Issue No. 72 - June 2007
In this issue:
Message from Dr. Hans Blix, President of the World Federation of UN Associations
 "WFUNA and its friends have a role to play. We seek especially to mobilize young people around the world - through seminars, discussions on our websites, and model UN sessions. Our members are neither green, red, nor any other color. They have no other preconceived ideas except that the UN must be made to work well and develop". Dr. Hans Blix at 7 May Luncheon
Dr. Blix has been awarded the 2007 Sydney Peace Prize, which he will be receiving in Sydney on 7 November 2007. The jury was unanimous in the decision to give the award to Dr. Blix, who notified the Security Council in March 2003 that no evidence of weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. For full article: click here>>
Dear Readers of UN Connections,
We are delighted to announce that UN Connections has undergone some exciting new changes!
Starting with this issue, each edition of the newsletter will bring a message from our President, Dr. Hans Blix and explore a specific topic from a diversity of perspectives. This month, in light of World Environment Day on 5 June, we are looking at climate change.
Some of our new features include "People at the UN". In this issue we profile Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, special envoy for climate change.
We would like to thank all of our readers who look to our newsletter each month for information about the UN, UN Associations, and civil society. We appreciate the supportive and constructive comments that we often receive from you. We hope you will welcome the new features and look of UN Connections.
Fruzsina Molnar
Editor
Who's Who at the UN
The General Assembly elected Srgjan Kerim of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the President of its upcoming sixty-second session in September.
Robert F. Benson, a Canadian lawyer with experience in governmental ethics has been appointed the Director of the United Nations Ethics Office.
Swiss physicist Konrad Osterwalder was named Rector of the United Nations University.
Film star Drew Barrymore was named as the most recent UN Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger.
American journalist Michael R. Meyer, who previously worked in supporting UN activities in Kosovo was named Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's Director of Communications and Speechwriting.
United Nations staffer and foreign policy adviser Michael Williams of the United Kingdom was appointed Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
Francis Deng, the director of Sudan efforts at the United States Institute for Peace has been named Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities.
What's Happening at the UN
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
14 May - 1 June, New York
Committee on the Rights of the Child
21 May - 8 June, New York
Human Rights Council - fifth session
11-18 June, Geneva
ECOSOC High Level Segment
2-5 July, Geneva
Global Compact Leaders Summit
5-6 July, Geneva
Seventh Global Forum on Reinventing Government
26 - 29 June, Vienna
Overview on Climate Change
Since the release in February of the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/, which clearly demonstrated the link between human activity and global warming, the climate change debate has moved to the top of the political agenda. In mid April, the Security Council considered the issue of climate change for the first time. While the UK Foreign Minister asserted that the threat from climate change has grown and its impact goes far beyond the environment "to the very heart of the security agenda", developing country leaders protested that the Security Council was not the proper forum for this issue, which they considered belonged in the General Assembly.
On 2 May, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of three Special Envoys on Climate Change: Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway; Han Seung-soo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; and Ricardo Lagos Escobar, former President of Chile. The envoys will be working with governments at the highest level to explore the level of interest in the UN convening a climate change summit in the context of the General Assembly this year.
Indicative of the difficulty of finding consensus on climate change, this year's session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) failed to reach agreement on the adoption of a proposed resolution. Instead it ended with a "Chairman's Summary" - to read the document, click here >>
The theme of this year's World Environment Day - Melting Ice: A Hot Topic? - highlighted the impact that climate change is having in all regions, not just at the poles. In his statement on this occasion, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the, world needs "new thinking and a new inclusiveness" to tackle the perils of climate change, and called for urgent global action that takes into account the needs of the world's least affluent countries.
UN Perspectives: Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, "Politics, Medicine, and the Environment"
Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, a special envoy on climate change told the UN Commission on Sustainable Development: "We survive together, rich and poor countries, we need to build a new regime, we may fail but failing is not an option!"
Mrs. Brundtland has a longstanding history with the United Nations. Her first experiences with the UN System were when her father, a medical doctor and a prominent member of the nation's Labour Party, accepted a position in Egypt as a UN expert on rehabilitation. As in her father's career, politics, the UN, and medicine were always primary pursuits for Mrs. Brundtland.
For Full Article click here>>
World Environment Day: Launch of Partnership "Our Footprints, Our Future"
The World Federation of UN Associations hosted a major event at UN Headquarters on World Environment Day (5 June) to launch a partnership with the International Education and Research Network (iEARN) and Channel 13 on a global youth project to reduce greenhouse gases called Our Footprints, Our Future ( OF2). Through (OF2), young people around the world will use on-line tools to measure their current carbon footprint and develop strategies for reducing their carbon usage. The goal is for one million students in over 100 countries to join together with their families, their schools, and their communities to reduce the total global carbon footprint. WFUNA-Youth has endorsed this project and will be facilitating the participation of UN Youth Associations around the world.
