UNA West Triangle

March Lunch and Learn with Professor Hwansoo Kim

2012-03-02T10:27:00.002-08:00

Passing the Baton
Lunch and Learn to Discuss North Korea on March 28

Kim Jong-un’s accession as North Korea's supreme leader, following the unexpected death of his father, Kim Jong-il, has highlighted the world’s most secretive and dangerous nation. Known for its ruthless determination in the pursuit of nuclear power, this mysterious throwback to the Cold War has been considered a security threat by all nations for over seven decades.

Duke University Professor Hwansoo Kim will discuss the complex and dangerous implications of North Korea's policies and nuclear programs for global peace at our Lunch and Learn meeting on March 28. Reservations can be made by $18 check payable to “UNAWTC” sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill 27517 (or for our Carolina Meadows members, left at Jody Hite's office) by March 23. http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm

Annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Middle School MUN Conference to be held next Friday

2012-03-02T10:12:00.002-08:00

120 students from four CHCC Middle Schools will participate in the third CHCCS Middle School Model UN Conference next Friday, March 9 at Smith Middle School. Students, as members of the UN Security Council, will negotiate, draft, and vote on resolutions to solve the current conflict in Syria.

This is many students' first time attending a Model UN conference, and the UNA West Triangle Chapter hopes that they will continue to take an interest in international relations and global issues.

More information on the conference and its organizers can be found at http://chccsmiddleschoolmun.pbworks.com/w/page/11897055/FrontPage. Pictures of the students in action during last year's conference can be seen on the Chapter's Facebook page.

Chapter President attended UNA-USA Members' Day at UN headquarters

2012-02-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

Gregory Flood, President of the West Triangle Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) joined more than 850 other UNA-USA members and guests for Members’ Day at the UN on February 16th in New York City. Attendees participated in a day of dynamic and informative discussion in one of the grandest settings, UN General Assembly Hall. Members’ Day participants included UNAUSA members, community leaders, academics and students, as well as representatives from think tanks and likeminded organizations, representing the largest gathering of United Nations advocates in America.

Members received exclusive access to the UN and its experts. A keynote address, “The UN in an Era of Global Instability,” was delivered by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. Participants also heard from Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) who talked about “The Importance of Strong U.S. Engagement at the UN.”

“This day gave our members a unique opportunity to attend special briefings on the most pressing issues on the UN agenda, full access to the UN and high-ranking officials, and an opportunity to network with others who share their passion for the UN,” said UNA-USA Executive Director Patrick Madden.

This year’s Members’ Day was held in conjunction with the UNA-USA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and featured panels on sustainable development, peacekeeping and the Security Council. The theme for this year’s conference was “The UN in American Foreign Policy.” Guest speakers shed light on the challenges and opportunities for the U.S. as part of the UN system.

More information on UNA-USA Members’ Day at the UN can be found at www.unausa.org/members-day-2012. UNA-USA is a program of the UN Foundation, furthering its mission to connect people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. Photos from the event can be seen on Flickr.

Will UNESCO survive without US funding?

2012-02-23T11:56:00.001-08:00

UNESCO Director General Explains Implications of US Funds Cutoff

(Pursuant to a long-standing requirement of US law, the annual U.S. contribution to UNESCO for 2011, amounting to $80 million (22 percent of the agency’s budget) was abruptly cut off by the Obama administration in November 2011 when UNESCO’s 203-member governing body accepted the Palestine Authority as a full member of the Agency. The cutoff had severe consequences for the Agency’s ability to carry out its work throughout the world, and elicited the following statement by its Director General, Irina Bokova. For further details about UNESCO’S work and the implications of the cutoff see www.unesco.org -ed)

Statement by the Director-General of UNESCO on Withholding of Funds by the United States

“In this time of economic crisis and social transformation, I believe that UNESCO’s vital work to promote global stability and democratic values is in America’s core interests.

“The United States is a critical partner in UNESCO’s work. The withholding of U.S. dues and other financial contributions - required by U.S. law - will weaken UNESCO’s effectiveness and undermine its ability to build free and open societies.

“U.S. funding helps UNESCO to develop and sustain free and competitive media in Iraq, Tunisia and Egypt. UNESCO literacy programmes in areas of conflict give people the critical thinking skills and confidence they need to fight violent extremism. To sustain the democratic spirit of the Arab Spring, UNESCO is training journalists to cover elections objectively.

