Foun Newsletter 3

volume I, #1 NEWSLETTER

September 2009

F R IENDS

WMD - WE MUST DISARM

OF THE UN

FOUN Supports Secretary General’s WMD Campaign

Friends of the UN answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum

If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever. Rusudan. Grigolia

As its contribution to this effort FOUN has created a poster series designed to energize the Campaign and mobilize various publics. FOUN is also urging members

WMD

of the NGO communities to

Secretary General’s Message Marks the 100-Day

develop innovative and creative

Countdown to the International Day of Peace.

ways to generate support.

WE MUST DISARM Friends of the UN answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever. So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009.

WeMustDisarm! posters are made by us as we want to strongly support WMDWeMustDisarm Campaign.

“This alarming outlook is counterbalanced by a new momentum on the

part of world leaders to address the issue of nuclear weapons. The United States and the Russian Federation have signalled a new commitment to cut their nuclear arsenals. Furthermore, the Conference on Disarmament, which includes all States with nuclear arms, has recently broken a decadelong deadlock and agreed to work to resolve some of the key issues related to disarmament and non-proliferation.

WMD - WE MUST DISARM

Friends of the UN answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum

If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever. So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009.

Rusudan. Grigolia

6 August – The 64th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima serves not only as a reminder of the destruction wrought by nuclear weapons, but also as a time to renew the global commitment to rid the world of this deadly scourge.

We must build on this momentum. To that end, I am launching the WMDWeMustDisarm! Campaign. Over the next 100 days, the United Nations and our partners around the world will work to raise awareness of the true costs and dangers of nuclear weapons. Between now and 21 September, we will issue 100 reasons to disarm, via Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, email, text message, radio and from friend-to-friend. Celebrities will also help us spread the message. And finally, as we observe the International Day of Peace with world leaders gathered in New York for the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, I will proclaim one strong, simple message: We Must Disarm!”

September 2009

WE M US T D I S AR M ( WM D) UN LA UN CH “Against Nuclear Arms” Exhibit at the United Nations “Hope of Hiroshima and Nagasaki” highlights the destruction caused by the atomic bombs, the recovery process and survivors’ renderings.  It also includes a presentation of the work of HICARE, the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the RadiationExposed, established after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to promote international cooperation. The “Untold Story” of Semipalatinsk Polygon” recounts the untold story of nuclear tests in the vast steppes of central Kazakhstan. The exibit reflects the medical, social and environmental consequences on population, flora and fauna of the region; and the plight of victims scarred from more than four decades of nuclear tests and Kazakhstan’s 1992 commitments to become free of nuclear weapons.

This exhibition is presented by the United Nations Permanent Missions of Japan and Kazakhstan, as part of ongoing efforts for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, and in view of next year’s Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

For information on the exhibit, please contact Jane Conrad, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, at +1 212 5211565, e-mail: [email protected]; and Gauhar Abdygaliyeva, Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, at +1 212 230 1900 ext. 14, e-mail: [email protected].

A joint exhibition entitled “Against Nuclear Arms” opened with a ceremony and reception on Monday, 10 August in the Main Gallery of the Visitors Lobby.  It was on display until 30 September. Composed in two sections, the exhibition portrayed the destruction and terrible damage caused by the A-bomb explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and decades of nuclear arms testing in the heart of Kazakhstan.  Its goal was to deepen public understanding of the devastating consequences of the use of nuclear weapons and to advance the international movement to abolish nuclear weapons.

September 2009

NEWSLETTER

ME SS A G E FR O M T H E P R E S ID E NT A Word of Welcome: An Appeal for Cooperation The Friends of the United Nations (FOUN) is pleased to welcome readers to this the first of its quarterly newsletters. Through this medium FOUN, will follow major trends and analyze critical issues facing the United Nations. It will also invite readers to take part in a ongoing conversation on the most effective ways that civil society might support the work of the organization and become more fully engaged in the search for effective and sustainable solutions. The 64th General Assembly will provide ample opportunities to test this approach, as well as to deepen the public’s understanding and appreciation of what is actually at GA 64. Our sense is that GA 64 is likely to be a the “Climate Change Session” whereby a new sense of urgency could be generated as more people take personal responsibility for climate stewardship and better management of the world’s climate system. And the indicators are clear. Early in the Session the Secretary General will convene his Climate Summit thereby asserting UN leadership and encouraging governments at the highest level to keep this issue in the mainstream. This follows his call for a Global Climate Week and millions of online climate signatures during the 100 Day countdown for the Copenhagen Summit in December. In the meantime, UNEP has launched a number of initiatives to engage youth in the global climate argument and to empower them to take action to protect their climate future. Disarmament is likely to receive a new impetus during the Session fueled by the WeMustDisarm-WMD Campaign launched by the Secretary General in June of this year. If WMD is to be more than a slogan it should be featured prominently during the arms control and disarmament deliberations during the Session. If one seems encouraged, if not optimistic, it is because there is something in the popular mood that this planet is worth saving and that the UN must be continuously energized to play its part.

