Swiss UNA acted as the principal pro-campaigning committee.
A second attempt was made, after the fall of the Berlin wall and some timid signs of a change in public opinion with regard to other international organizations, such as accession to the Bretton Woods Institutions and to the World Trade Organisation. This time the attempt came in the form of a people’s initiative, which meant collecting at least 100,000 signatures in order to put the matter to a second vote by the people and the cantons. To collect these signatures was a long and arduous process in which the Swiss UNA participated with much enthusiasm. Looking back to this period one can say that the very process of this initiative helped to muster public support even in circles hitherto unfavourable to the UN. It was only after that crucial period from 1998-2000 that the campaign for the vote itself was able to obtain substantial support not only from all the grassroots NGO’s which had helped to collect the signatures, but also from politicians in all the main political parties.
At that point the economy at large finally woke up to its responsibility as a stakeholder in a country with such high international exposure. On March 3, 2002, another vote was taken and it finally reversed the 1986 vote and said clearly yes to accession – a huge shift in public opinion in just 17 years! This was the first time a UN accession came about through a people’s vote.
In spring 2003, the Swiss government published its first report on its UN activities. At the end of April UNA-Switzerland organized a new hearing with interested NGO’s and UNA members. In the presence of Swiss Foreign Minister, Madame Micheline Calmy-Rey, speakers from civil society discussed the core UN issues of last and this year, namely the on-going Iraq crisis, the human rights situation and the follow-up to the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development. A summary of UNA-Switzerland’s second NGO Conference on UN matters is published at www.schweiz-uno.ch and (soon to come) www.suisse-onu.ch!
 The UNA-Australia’s goals are to promote greater awareness of the purposes of the United Nations among Australians, and to ensure that the Australian Government fulfils its obligations as a member-state of the UN.
UNAA organizes educational events, makes submissions to government and parliament, participates in UN Day and Year activities, develops alliances, provides advice, and generally acts as a link between the UN and Australians. UNAA is governed by a Federal Council which meets annually and determines policy. The UNAA has eight branches across the country.
The President of UNAA is John Langmore, Professorial Fellow in the Political Science Department at the University of Melbourne. Between 1984 and 1996, he was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Fraser. He was Director of the UN Division for Social Policy and Development in New York from 1997 – 2003.
Each year the UNAA publishes a report of its activities. Read the 2007 report at: www.unaa.org.au/praxis.php/category/view/82
Its weekly e-newsletter, UNity, covering United Nations and other international and regional matters is widely read throughout Australia and in the Asia/Pacific region - at: www.unityunaa.info
Every year the UNAA commemorates World Environment Day and offers Media Peace Awards.
In 2007, the UNAA published an annual report card on Australia’s performance at the UN. The report was conceived and prepared by the ACT branch. In choosing authors, UNAA sought to draw on knowledge and expertise within its ranks as well as to involve other community organizations with specialist knowledge on multilateral issues. The report card “graded” Australia’s performance regarding key issues such as the MDGs, human rights, climate change, peacebuilding, women and youth. The report card found many failures in Australia’s involvement at the UN under the Howard Government, and makes several recommendations for repairing the damage. View the 2007 report card at:
www.unaa.org.au/pdf/UNAA%20Report%20Card%202007.pdf
The Rudd Government, elected in November 2007 announced that support for the United Nations was one of its top 3 foreign policy priorities and demonstrated a renewed commitment by signing the Kyoto Protocol, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and declaring an interest in serving on the UN Security Council.
The theme of the 2008 UNAA National Conference “The Future is in Our Hands” is Making a Difference. The conference will be held from 21-23 August in Brisbane, with the first two days taking place at Parliament House. The last day will be dedicated to visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites and other special facilities near Brisbane. The conference sessions will address issues such as climate change, life long education, the Global Compact and human rights. Last year, Dr. Hans Blix spoke at the UNAA National Conference. More information available at: www.unaa.org.au/praxis.php/category/view/95
 The UNAA supports Model UN activities around the country and is sending a student delegation to the WFUNA Asia/Pacific Model UN Conference to be held the Republic of Korea, 21 – 25 July 2008. In April, the Victorian Division of UNA-Australia organized a Model UN conference in conjunction with the Department of Education and early childhood development. This conference, titled Refugees: Rights and Risks, was attended by eleven schools in the Melbourne area.