“Across the world, we stand up for each journalist who is attacked or killed, because we are the UN agency with the mandate to protect freedom of expression. In Washington, earlier this year, I awarded the UNESCO Press Freedom Prize to an imprisoned Iranian journalist, Ahmad Zeidabadi.

“UNESCO is the only UN Agency with a mandate to promote Holocaust Education worldwide. Using funding provided by the United States and Israel, UNESCO is developing curricula to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten. Last February I led a historic visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp with more than 150 political and religious leaders, mostly from Arab and Muslim countries. I still recall the words of Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia, who said: “We must teach our young people in mosques, churches and synagogues what happened here.”

“With U.S. support we put science at the service of people. UNESCO is leading a global effort to expand an ocean-based tsunami warning system. This system saved tens of thousands of lives when a tsunami hit Japan. In the Middle East, UNESCO’s Sesame Programme enables world-class research and builds scientific and cultural bridges between neighbouring countries, including Israel and Egypt.

“The U.S. Government recognizes the value of all this work. To quote the State Department: U.S. engagement with UNESCO serves a wide range of our national interests on education, science, culture and communications issues…we will work with Congress to ensure that U.S. interests and influence are preserved.”

“UNESCO is encouraged that the United States will maintain its membership in the Organization and hopes that a resolution to the funding issue will ultimately be identified. Until that happens, it will be impossible for us to maintain our current level of activity.

“The announced withholding of U.S. dues owed for 2011 will immediately affect our ability to deliver programmes in critical areas: achieving universal education, supporting new democracies and fighting extremism. So I call on the U.S. administration, Congress and the American people to find a way forward and continue support for UNESCO in these turbulent times.

'Fragile States' Conference Update: New Consensus Emerges on R2P

2012-02-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

The Stanley Foundation, who produced the 'Fragile States, Global Consequences' Video that the Chapter watched this past fall, has released a statement detailing developments on the Responsibility to Protect initiative.

"The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has evolved steadily since its first articulation by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty in 2001 and its political adoption at the 2005 World Summit. Recent global events—both ongoing and unanticipated—have drawn mass atrocity threats into even sharper focus, mobilized novel approaches, and raised important questions about how political commitment should be translated into concrete policies that prevent and halt atrocity violence.

On January 18, 2012, the Stanley Foundation, in partnership with the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the MacArthur Foundation, convened figures critical to the historical and contemporary evolution of the Responsibility to Protect to assess the current state of the principle and consider the evolving global dynamics that will frame, drive, and challenge policy development in the years ahead.

The event’s more than 200 participants included United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; members of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty; key international, regional, and national officials; academic and policy experts; civil society figures; and journalists."

You can read more about R2P and the conference mentioned in the statement at the R2P: The Next Decade website.

Lunch and Learn

2012-02-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

Lunch and Learn to Discuss Somalia’s Impact on African and Global Security

Lacking exploitable resources, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest countries. Without an effective government, its people depend on warring clans for security. Moreover, its location in the Horn of Africa has led to its emergence as a base for maritime piracy. In short, Somalia is both a failed state and a threat to international security. UNC Professor Bereket Selassie, a leading scholar on African law and government will discuss Somalia at our Lunch & Learn meeting (noon-2pm) on February 22 at Carolina Meadows. Reservations may be made by $18 check to "UNAWTC" sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, by February 17.

http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

2012-01-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

Today is the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The UN has planned several events in honor of the victims this week, including a memorial ceremony, a video screening, and a concert series. The theme of this year's events is Children and the Holocaust.

Learn more at: http://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2012/calendar2012.html

International Telecommunications Union

2012-01-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

by Gregory Flood, President, West Triangle Chapter

This is part seven of a series addressing the work of each of the Specialized Agencies within the United Nations system and the relationships among them. Earlier articles in this series dealt with some of the larger agencies (FAO, UNESCO and WHO) and two of the smaller ones (WIPO and IMO). In this article, we look at another of the smaller agencies, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

In functioning in the highly interconnected world in which we live today, it is important to recall that it wasn’t always like this. In the early 1800s when telegraph systems were first introduced, every nation had its own, and they were not linked to each other. Indeed, they were not even necessarily compatible. In order to send a message from one country to another, the telegraph company had to transcribe it onto paper, ensure that it was carried to the receiving country and then re-transmitted by that country’s system.