Friends of the United Nations New Address The Friends of the UN is pleased to report that it has now relocated to the heart of the UN district. FOUN is now an official resident at: 866 UN Plaza, Room 544, NY NY 10017 where it is always open house. From its new location, FOUN plans to work closely with its many friends and with the NGO Community in order to more actively support the work of the United Nations.

In any event it’s too late for pessimism!

Tel: 212 533 4192 Dr. Noel Brown President & CEO, Friends of the United Nations

E-mail:[email protected] www.fotun.org

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192

NEWSLETTER

September 2009

UNIT ED NATI ONS NEW S UN Climate Chief says China Poised to Lead UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. climate chief says China is poised to join the European Union in claiming "front-runner" status among nations battling climate change. Yvo de Boer told The Associated Press that China is leaping ahead of the United States with domestic plans for more energy efficiency, renewable sources of power, cuts in vehicle pollution and closures of dirty plants. Chinese President Hu Jintao will announce new plans to fight global warming at a U.N. summit on climate change on Tuesday. De Boer said he also was encouraged by Japan's new goal of a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The EU has promised to cut its emissions by 20 percent by 2020, but will cut up to 30 percent if other rich countries follow suit. Check back soon for further information.

UN 101 A Reader for Beginners

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED 1 2 3

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international

UN 101 A Reader for Beginners

4

law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS 1 2

to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, Prepared by Robert Standard & Rusudan Grigolia

UN is a large and complex organization in the service of humanity. As part of its educational mission, the Friends of the UN has prepared “A UN for Beginners” designed to introduce the organization to various publics worldwide and to assist readers to better understand and more fully appreciate this great human legacy with all its potential and promise.

64th President of the General Assembly H.E. Ali Treki

Friends of the UN welcomes 64th President of the General Assembly H.E. Ali Treki. He officially won the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly for the 2009-2010 session. “I’m very proud that Africa has chosen me to represent them,” Treki said. “We are really part of this continent and we are very keen to help in building the continent.”

New General Assembly President Calls for Strengthening of 192-Member Body 18 September 2009 – The new General Assembly President, Ali Treki of Libya, today reiterated his call for the revitalization of the 192member body, saying its decisions should be respected. At present only the decisions of the 15-member Security Council are binding. “The majority of countries are in favor asserting the authority of the General Assembly, which represents the world as a whole,” he told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. Dr. Treki made a similar call for UN reform when he opened the Assembly’s 64th session on Tuesday, and he reiterated today the need to enlarge the Security Council to give it greater world representation. Asked about his priorities, Dr. Treki cited a long list, beginning with the strengthening of international peace and security, disarmament, human rights, the environment, and climate change. He also included combating extreme poverty; infectious diseases such as AIDS; achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to slash a host of social ills by 2015; the economic, financial, food and energy crises; and the question of Palestine. In addition, Dr. Treki called for greater investment in Africa, which he described as “a very rich continent. It doesn’t need really money, men and help but it needs investment.”

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192

September 2009

CL IM AT E C H A N GE CAMPAIGN

FOUN Welcomes Youth Involvement in UN “Seal the Deal” Campaign 100 Days: UN Calls for Signatures for Action on Climate Change

Daejeon (Republic of Korea), 20 August 2009 - Young people from around the globe today called on world leaders to take radical measures against climate change.

NAIROBI, 28 August – The United Nations is calling for millions of online signatures for a climate petition and is launching the first-ever Global Climate Week as part of its Seal the Deal! campaign, 100 days ahead of a crucial UN climate change summit in Copenhagen (COP15) in December.