A highlight of the program of activities this year was the “Switch to Green Expo & Conference 2008” which UNAA – ACT co-hosted in April with government and civil society organizations to increase understanding of the implications of climate change and to showcase practical ways to build momentum towards a carbon neutral Canberra.
History
 In 1986 a couple of organizations, concerned with international cooperation and peace and justice, began discussions about founding a common Dutch UN Association. The Dutch UNA (NVVN) was launched in 1987. The aim of the new association was to encourage the objectives of the UN in the Netherlands, in order to make the population aware of the need of international cooperation and the building of a world of legal order.
The board consists of professors, members of Parliament and representatives of the participating organisations, such as the Association for International Legal Order, the Dutch World Federation Movement, the Woman International League for Peace and Freedom, the Student Association for International Relations, the Platform of International Youth Organisations and the League for Human Rights. The first chairman was Professor Dr. Paul de Waart.
 In the first issue of the new NVVN quarterly magazine, called VN-Forum, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hans van den Broek, wrote that it was very important “that especially a new generation, that did not grow up with the UN ideals and addresses them often with some scepticism, will have the opportunity to become acquainted with these ideals as well as the reality of the United Nations”.
Activities
The membership of NVVN is currently around 400.
 The activities of the NVVN are organised by 6 committees under the supervision of the board:
VN Forum editors work on the quarterly magazine, which follows UN activities in a positive, but critical way. The magazine is well read and appreciated not only by UN oriented people, but the academic world in general.
The Activities Committee organizes lectures, excursions, the UN course, and meetings. It invites speakers to lecture on or discuss current issues concerning the UN. Each year in September there is a meeting with the UN Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the membership about the agenda of the UN General Assembly and about the Dutch/European points of view on certain issues on the agenda. In addition, the Committee offers an evening course for members and non-members on the UN. The Committee organizes an annual excursion to a UN or a UN related Organisation in Holland, such as the International Court of Justice in the Peace Palace, the International Criminal Court and the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, the UN house in Brussels, UNRIC and the European Parliament. The Activities Committee participates annually in the organisation of the “Night of the UN” on 24 October, where more than 2000 young people come together to celebrate the UN anniversary
 The Young Professionals for International Cooperation organizes activities for professionals between 25 and 40. YPIC was started by one of the board members inspired by successfully operating YPICs in the US and the UK. The project in the Netherlands became a great success! Currently, they focus on the UN’s Global Compact initiative.
The School Education Committee approaches teachers, schoolbook editors and schools in order to get them interested in giving more attention to the UN in the lessons. Lack of funds made only moderate progress possible. However, the committee is active in giving guest lessons about the UN in high schools and promoting UN projects in colleges.
The Communications Committee is in charge of the website, as well as other means of communication.
www.nvvn.nl and www.dewereldvandevn.nl
 The Irish UN Association was founded in 1959. Its past Presidents have included the Irish statesman and Nobel Laureate, Sean McBride and its former patron is Mary Robinson, who was President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Its present patron is Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland and the President is Senator John Connor, a distinguished politician.
The main projects currently being implemented by the Association are on UN peacekeeping, climate change, the rights of children, human rights and development education and the challenge of human migration. The Association promotes public debate among a diverse group of people, including academics, politicians, diplomats, peacekeepers and Garda (Irish police force), armed forces veteran organizations, media institutions and civil society groups.
 A key annual priority for IUNA is the celebration of major events of the UN calendar in Ireland. IUNA organizes events to mark International Women’s Day, World Health Day, Earth Day, UN peacekeepers Day, UN Day, World AIDS Day and Human Rights Day. This year IUNA organized a special commemorative ceremony to mark the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. A particular focus has been placed in developing the youth membership. The Association has been represented at various WFUNA youth activities in recent years and offers the comprehensive University and Senior Schools Initiative (USSI).
IUNA is the country partner for the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) based in Brussels. In all its activities the Irish UN Association reflects an Irish perspective on the aims and purposes of the UN Charter.
The UNA-Sri Lanka (UNA-SL) was founded on 19 August 1950. It is the second oldest UNA in the Asia-Pacific region, after the UNA-Japan.
 In 1951 they were admitted to membership of WFUNA. They were the sole National Affiliate. That year the UNA sent an emissary to London to establish bilateral relations with the British UNA.
Today UNA-SL is one of the most senior members of WFUNA and continues to enjoy a close relationship with the British UNA.