In order to address such issues, the International Telegraph Union (ITU) was founded in Paris in 1865, thus making it, today, the oldest international organization in the UN family. With the subsequent introduction of new technologies such as telephony, wireless telegraphy, voice radio, television and satellite communications, its mandate expanded. In the course of expanding to meet its mandate to coordinate this increasingly complex world of communications, the agency took its present name in 1934, and became a UN Specialized Agency following the establishment of the United Nations.

Founded on the principle of cooperation between governments (Member States), the private sector and academia, the agency is the global forum through which the many parties involved in the global information and communications technology sector - from digital broadcasting to the Internet to mobile technologies to 3D TV - work toward achieving consensus on a wide range of issues affecting the sector’s future direction, developing technical standards that ensure tha telecommunications networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and working to improve access by developing and underserved communities and nations worldwide to them.

Its membership includes 193 governments, some 700 private sector entities (a cross-section of the telecommunications and information technology industry, from the world's largest manufacturers and carriers to small, innovative new players) and academic institutions working in the telecommunications field.

Headed by a Secretary-General based in Geneva, Switzerland, the 750 people working for the organization are international civil servants, who come from countries all over the world and work at its headquarters and twelve regional and area offices spread across the world.The agency’s policies are set by its “Plenipotentiary Conference,” consisting of its 193 member nations.

January Lunch and Learn

2012-01-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

Lunch and Learn to Take Up “The Arab Spring: Uprisings, Revolutions, and Wars” at January Meeting

A revolutionary phenomenon whose implications are still playing out, the “Arab Spring” is changing the face of Middle East politics. It began a year ago in Tunisia with a young fruit vendor in Tunisia setting himself on fire to protest a slap in the face by a low-level government functionary seeking a bribe, and swept like wildfire through Egypt and more than a half-dozen other Middle East countries, toppling three government heads along the way.

The implications of the upheaval are many and varied, but one sure result will be the need for the political systems and governments of the affected countries to be redesigned according to the new conditions that will evolve in each country - a process that has already begun. Our January Lunch and Learn speaker, Professor Andrew Reynolds, Chair of UNC’s Department of Global Studies, is already involved in helping affected governments to sort out their responses. Professor Reynolds is a foremost expert on democratization, constitutional design and electoral politics whose research and teaching focus on democratization, constitutional design and electoral politics. When he’s not teaching at UNC, he serves as a consultant for the United Nations, the UK Department for International Development, the US State Department and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), assisting governments - some 25 to date in Africa, Asia, the Middle East (including Egypt and Libya) and Latin America - to address these issues. Widely published in eight languages, he’s written many books and articles in these fields and is currently working on a book on the Arab Spring.

Professor Reynolds will be speaking to us on the subject “The Arab Spring: Uprisings, Revolutions, and Wars” at our Lunch & Learn meeting (Noon-2PM) on January 25 at Carolina Meadows. Reservations may be made by $18 check to “UNAWTC” and sent to Warren Glick 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill 27517 by January 20. Forms can be found at http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm

US Pulls Support from UNESCO

2011-12-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

On November 1, the United States halted funding to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) following the organization’s vote to admit Palestine to its membership. This is the result of decades-old laws automatically prohibiting the payment of US dues to any UN body that recognizes a Palestinian state.

US funding of UNESCO comprises 22 percent ($60 million) of the agency’s annual budget. Thus its loss seriously inhibits its ability to function. Many people know UNESCO for its role in protecting world cultural heritage sites, but it also works (in fact its primary mission) to promote education and science as vehicles for building peace and social progress.

Unfortunately, US cuts in funding to the UN may not stop here. The Palestinians originally declared their intention to seek membership in three other UN organizations - the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). However, the United States and other governments (primarily European) have been exerting strong pressure on them to suspend their drive in this regard because of fears that it could interfere with the (presently stalled) initiative to bring the Palestinians and Israel together for direct peace talks.

However, there are no guaranties and the Palestinians have reserved the right to continue their applications for membership in other United Nations organizations. It is uncertain, if they do apply, what the response of the governments comprising them will be, although history has shown it would be unwise to bet against them, at least in the long run.