To symbolize the idea of a carbon footprint, simple white basketball shoes, painted by school children, were placed along the public installation piece "Uniting Painting" by famed artist Ranan Lurie that runs across the outdoor area of the UN. This event was officially sponsored by the UN Environment Program and the UN Office of Sport for Development and Peace.
UNA Activities on Climate Change
Featured UNA of the Month: UNA-UK project on climate change:
 "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."
To read the full article about UNA-UK and its activities on climate change, and in general, please click here>>
UNA-Finland workshop at DPI/NGO conference
Having made climate change one of their main areas of focus this year, UNA-Finland, will be hosting a workshop at the September DPI/NGO conference in New York. UNA-Finland will tackle climate justice, civil society and developing country participation in the global climate policy process, from the point of view of marginalized voices. It will introduce the International Polar Year program and seek to build a global coalition on climate crisis in order to enhance North-South dialogue.
NGOs on the Move
By Stephanie Aigner
 Over the last few years there has been a profusion of new NGOs dedicated to raising public awareness of environmental issues and campaigning for change.
Some are concentrating their efforts on mass mobilization, such as the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, which has launched the I Count campaign. Their website records the total number of supporters at www.icount.org.uk. To be "counted" within the campaign and become part of the coalition you can visit www.stopclimatechaos.org or www.icount.org/uk.
Through the unifying power of music, the global Live Earth concerts on 7 July 2007 will benefit The Alliance for Climate Protection, a new organization devoted to educating the public on the climate crisis and how we can solve it. Live Earth will stage concerts in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Sydney and in the United States. www.liveearth.org
Three climate-friendly projects were short-listed for the prestigious UNEP Sasakawa Prize announced on the occasion of World Environment Day on 5 June. They include:
" Jeunesse Park, Chief Executive Officer of Food and Trees for Africa who has pioneered and catalyzed urban forestry in South Africa as a way to food security and local action on climate change.
" Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, a Bangladeshi NGO that is boosting rural incomes by spreading environmental education and renewable energies via the use of flat-bottomed boats and solar power on Bangladesh's river system.
" Omana T.K, founder of the Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement has brought climate-friendly rice production, rainwater harvesting and biogas power to tens of thousands of villagers in rural India.
The award ceremony for the USD 200,000 UNEP Sasakawa Prize will take place at the Museum of Natural History on 1 November 2007 in New York.
For more, visit: www.unep.org/sasakawa
Book Recommendation: "Global Environmental Governance: Perspectives on the Current Debate" by the Center for UN Reform Education
 "In less than fifteen years, the response of the international community to the challenges of environment and sustainable development included four international summits, four ministerial conferences, three international conventions, two protocols, and a new financial entity - the Global Environment Facility …But in spite of the high-powered gatherings, agreements and commitments... Global environmental trends continue to be negative and the promise of significant financial resources to address the challenges of environment and development has not materialized. There are many reasons for such lack of progress, key among them is a weak and fragmented international environmental governance...The international system is complex, fraught with duplication, and lacks coordination." Mohamed El-Ashry, pages 7-8
This book aims to make a contribution to the understanding of the current system of global environmental governance, its strengths and weaknesses, and the options and opportunities to achieve much needed reform. The articles are contributed by various authors, including experts who have been directly involved in current reform initiatives at the UN such as the Environmental section of the High Level Panel on System-wide Coherence.
The entire book is downloadable here >>
Film Recommendation on Climate Change: Arctic Tale
USA, 2007, 96 Minutes, English
 From National Geographic Films, the producers of March of the Penguins, and the Paramount Vantage, the studio that made An Inconvenient Truth, Arctic Tale is an epic adventure that explores the vast world of the Great North. The film follows the walrus, Seela, and the polar bear, Nanu, on their journey from birth to adolescence to maturity and parenthood in the frozen Arctic wilderness. Once a perpetual winter wonderland of snow and ice, the walrus and the polar bear are losing their beautiful icebound world in the Arctic, as it melts from underneath them. Arctic Tale will be released internationally in August 2007. www.paramountvantage.com/arctic/
UN Partnerships in Action: The Three Tiers
What Nuclear Capabilities do States Have?
The Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) closed its 2007 session on 11 May in Vienna. A summary of the outcomes of the Prep Com can be read in the NGO-published News In Review:
www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/NIR2007/final.html
Created by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1999, the Reaching Critical Will project has recently published the Model Nuclear Inventory. This is a comprehensive database of all nuclear materials, both military and civilian, in the 44 States recognized as having a significant nuclear capability. Reaching Critical Will closely follows the disarmament efforts at the UN, and is a partner with the Department for Disarmament Affairs. The Inventory:
www.reachingcriticalwill.org/about/pubs/Inventory07.html
Albania launches One UN Pilot Initiative
May marked the launch of the One UN Pilot Program Albania, one of eight countries selected to lead a new global effort on UN reform. The ONE UN Program seeks to improve the efficiency of UN agencies working in countries in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment by increasing collaboration and coherence on the ground.
http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2007/may/albania-one-un-20070514.en
 Civil Society Development Forum
From 28-30 June, CONGO will be hosting a civil society forum on the MDGs, focusing on this year's theme of poverty, hunger and pro-poor growth. The forum precedes ECOSOC's Annual Ministerial Review on the MDGs, and will increase inclusiveness and mobilize NGOs and partners to contribute to the implementation of the international development agenda.
www.ngocongo.org/index.php?what=resources&id=10377&start=4
2006 Annual OHCHR Report
On May 25, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released its 2006 Annual Report, providing a detailed account of the increasing range and impact of its human rights work around the world. The office of the Secretariat has been substantially expanded and now includes a civil society unit.
www.ohchr.org/english/press/media.htm
Human Rights Council
The fifth session of the Human Rights Council meets from 11-18 June and is expected to take decisions on the institutional arrangements for the Council, including with respect to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism.
WFUNA Highlights
 Luncheon in Honor of Ban Ki-moon
A luncheon was held by the Friends of the World Federation in the UN Secretary General's honor in New York on 7 May 2007. Ban Ki-moon addressed a gathering of friends and supporters of the United Nations. In his statement, he appreciated the role of the World Federation of UN Associations and spoke about the value of the UN's engagement with civil society. He paid tribute to Mr. Arthur Ross, Honorary President of the Friends of WFUNA, and to Dr. Hans Blix who spoke at the event. For more information go to: www.wfuna.org
Human Rights Council Seminar
In cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Federation is hosting its annual seminar in Geneva. This year's theme is: "Human Rights for 'We the Peoples': What should we expect from the UN Human Rights Council?". For more:
www.wfuna.org/what/humanrights/index.cfm
The 193rd Executive Committee meeting will be held in Beijing China, from 2-3 September2007.
 In May, Dr. Hans Blix met at the UN with the Permanent Representatives of the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States to discuss partnership with the World Federation. The discussion was hosted by Anwal K. Chowdhury, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. The gathered representatives were very interested in pursuing the establishment of UNAs in their countries.,
New UNAs in progress:
o Togo and Cote d'Ivoire: groups of academics and professionals in both countries are in the final stages of completing their application. They are working together with existing UNAs in the region, and want to make the MDGs their first priority. Dr. Coulibaly Drissa will be the President of UNA-Cote d'Ivoire, and M. Georges T. Amegnikpo will be the President of UNA-Togo. Both applicants have had their first Preparatory Committee meetings and have drafted Constitutions and Programs of Work.
o A UNA is being formed in the United Arab Emirates.
On 12 May, the UNA-Singapore held a seminar for youth on the theme "The United Nations and ASEAN - Partnership for Security and Development in the Asia-Pacific Region". Essays on a variety of related topics were presented by students from 18 different institutions, and workshops were held to discuss themes such as the UN's role in keeping peace in Asia, and the situation of refugees in South Asia.
 Dr. Yvonne Donders was elected Chair of UNA-Netherlands on 10 May by the General Assembly. Dr. Donders is Deputy Director of the Amsterdam Center for International Law at the Faculty of Law of the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Previously she worked as Programme Specialist on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Division of Human Rights and Struggle against Discrimination of UNESCO's Secretariat in Paris.
At the end of May, UNA-Cuba organized a series of events to commemorate the 6oth anniversary of the adoption of their constitution and the establishment of the UNA.
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. For details, go to: www.wfuna.org/what/education/upcoming_model_un_events/mun_americas.cfm
The 2nd WFUNA Africa Regional Model UN Conference hosted by the UN Youth Association of Kenya, in collaboration with the UNAs of Uganda and Tanzania will be held from 19- 23 November 2007. More information about this conference will be available soon.
 WFUNA-Youth and UNA-Spain co-sponsored a Capacity Building Workshop for MDG Project Management in Barcelona from 6 - 7 May 2007. The workshop brought together 11 youth from different UNAs around the world. Through a series of discussions and exercises, the participants were introduced to methods and techniques that aimed to maximize their capacity to successfully carry out MDG projects. Putting the skills gained to use, the participants will implement their projects within 3 months after the workshop. The first edition of a UNYA Project-Handbook will be produced and made available to all UNYAs and UNA Youth Sections.
Millennium Project Highlights
UNIDO invited the Millennium Project's director to participate in an Expert Group Meeting: "Future of Technology Foresight" May 29-30 in Vienna to review UNIDO's foresight program and make recommendations for improvements. Among the improvements that Jerome C. Glenn suggested was a system of futures information that would interlink each UN agency's future-oriented or strategy unit and national governments' futures strategy units with the Office of the UN SG so that the UN could have a more coherent long-range strategy development system that could inform current policy options.
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