The UNA works effectively in both national languages and uses English as a link language especially as it is one the six official languages of the United Nations. It unites under its banner, people of divergent and different political views, social levels, religious beliefs, and all other man made divisions in the spirit of the UN charter, which begins with the words "We the Peoples of the United Nations," and has a national program as an international agenda.
In 1981 UNA-SL began the UNA Study Circles program in secondary schools. They now have 310 Study Circles. This is their largest ongoing program.
The mobile unit of the UNASL organized seminars in several of these schools in the past year. The resource group included guest lectures such as Mr. Mohan Samaranayake from the United Nations Information Center, Ms. Usula Wijesuriya formally of the Department of Education and Mr. Dodangoda of Rupawahini and Ex-Co members Mr. Kumaran Fernando, Mr Shelton Peeiris and Dr. Parakrama Silva. Three or four of the above resource persons took part at each seminar.
 Another important project is the UNA-SL Sight Project. Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society was founded in 1961. To date, there have been 45,000 eye restorations. The aim of this project is to assist those in need of a cornea replant through the United Nations Associations all over the world.
Patients who are in need of cornea should contact the United Nations Associations in their respective countries. UNAs of such countries may officially communicate and request UNA Sri Lanka with relevant supporting documents.
UNA Sri Lanka will evaluate the request along with the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society and act on it. Generally, the patients/institution/doctor will receive them within one week from the date of evaluation.
A former Secretary-General of WFUNA, and current Honorary President, is Mr Horace Perera who came from Sri Lanka.
 The United Nations Association of Jamaica (UNAJ) will celebrate its 60th Anniversary next year. They are broken down in Chapters throughout the island, and the executive office is in Kingston at the UNDP Building.
UNAJ is a UN-designated Peace Messenger Organization and has consultative and/or working relations with UN Agencies, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of Jamaica, and several organisations sharing its interests in development, disarmament, education, environment, human rights and population issues.
One of their annual projects is the UN Model Assembly. Students are selected from over ninety-five junior and secondary high schools and tertiary institutions throughout the country, and they are trained to participate in this Assembly, which is held at the Jamaica Conference Centre.
 UNAJ participates every year in the United Nations International Schools Conference (UNIS-UN) held at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York. Students from across the world attend this event, including over five hundred young people from Jamaica, who are members of the youth section of UNAJ.
Following the WFUNA’s Buenos Aires Declaration of November 2006 that encourages UNAs to establish UN Youth Associations (UNYAs) throughout the country in which the UNA operates, UNAJ has recently established one at the University of the West Indies and in several high schools. They are working to expand it to other Jamaican universities next year.
UNAJ provides outreach programmes for young and old people. For example, they work with other local organisations to provide a hot meal for those who need assistance, and they have a “Care Giving Programme” for the elderly.
 Dr. Lucille Buchanan, President of UNAJ, has recently been recognized by the American Biographical Institute as one the “Great Women of the 21st century”. The reference book includes under 1,000 notable women, with Dr. Buchanan, who is a former vice-president of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, recognized for her humanitarian efforts.
UNAJ visited WFUNA Secretariat in New York on March 4, 2008. They met with WFUNA Secretary-General, Pera Wells, and talked with WFUNA interns about current issues and events at the UN Headquarters.
By Cissa Wa Numbe, UNA-Democratic Republic of the Congo, WFUNA Executive Committee member
 It is no secret that, African UNAs are working hard within a very difficult context of political and security instability. Yet, they are doing their best in promoting human rights, peace, democracy, humanitarian relief and environment issues – to name a few. However, is not only political and security issues that provide major challenges. UNAs in Africa have faced a history of poor support by mainstream UN agencies – often surviving without sufficient financial support or cooperation from governments. This means, in many countries or regions, UNAs are limited in what they can do despite their capacities of mobilizing public opinion or their experience in working with grassroots and community group partners. This includes the physical and practical resources which enable UNAs to exist and thrive, such as: financial sponsors, office buildings (e.g. office space/meeting space), paid workers and training. One example of this negative effect has been the cancellation of the African regional Model UN that was scheduled to take place in Nairobi this year. Unfortunately, it will no longer take place due to a lack of funding; while in other regions such as Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, Model UN have been taking place.