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Iliana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the Republican Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is continuing her efforts to effectively defund the United Nations by pushing legislation that would require US funds given to the organization to be switched to voluntary contributions rather than obligatory assessments, as historically been the case with contributions made by all governments. This would have the practical effect of balkanizing the UN’s activities by allowing governments to choose which UN programs they would like to support, thereby pitting programs against each other in an unworkable managerial structure that would only weaken United States influence in the organization, and eventually the UN’s effectiveness. Her efforts would also be contrary to the results of an October 2011 poll which found that 86% percent of voters want the US to take an active role within the UN, over 66% believe that the UN plays an important role in world governance, and 64% support payment of the United States’ UN dues in full and on time.

December Lunch and Learn

2011-12-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

“Fragile States, Global Consequences” Topic of Next Lunch and Learn

For over a century the balance of power among the world’s strongest nations was the dominant issue in discussions of global security. Many of today’s post-World War II U.S. policies, and international institutions like the U.N., were created to deal with conflicts between them.

But today fragile states such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bosnia, East Timor, and Haiti, are emerging as the most serious threat to global security. These countries straddle the thin line between survival and chaos, suffering from weak governments, internal conflict, ethnic conflict, poverty and sometimes all of these. Fragile states’ weaknesses often permit extremist groups to thrive within their borders, create breeding grounds for disease pandemics, stimulate mass migrations, and offer safe havens for terrorists, drugs or arms traders, and for human traffickers.

In October, the West Triangle Chapter hosted a conference at UNC to consider the challenges posed by these states. Now, on Wednesday, December 14th, in an innovative interactive session using a DVD presentation, West Triangle Chapter members will have the opportunity at our special Lunch and Learn meeting to learn about these challenges and consider what they mean to us and the larger global community. The session aims to encourage discussion of ways to promote stronger nations and deal more effectively with those that are already on the brink of failure. We encourage you to come prepared to discuss the following questions:

- Do you believe that fragile states are a greater global threat than traditional super powers today?

- Can you think of any countries besides those named above, that might currently be called a fragile state?

- Should the United States ever intervene directly in a fragile state or should it always act in concert with other countries or as a part of the United Nations?

The meeting will be held at the usual time and place - Carolina Meadows from Noon-2:00 pm. However, PLEASE NOTE: The December meeting will be a week earlier than usual to allow ample time for members wishing to do so to spend the holidays with their families.

Reservations should be sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 by December 9th along with a check for $18 made out to “UNAUSA West Triangle Chapter”

KNOW YOUR UN - World Health Organization

2011-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

by Gregory Flood, Vice President, West Triangle Chapter

This is part six of a series that will address the work of each of the Specialized Agencies within the United Nations system and the relationships among them. Earlier articles in this series dealt with two of the larger agencies (FAO and UNESCO) and two of the smaller ones (WIPO and IMO). In this article, we return to the larger agencies with a look at the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It was established on 7 April 1948 to further international cooperation in improving health conditions and to promote “the highest possible level of health” by all peoples. Within this broad mandate, it inherited specific tasks relating to epidemic control, quarantine measures, and drug standardization from the League of Nations Health Organization (set up in 1923) and the International Office of Public Health (established in Paris in 1909).

Its principal governing body is the World Health Assembly, which meets annually in May. As the general policy-making body, the Assembly considers the financial policies of the Organization and reviews and approves the proposed program budget (currently approximately $1 billion). The Assembly also elects the Executive Board, consisting of thirty-four health specialists who serve for three-year terms. The main functions of the Board are to carry out the decisions and policies of the Assembly, to advise it and to facilitate its work in general.

The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, consists of approximately 8,000 experts, staff, and field workers, located at headquarters, six regional offices and 147 country offices around the world. The director-general leads the work of the Secretariat and is nominated by the Board and appointed by the Assembly. The organization is financed primarily from annual assessed contributions made by member governments on the basis of relative ability to pay.

The work program of WHO is set out in a six-point agenda, as follows:

Promoting health and socioeconomic development;
Defending against outbreaks of disease through improving health security;
Reducing poverty by strengthening health services;
Generating health information that can be disseminated to the public;
Collaborating and encouraging partnerships between international, nonprofit, and privately run organizations; and
Reforming and improving the Organization's own performance and that of its associated branches and centers.