In a statement, the young delegates -

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is leading the call for communities around the world to take advantage of Global Climate Week from 21 to 25 September to encourage leaders to seal a fair, balanced and effective agreement on climate change.

doing enough to combat climate change",

"Time is running out. Scientists warn that climate impacts are accelerating. Now more than ever, we need political leadership at the highest level to ensure we protect people and the planet, and to catalyze the green growth that can power the 21st century economy”, the UN Secretary-General stressed.

representing three billion of the world's population - expressed their "concern and frustration that their governments are not adding that "we now need more actions and less talking". The declaration was finalized and adopted by the young participants at the Tunza Children and Youth Conference in Daejeon (Republic of Korea), as part of the global UN-wide 'Seal the Deal!' campaign spearheaded by UN

“Efforts made today to combat climate change are one of the smartest possible investments we can make in our future. We need to show our support for green stimulus packages and a fair deal in Copenhagen which will determine the path of the global economy and the well-being of hundreds of millions of people throughout the 21st century,” said Mr. Ban.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to galvanize

See: www.sealthedeal2009.org

decision.

political will and public support for a comprehensive global climate agreement. "It is very important to include the voice of children and youth in every environmental

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192

September 2009

G L O BA L WATE R IN ITIATIVE Friends of the United Nations Collaborate on Global Water Initiative FOUN is exploring ways to promote the sustainable use and management of the planet’s increasingly stressed water resource systems. In its new initiative on global water security strategies for sustainable solutions FOUN, is in consultation with a number of groups whose innovative and state of the art technology shows great promise. Water Crisis:

see:www.bestpractices.org Friends of the United Nations

Global Water Initiative New Water Technologies will Save the World

This searchable database contains over 3,800 proven solutions from more than 140 countries to the common social, economic and environmental problems of an urbanizing world.

It demonstrates the practical ways in which public, private and civil society sectors are working together to improve governance, eradicate poverty, provide access to shelter, land and basic services, protect the environment and support economic development.

Every day, thousands of people die from lack of access to clean water. The safe water issue is intimately linked to hygiene education and proper sanitation, which is why we take an integrated approach to bringing safe water to the world’s poor.The facts: 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease, 43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhea, 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14. 98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world. 884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people. The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

Global Peace Film Festival FOTUN is part of the Global Peace Film Festival which was established to utilize the power of the motion picture to further the goal of peace on earth. With a mission to expand the definition of peace beyond anti-war, ideology, activism or specific causes, the Global Peace Film Festival films and events suggest a more personal message as reflected in the daily lives of individuals and communities the world. The GPFF presents films from around the world and global discussions that highlight the power of this extraordinary medium as it relates to new peace issues. See films from around the world, attend educational panels, meet filmmakers and special guests and hear from local activists about their work. And get involved!

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192

September 2009

WAV E S O F C H A N GE CAMPAIGN FOUN Becomes Partner with the Global Oceans Campaign

young people, which will animate and motivate people about the need to learn about the four critical issues facing the oceans. 1. Ocean Pollution: Marine Waste & Litter

A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT OUR OCEANS

Yard Sale...start This Saturday a ripple, make a wave... 1234 Main Street

2. Ecosystem Restoration 3. Marine Food Security 4. Climate Change and Ocean Acidification FOUN has joined forces with the International Oceans Institute for the protection of Marine Environment and the promotion of the sustainable use of its resources. The Waves of Change Campaign is an initiative of the International Oceans Institute (IOI) for the protection of the marine environment and the sustainable use of its resources. The five-year global campaign is focused on raising the public awareness and advocacy on ocean-related sustainability issues in order to empower governments to establish sound ocean governance policies. Research reveals that only 32% of U.S. adults grasp basic environmental concepts. Even fewer understand more complex issues such as ecosystem decline, loss of biodiversity, non-point source pollution and watershed degradation. The central theme for the Waves of Change campaign is Global Ocean Literacy. Improving the ocean literacy of the pubic will significantly increase the possibility of change in attitude and behavior, which will then contribute to the protection and preservation of the world’s oceans and seas. Over the next five years, the campaign will educate and inspire the consumer public, especially

The four issues will be addressed through a series of strategies including education, advocacy, events, alliances, and marketing. Over the past six months, several programs have been staged as to begin the campaign efforts. Two successful U.S.-based pilot programs in coastal cities were produced to create Blue City project models for the future for other IOI operational centers Effective communications are key to the success of the campaign. Creative use of the full range of new media platforms will help spread the word on ocean literacy. Additionally, high profile personalities from all sectors of society will be identified as Ocean Champions to communicate and advocate ocean literacy in the pubic global arena. Marketing is an essential too to support the campaign with targeted programs and activities in selected affinity groups and communities. Marketing and communications will work in tandem to ensure that the five-year campaign maximizes its reach and influence.

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192

WMD - WE MUST DISARM

Friends of the UN answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum

If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever. So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009. Rusudan. Grigolia