What lessons are to be learnt from this? Well, African UNA have to build strong networks. These are particularly relevant as they have a role in building support, communication, trust and new ideas, as well as offering the opportunity to build the infrastructure that was previously lacking. Networks can:
-
Providemotivation for groups, either regional or sub-regional, and can encourage strong work ideas and practices, and revitalize resources
-
provide focus for improving services that will facilitate wider public involvement
-
lead to multilateral UNA collaboration on strategic projects, such as: regular exchange of ideas, discussion, mutual learning and information sharing
-
add authority, experience and credibility to the work being undertaken to influence policies for the benefit of human rights, peace and security, environment and the UN development agenda
 Despite the challenges, UNAs in Africa are committed to, and actively engaged in, promoting the ideals and principles of the UN Charter (peace, human rights, security, sustainable development). Consequently, UNAs in Africa understand that to be the an effective tool for the UN, they have to network – a process involving establishing, maintaining and using links between individuals and organizations for mutual benefits including:
-
learning (information and experience sharing)
-
co-operation and support (access to resources)
-
solidarity (campaigning/lobbying on common issues)
-
developing joint initiatives (cooperation and collaboration)
 In this sense, progress is being made. For example, by recognizing the importance of young people in civil society, UNAs are making important progress by establishing a reliable precedent. UNAs in Africa have made significant efforts to include young people in their discussions, but also, and most importantly, by providing them with space and opportunities to network, enter dialogue, information share and learn.
 This year alone, a number of UNAs in Africa have organized national Model UN as well as attend major UN and African Union summits, conferences and meetings. UNAs have also actively participated in annual WFUNA executive meetings and have also developed networks particularly at sub-regional level. For instance, UNAs of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya have held two youth Model UNs, while those of Western regions are preparing to hold similar events. UNA-DRC, that has been awarded observer status to the UN-African Union, led an International Peace, Security and Development Conference in the Great Lakes Region, and has been actively participating in inter-ministerial meetings with heads of state and government officials. UNA-DRC was also asked to coordinate and organize the celebrations of International Women’s Day in March which was attended by government authorities, UN missions in the DRC and agency representatives.
 Yet, the biggest immediate challenge remains the situation in Darfur, where the government maintains barriers to an international UN led peace mission. It is challenges like this that will continue to receive complete and dedicated support by African UNAs. Successful participation in these such issues will help to strengthen African UNAs and solidify their endless commitment
Peace & Confidence Building Camps
Founded in 1995 UNA-Georgia (UNAG) is successfully implementing programs in the field of Peace & Confidence Building in Georgia and in the South Caucasus region.
 UNAG International Educational Center near Tbilisi, hosted Peace & Confidence Building Camps this summer, with youth participation from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. The one-week program included seminars and trainings on peacebuilding and conflict resolution. The students were involved in various sports and intellectual competitions. The friendly atmosphere helped the participants to remain in constant intercultural discussions on different issues, arrange various cultural evenings, stage performances and offer their traditional cuisine to each other.
Empowering Youth
 The United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR) is a non-profit, non governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the work of the United Nations. The UNA-DR contributes to the strengthening of the UN mission by coordinating educational and cultural activities which seek to raise public awareness and motivate citizen participation.
The UNA-DR was founded in 2001 under the umbrella of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. In 2002, an agreement was signed with the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), created by Dr. Leonel Fernandez, upon which FUNGLODE became its main partner in the Dominican Republic, providing operational and logistical support. In 2003, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, FUNGLODE's sister institution in the United States, joined the alliance and has been providing significant support through its New York and Washington DC operations. In the year 2004, Dr. Fernandez became the Honorary President of the three allied institutions as he assumed his role as the President of the Dominican Republic. UNA-DR's team consists of 11 office members and 80 volunteers.
 UNA-DR's vision is to act as the primary promoter of the work and principles of the United Nations in the Dominican Republic while contributing to the creation of well-informed citizens, who recognize and honor the importance of intercultural dialogue, effective negotiations and peaceful solutions to conflicts and disputes. We aim to implement projects and initiatives which enhance the socio-economic development and cultural prosperity of the Dominican people, through collaboration with educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the Dominican community at home and abroad. One of the greatest highlights of UNA-DR's work has been receiving the visit of the Former Secretary General of the United Nations, H.E. Kofi Annan in August 2006.
UNA-DR's Initiatives
1. Model United Nations Conferences
 The Model UN conferences are considered one of the most important and innovative educational methods that contribute to the personal and professional advancement and empowerment of young people. The Model UN Conferences are the most impacting program of UNA-DR, involving over 17,000 Dominican and international high school and university students, who have acted as ambassadors of the UN Member States. The students also act as representatives of NGOs, private sector organizations and associations known in the international community.