Within this framework, WHO has established international sanitary regulations to standardize quarantine measures without overly interfering with trade and air travel. WHO also keeps member countries informed of developments in cancer research, drug development and disease prevention. WHO sponsors measures for disease control through vaccination programs, the use of antibiotics and insecticides and early diagnosis and prevention. These campaigns have had some success against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and a variety of other diseases. In May 1980 smallpox was globally eradicated, a feat due largely to the efforts of WHO.

The Organization has, however, been criticized for shortcomings in its handling of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, including a failure to communicate uncertainties about the new virus as it swept around the globe. Critics have said the WHO created panic about the swine flu virus, which turned out to be moderate in its effect, and caused governments to stockpile vaccines which went unused. Some questioned its links to the pharmaceutical industry after large drug companies profited from producing H1N1 vaccine. The agency has conceded that its six-phase system for declaring a pandemic had sown confusion about the flu bug, which was ultimately not as deadly as the widely feared avian influenza.

Going forward into the 21st century, WHO recognizes that health is a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care and collective defense against transnational threats.

November Lunch and Learn

2011-11-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

Lunch and Learn to Hear About Eleanor Roosevelt and the UN
Meeting on November 16

Eleanor Roosevelt’s relationship with the United Nations was momentous for the world. Appointed by President Harry Truman as a delegate to the UN General Assembly, she led the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the “founding document” of the modern human rights movement. President Truman called her the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her achievements.

William Leuchtenberg, emeritus professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill, internationally renowned scholar of the life and career of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and award-winning author of more than a dozen books on 20th century history, will speak to our Lunch and Learn meeting about “Eleanor Roosevelt and the UN” on Wednesday, November 16, Noon-2:00pm, at Carolina Meadows retirement community. Reservations by sending an $18 check made to “UNAUSA West Triangle Chapter” to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517.

Please Note: The November meeting will be a week earlier than usual to allow ample time for members wishing to do so to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their families.

UN Dispatch

2011-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is the third installment of a series that looks at the campaigns and initiatives of the UN Foundation, UNA-USA's new parent organization.

UN dispatch is a blog that was launched in 2005 to bring discussions about America's involvement with the UN to an online audience. Blog content has included live reporting from the UN and guest posts from UN officials and staff. It also offers for a forum for readers to engage in discussions of their own about the UN. You can read the current and past blog entries at http://www.undispatch.com/.

The Better World Campaign

2011-09-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is the second installment of a series that looks at the campaigns and initiatives of the UN Foundation, UNA-USA's new parent organization.

The Better World Campaign works to build a stronger relationship between the United States and the UN by connecting people — from everyday Americans to policy makers — with the important work of the UN, similar to the mission of UNA-USA. Its past campaigns have built support for:

Repayment of $926 million in U.S. debt to the UN, under the Helms-Biden agreement. The last of three payments was made by the U.S. in September 2002.
Repayment of $721 million more in U.S. peacekeeping debt to the UN in 2009; this payment erased all arrears accumulated during the decade.
U.S. participation in the Human Rights Council in 2009 and U.S. re-entry into the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 2003.
Constructive U.S. engagement in UN reform from 2005-10, which led to the creation of the Democracy Fund, Peacebuilding Commission, Ethics Office, Human Rights Council, and UN Women, improvements in UN management, and the development of the Global Field Support Strategy.
Almost $100 million in 2010 additional funding for the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) so that peacekeepers could continue providing security and securing the delivery of humanitarian assistance after the devastating earthquake.

This year the BWC will encourage greater support for UN peacekeeping operations and the UN’s work in places such as Haiti and Sudan, active engagement in the Human Rights Council, commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, ratification of key UN agreements, and the adoption of reforms, like the implementation of the Global Field Support Strategy in peacekeeping, so the UN can better address the global challenges of the 21st century. BWC urges concerned citizens to reach out to to UN peacekeepers and thank them for their service, ask their Congressmen and Congresswomen to support a strong US-UN relationship, and get involved with other programs of UN Foundation, including the new Girl Up initiative.

Website:

http://www.betterworldcampaign.org/

25x'25

2011-09-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is the first installment of a series that looks at the campaigns and initiatives of the UN Foundation, UNA-USA's new parent organization.

25x'25 is a renewable energy initiative backed by organizations and individuals united by a common interest in making America’s energy future more secure, affordable and environmentally sustainable. Its vision is for America to get 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources such as wind, solar and biofuels by the year 2025. Millions of new jobs could be created over the next 15 years by pursuing the 25x’25 clean energy goal.

A group of volunteer farm leaders first envisioned the goal of 25x'25, and it quickly gained the support of a broad cross-section of the agriculture and forestry communities. Now leaders from business, labor, conservation and religious groups are joining this alliance as well. The UN Foundation provides financial and strategic support to the campaign.

Special Projects:

Carbon: This special Work Group was chartered in 2008 to analyze agriculture and forestry’s role in a reduced carbon economy and develop recommendations for how each sector can capitalize on efforts to reduce and capture carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Wood-to-Energy: In 2010 and 2011, the 25x25 Alliance and the Federal Interagency Woody Biomass Working Group convened a Wood-to-Energy Workgroup, consisting of representatives from landowner groups, professional forestry organizations, environmental organizations, traditional forest industries, emerging renewable energy industries, and academia. Through a series of forums, they explored four topics vital to the future of biomass energy in America: wood demand and supply, sustainability of forest resources, carbon and climate change, and related policies.

Website:http://www.25x25.org/

Membership Drive

2011-09-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 28 IS BRING A GUEST TO LUNCH & LEARN DAY. We hope every member will bring a guest and introduce them to our members. Our board has also agreed to try a plan providing more incentives to our members to recruit new members: for each new member recruited, the recruiter is entitled to a FREE LUNCH.

We look forward to seeing you and meeting your guest at the L&L.

Fragile States, Global Consequences Conference 10/4/2011

2011-09-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

October 4^th 2011 Conference on Fragile States, Global Consequences

Sponsored by the West Triangle Chapter of the United Nations Association, the Curriculum in Peace War and Defense at UNC-CH, the Curriculum in Global Studies at UNC-CH, the Triangle Institute for Security Studies, The Center for Global Initiatives at UNC, the UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies, and the student United Nations Organization at UNC-CH.

For over a century the balance of power among the world's strongest nations was the dominant issue in discussions of global security. Many of today's policies and international institutions were created to deal with conflicts between the major powers.

But today fragile states, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bosnia, East Timor, and Haiti, are emerging as the most serious threat to global security. These countries straddle the thin line between survival and chaos, suffering from weak governments, internal conflict, ethnic conflict, poverty and sometimes all of these. Fragile states' weaknesses often permit extremist groups to thrive within their borders, create breeding grounds for disease pandemics, stimulate mass migrations, and offer safe havens for drugs or arms traders and for human traffickers.

This Conference will examine the global challenge of fragile states. It aims to encourage discussion of ways to promote stronger nations and deal more effectively with those that are already on the brink of failure.

Location: The FedEx Global Education Center, UNC-CH, 301 Pittsboro Street. Free parking after 5:30 pm in the underground garage.

Schedule: 5:30 - 6:00 pm Reception with light refreshments in the FedEx Global Education Center's atrium lobby

6:00 - 6:45 pm Welcome and video, Fragile States, Global Consequences, produced by the Stanley Foundation. In the Global Education Center's Mandela Auditorium
6:45 - 7:00 pm Discussion groups formed and led by leaders to breakout rooms in the Global Education Center

7:00 - 7:30 pm Group discussions of the video, based on Discussion Guide questions.

7:30 - 7:45 pm Discussion groups re-assemble in Auditorium

7:45 - 8:00 pm Discussion groups share their thoughts, facilitated by Robert M. Jenkins, Ph.D. Director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies, UNC-CH.

Pre-Register and Download a copy of the Discussion Guide to bring with you, at:

http://sanford.duke.edu/centers/tiss/FragileStates.php

Contact: Charles S. Green, III, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Education Outreach Committee

West Triangle Chapter, United Nations Association

cgreen17@nc.rr.com 919-545-0941

September Lunch and Learn on MDGs and Environment

2011-09-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Promulgated in 2000 at an extraordinary meeting of the UN General Assembly, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are, collectively, a global development strategy that guides all governments, the United Nations and non-governmental development agencies’ efforts to combat global poverty and hunger. Its eight goals - reducing income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion — while promoting gender equality, health, education and environmental sustainability, aim at lifting the world’s poorest people from abject poverty. While some progress has been made, much remains to be done by the Goals’ target date of 2015.