In 2005 UNA-DR organized the first Security Council Tournament hosted throughout the Dominican Republic, involving the participation of 8,000 students from 44 higher education institutions countrywide from September 2004 to July 2005.
Upcoming UNA-DR Model UN conferences are:
 International Conference of the Americas, CILA 2007
The third edition of the largest youth conference on international affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean, will be held at the Barceló Bávaro Convention Center, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on October 10th-14th, 2007. CILA 2007 will host the First World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) Latin America and Caribbean Model United Nations Conference. This event will gather 1,500 delegates from 18 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and other regions of the world.
New York-Dominican Republic Model United Nations Conference - NYDRMUN 2008
For the sixth edition of this Conference, more than 400 students will travel from the Dominican Republic to New York City. NYDRMUN 2008 will be help at Fordham University and the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on March 12th - 16th, 2008.
2. The First Dominican - Haitian Youth Encounter, 2005
This binational conference called "Perspectives and New Challenges in the Haitian - Dominican Relations" was a historical event that gathered 50 young Haitians and 50 young Dominicans from all walks of life to analyze and discuss the different topics that affect both countries and propose new and feasible solutions.
3. Television Program "Global Youth: Leaders of the Future"
The UNA-DR has designed and produced the first-ever television program for young people about diplomacy, international relations and development in an effort to broaden its outreach to young audiences. The show is broadcasted every Sunday from 6 to 7 p.m. on Antena Latina, Canal 7, national television, and features the first-ever televised Model United Nations, known as MUNTV.
4. Community Outreach and Development Initiatives
 The UNA-DR has organized and supported many projects and activities which seek to assist the development of rural communities and instill in young people the principles of solidarity, cooperation and leadership. These activities include campaigns in favor of bateyes (sugarcane plantation villages), HIV positive children shelters, and rural schools. In 2006, we led a campaign to donate 1,000 text books to the public school in Batey 9. This year, we donated enough school supplies for a school year. We have also cooperated in raising medicines and arranging Medical Service Campaigns in Batey 5, in a joint project with Batey Relief Alliance.
 Additionally, for the last three years, UNA-DR has built a strong partnership with the international NGO, Service for Peace. These two institutions have developed 4 projects to re-build public elementary schools in rural communities in the Dominican Republic. This project is developed on site by a group of American and European volunteers that come to the country to learn a culture of peace and community service, while helping a needed school. UNA-DR and Service for Peace are also currently sponsoring an Adult Literacy Program and have donated several computers fostering Computer Training Programs for children and adults in rural communities.
5. Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment
UNA-DR works together with the Young Americas Business Trust, an affiliate of the OAS, and the Youth Employment Summit to develop initiatives that foster the entrepreneurial spirit in Dominican youth. Empowering our youth to create their own businesses has proven to be an effective way to reduce poverty. In 2006, we organized the first "Young Entrepreneurs' National Competition" where more than 60 young entrepreneurs submitted their business plans and competed for access to funding to develop their companies.
6. Access to the United Nations' Resources and Documents
The main headquarters of the UNA-DR are based at the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) in Santo Domingo. It's Documentation and Knowledge Management Center is home to a wide range of documentaries, reports and interviews produced by the different agencies and programs of the United Nations System.
In close collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public information and the United Nations Information Center for Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, hundreds of articles and documents are permanently distributed to our enthusiastic youth. Our institution is also home to a United Nations Depositary Library.
UNA of the Month: UNA-Sweden
 Despite turning 50 this year, UNA-Sweden shows no signs of growing old and tired. In fact it's the opposite: during the past five years the UNAs program has grown to such an extent that the professional staff in Stockholm has nearly doubled. UNA-Sweden is an umbrella organization supported by some 130 national civil society organizations. It enjoys the support of 7,000 individual members organized in 120 local chapters.
At the moment UNA-Sweden has two major fund-raising campaigns. One is Adopt-a-Minefield which aims to increase public awareness against the use of landmines and to raise money for UN mine clearance work. The Swedish branch of the campaign focuses on mine action in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kosovo and Mozambique.
The second campaign is carried out in cooperation with the WFP School Feeding Programme. The idea is to offer poor children free lunch at school, something which has several positive effects for the children themselves as well as for their families, communities and countries. The Swedish school feeding campaign cooperates with well-known Swedish restaurants and the coffee shop Barista Fair Trade Coffee. Both campaigns have enrolled famous Swedish entertainers, media representatives and sport stars as ambassadors.