Professor Norm Christensen, founding Dean, and research professor, at Duke University’s Nichols School of the Environment, will discuss "Meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in a Changing Environment" at our Lunch and Learn meeting on Wednesday, September 28, from Noon-2PM at the Carolina Meadows retirement community in Chapel Hill. Reservations should be made by $18 check to UNAUSA West Triangle Chapter and sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, by September 23. Details www.una-westtriangle.org.

Upcoming Events

2011-08-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Please mark your calendar and join the West Triangle Chapter for the below events this fall and winter.

September 28: Lunch and Learn with Professor Norm Christensen of Duke University
Details

October 4: "Fragile States, Global Consequences" Conference
Details

October 26: Lunch and Learn with Ms. Mihn-Thu Pham, Director of Public Policy at the United Nations Foundation

November 12: miniMUNCH conference

November 16: Lunch and Learn with Professor William Leuchtenberg of UNC

December 14: Lunch and Learn with Congressman David Price

We look forward to seeing you at these events!

Know Your UN: World Intellectual Property Association

2011-08-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

By Gregory Flood, Vice President, West Triangle Chapter

This article will deal with one of the smaller and lesser-known agencies, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Intellectual property refers to those creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized. Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain rights to intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works or discoveries, inventions and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents and industrial designs.

It has long been recognized that the protection of intellectual property is necessary to provide economic incentives for innovation and creativity in the marketplace. Although the legal principles governing intellectual property have evolved over centuries, it was only in the 19th century that international cooperation in this field began with the creation of the “Paris Union” (International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, 1883) and the “Berne Union” (International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, 1886). The origins of WIPO can be traced to its predecessor, the United International Bureau for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI), which grew out of the merger of these Unions in 1893 to administer the Paris and Berne Conventions.

WIPO was established by a convention signed in Stockholm in 1967 that came into force in 1970. It became a specialized agency of the United Nations in December 1974. The Agreement between the United Nations and the World Intellectual Property Organization states that WIPO is responsible: “for promoting creative intellectual activity and for facilitating the transfer of technology related to industrial property to the developing countries in order to accelerate economic, social and cultural development…”

WIPO currently has 184 member states and administers 24 international treaties. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Unlike other UN agencies, WIPO has significant financial resources independent of the contributions from its member states. Over 90% of WIPO’s income from the collection of fees under the intellectual property application and registration systems that it administers.

Much of the important work at WIPO is done through committees that deal with patents, copyrights, enforcement, access to genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore and patent cooperation.. WIPO usually attempts to reach decisions by consensus, but in any vote, each member state is entitled to one vote, regardless of population or contribution to the funding.

Differing views among its member states on the international aspects of intellectual property have led to significant disputes within WIPO. During the 1960s and 1970s, developing nations were able to block expansions to intellectual property treaties, such as universal pharmaceutical patents, which might have occurred through WIPO.

In the 1980s, this led the United States and other developed countries to “forum-shift” intellectual property standard-setting out of WIPO and into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (which later became the World Trade Organization (WTO)) where the developed countries had greater control of the agenda.

More recently, in October 2004, WIPO adopted a “Proposal for the Establishment of a Development Agenda for WIPO” offered by Brazil and Argentina. This signaled a concerted effort by a group of developing countries to resist the worldwide push for patent protection that, they argued, was burdensome to them. They were against the harmonization of intellectual property laws that lead to higher protection standards in all countries, irrespective of their levels of development. They called instead for the integration of a “development dimension” into policymaking on intellectual property protection, saying assessments should be done on a case-by-case basis.

The question of the role of international intellectual property rights protection in ensuring creativity and innovation, while promoting economic development in all countries continues to be debated in WIPO, WTO and elsewhere.

Online Article about West Triangle Chapter Contest

2011-07-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Check out the article in Raleigh's News and Observer Online Edition about UNA West Triangle Chapter's annual High School Contest and this year's winner, David McDonogh!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/05/1320955/project-wins-un-contest-honors.html

Blog to Resume in August

2011-05-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Posts to this blog will resume in August 2011. In the meantime, you can read about the West Triangle Chapter's activities in the May edition of the newsletter at http://www.una-westtriangle.org/newsletter.htm.

Thank you for following us this past year!