 The Millennium Declaration and the MDGs have been central to the work of UNA-Sweden for many years. Extensive activities are carried out in order to increase the awareness of the importance of the MDGs and to influence government policies in this area.
Young people are an important target group for UNA-Sweden and the organization puts great emphasis on informing and engaging young people. Another important target group is schools. This year UNA-Sweden has offered the country's over 800 high schools to become "UN Schools" in order to strengthen their international profiles. The UN schools will be provided with regular information about the UN and receive teachers training and special material and offers.
UNA-Sweden has close cooperation with the UN Associations in China, Georgia, Tanzania and Uganda,  concerning for instance the promotion of human rights and the Millennium Declaration. UNA-Sweden has exchange programs with these UNAs. In 2007-08, for example, three young Swedes will spend six months working for the UN Associations in Georgia, Tanzania and Uganda.
In the field of human rights, UNA Sweden is the coordinator for the National Human Rights Network consisting of 60 Swedish NGOs. The network is divided into several working groups that focus on specific thematic issues. We have a working group that follows the work of the Human Rights Council by attending sessions, producing articles, arranging conferences and in other ways getting the discussions on the Council to the public debate. UNA Sweden is currently writing the shadow report to the CERD committee and is involved in writing the shadow report to the CEDAW committee.
Theme: disarmament
UNA Sweden has worked on peace, security and disarmament issues in various ways over several decades. During the 80's and the last years of the Cold War it arranged the People's Parliament for Disarmament, during which civil society representatives gathered to discuss disarmament issues. More recently it coordinated Swedish NGO activities in favour of the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
UNA Sweden is an organization which both debates and informs on UN affairs. In this capacity we often receive and try to answer questions from students on why the UN failed to stop the genocide in Rwanda and the ongoing mass atrocities in Darfur. We find such failures of the international community to be a threat, not only to future victims of such situations, but to the UN in itself. It is imperative that the world community learns from these mistakes and prevents their future repetition.
To work in this direction UNA Sweden is an active supporter of the concept Responsibility to Protect ("R2P") created by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, ICISS, in 2001. We are pleased that the UN adopted, unanimously, this concept at the 2005 World Summit. We believe, however, that some of the ideas of the ICISS report need further discussion and support. For this purpose UNA Sweden arranges seminars, debates and study groups. Recent speakers at such events include the UN high commissioner on human rights, Ms Louise Arbour, and the UNSG special envoy to Darfur, Mr Jan Eliasson. We have also initiated cooperation on R2P issues with fellow UNAs.
Another issue in the field of peace and disarmament that UNA Sweden works with is nuclear disarmament. Last year the international Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction led by Dr. Hans Blix (WFUNA president since November 2006) presented its final report "Weapons of terror". One of the recommendations in the report was that tactical nuclear weapons should be withdrawn to the five official nuclear weapons states. UNA Sweden supports this idea, as well as the other recommendations made by the Commission, and arranges activities in line with this view.
 The UN Association of the UK was established in 1945 to serve, like all UN Associations, as a 'people's movement' in support of the United Nations- a grassroots buttress to the government-led endeavour to prevent a repeat of the ruinous conflict from which the world had just emerged.
Today, UNA-UK remains a people's movement, with a base of supporters throughout the UK who campaign - through volunteer-run local branches, through energetic university societies and through our ever-proliferating network of young professionals - for a strong, credible and effective UN at the centre of an international system governed by multilateralism and the rule of law.
 Complementing UNA-UK's strong grassroots foundation is our standing in the UK as the country's leading independent policy authority on the UN. All of our policy output - briefings, reports, articles, etc. - is tailored to equip our supporters to be informed and lucid advocates for the UN and to flag up the best avenues for action - whether that be by writing a letter to a member of Parliament, rebutting spurious coverage of the UN through local media channels, or lending support to worthy initiatives of like-minded NGOs.
UNA-UK's policy expertise is enhanced by an advisory panel comprised of the UK's foremost experts on the UN. In addition to producing specialist reports and briefings, UNA-UK regularly convenes seminars and conferences with a view to stimulating high-level debate on the UN and providing a forum for exchange for policy experts and government decision-makers.
Promoting consistent and constructive UK government input to the UN is an overall objective. To this end, UNA-UK collaborates regularly with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and other relevant departments of state, and is active in Parliament to improve understanding of the UN among MPs and Peers, and so to foster more informed, more rigorous democratic scrutiny of British foreign policy.
Our activities are organised into four policy areas, which broadly mirror the chief strands of the UN's work: 1) sustainable development; 2) peace and security; 3) human rights and humanitarian action; and 4) the institutional reform of the UN. The indivisibility and interdependence of these strands-the central leitmotif in former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report In Larger Freedom-are implied across the gamut of what we do: a prominent and topical example is UNA-UK's position that, without concerted and far-reaching action to combat climate change at the local, national and international levels, we have little chance of making a reality of any of the UN's goals, let alone the Millennium Development Goals.
 The debate is over: climate change is already making its mark in invidious ways, stoking tensions in Darfur through drought and deforestation, for instance. So what is UNA-UK doing about it?
As with all of our campaigns, our strategy on climate change depends on our supporters. In 2008 UNA-UK will hit the road with a series of climate change conferences around the country. These events will have a dual focus. The first will be to showcase the UN's role within the fight against climate change and to highlight the need for an effective post-2012 multilateral framework which brings on board not only the US, but also other recalcitrant countries such as Australia, as well as rapidly growing emitters like China. The second, and arguably more important, focus will be on what individuals can do themselves to lessen their drag on climate sustainability.
A second core feature of UNA-UK's work on climate change is its membership of 'Stop Climate Chaos'. This is a broad and diverse coalition of the UK's leading sustainable development NGOs which wields its collective influence to push the government to take significant steps at home and abroad to keep global warming under control. In fact, the UK government recently took such a step, and Stop Climate Chaos can legitimately take some credit for it. On 13 March the government published a draft climate change bill, which if passed will commit the government to legally binding cuts in carbon emissions, set up a national carbon 'budget', and establish an independent monitoring body. To date, no other country has such an ambitious system in place.
Forming another element in UNA-UK's work on climate change is our counter-offensive on the war on science - a politically- and financially-motivated campaign trying (and, because of its now patent mendacity, failing) to discredit the science behind climate change and undermine the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
LOOKING OUTWARD AND FORWARD
Like all UN Associations, UNA-UK is by definition a national organisation; but because of our internationalist focus we place great store in our relationships with sister UNAs. Many of our branches are twinned with counterparts in other countries, and some fundraise directly for projects led by developing country UNAs. UNA-UK will continue over the coming year to seek out innovative and concrete ways of collaborating with partner UNAs and, with them, help to shore up support around the world for a strengthened and more representative United Nations, equipped not only to fulfil the post-World War II expectations of its founders, but also to meet the complex and evolving challenges thrown up by the world of today.
A snapshot of recent and ongoing UNA-UK achievements and activities
-
Major public commemoration of the UN's sixtieth anniversary with a speech by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
-
High-level events featuring senior UN officials, including speeches by then Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor and by Edward Mortimer, former Director of Communications and Chief Speechwriter in the Secretary-General's office
-
Joint initiatives with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), including an expert roundtable on the UN human rights treaty bodies and a private lunch for the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
-
Creation of the UNA-UK Young Professionals Network, which spearheaded a seminar series on 'Business and the MDGs' and is a key partner of UNHCR in London in marking World Refugee Day
-
Parliamentary meetings on UN issues, eg. one with UK Ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones-Parry and another featuring Colin Keating, current Executive Director of Security Council report
-
UN Anti-Corruption Day event in Sheffield hosted in partnership with Transparency International UK
-
Major public conferences, in Cardiff and Edinburgh, on the NPT and the UK's role in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament
-
Collaborative event with international law firm Clifford Chance LLP to host a speech by Professor John Ruggie, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, with responses from Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan and Confederation of British Industry Director-General Richard Lambert
-
Meetings with the British Foreign Secretary about key items on the UN's agenda, as well as UNA-UK staff briefings of the Shadow Foreign Affairs Team on UN policy
-
Ongoing lobbying of the UK government on various issues, including its decision to terminate an investigation of possible corruption in a BAE Systems deal with Saudi Arabia; its strategy towards the Darfur crisis; and its support for the Oslo process aiming to establish an international treaty banning cluster munitions
-
The UNA-UK Executive Director's co-editorship of Oxford University Press's flagship reference volume on the UN, The Oxford Handbook on the UN, featuring a foreword by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and being launched in New York in June by his deputy, Asha-Rose Migiro, and in London in July at the FCO
| 