UN a Key Player in the Middle East

2011-04-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

By Simone Lewis, West Triangle Chapter Editorial Intern

The Middle East is experiencing yet another tumultuous time. The entire world watches in angst to see the next big news break. With so much uncertainty about how it all will end up, naturally, we’re all looking for a supra organization to save the day. While the UN may not be able to wave a magic wand, it is almost always the one turned to by the world to help relieve the pressure in that much troubled region. Most prominent has been the politico/peacekeeping work of the UN Security Council in the Israeli-Arab confrontation over Palestine, and now the UN’s effort to protect the Libyan people against reprisals from their leader, Col. Muammar Qaddhafi.

But a great deal of the UN’s work in the Middle East is carried out in well tried UN fashion, out of the limelight in the economic sphere, by the network of United Nations specialized socio-economic agencies. For example, UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) is the main provider of basic services such as education, health, relief and social services, to 4.8 million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

On a similar note, the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees), which protects and assists the voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country of displaced peoples in the area, has been assisting some 320,000 refugees fleeing the Libyan fighting, with emergency aid by airlifting tons of aid, including tents for thousands of people at the borders and items such as kitchen sets, blankets, sleeping mats, jerry cans and tarpaulins. It has also set up a transit camp for 20,000 people near the Libya-Tunisia border at the request of the Tunisian government.

Other United Nations agencies - the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and a bevy of others - work towards establishing a sustainable quality of life for people (as they do throughout the world) through helping to establish democracy, reduce poverty, and recover from crises, natural and manmade. The Middle East is a place where the UN’s efforts are ever present and particularly in times of uncertainty and crisis such as now, make an especially meaningful impact to the lives of millions.

CHCCS MUN Middle School Conference

2011-04-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

The second annual CHCCS Model United Nations Middle School Conference, organized by the UNC School of Education, the UNA West Triangle Chapter, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District, will take place this Friday at Smith Middle School and the Carolina Center for Educational Excellence. The conference will start with an opening ceremony at 9am in the auditorium of Smith Middle School. Afterwards, 90 students from Culbreth, McDougle, and Smith Middle Schools researching and debating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in three Security Councils. Officers from local high school Model UN will be chairing the committees and direct students toward drafting and negotiating resolutions on Israeli settlements or the status of Jerusalem.

More information about the conference can be found at http://chccsmiddleschoolmun.pbworks.com.

Lunch and Learn to Hear About Guantanamo Terror Trials

2011-04-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

In a highly controversial decision that will have long term implications for America’s politics, judicial system and foreign relations, President Obama has decided that the fate of the 170 detainees still awaiting trial in Guantanamo Bay should be determined by military tribunals. Scott Silliman, Professor of the Practice of Law and Executive Director of Duke University’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, will discuss military tribunals versus civilian trials in the war on terror. An expert on military law and national security law, Professor Silliman, a former Judge Advocate General for the air force, is a frequent commentator on CNN, National Public Radio, and other national radio and television news programs on these issues.

As usual, our meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 27, Noon to 2PM, at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill. Reservations should be made by $18 check to UNAUSA West Triangle Chapter and sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 by April 22.

Reservation forms can be found at http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm.

Congratulations to this year's High School UN Contest winners!

2011-03-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

The U.N. Contest for High School Students, in its seventh year, is designed to encourage students to learn more about the U.N. by creating original projects which pertain to the U.N.’s mission. The winners this year are:

David McDonogh , Junior, East Chapel Hill High School. $750 1st place award for “Timor East and West.” The judging committee was very impressed with his mastery of the complex history of the conflicts in East Timor. His well-thought-out PowerPoint presentation on that history included realistic and carefully considered proposals for U.N.-based solutions. David won last year’s second place award.

Kathy Dai, Freshman, East Chapel Hill High School. $500 2nd place award for “U.N. Leadership Roles in Humanitarian Aid.” The judging committee was impressed with her analysis of how important the coordination of aid is. Her PowerPoint presentation on that issue included her proposal for U.N.-based solutions.

Joe Baker, Parker Edwards, and Adam Glasser, Seniors, Carrboro High School. $250 3rd place award for “U.N. Aid for Indonesia.” The members of the judging committee were impressed by the team’s creativity in writing a multi-verse song about the issue and with their concern for improving the aid process in general.

Maryam Ali, Freshman, East Chapel Hill High School. Honorable Mention for “Violence Against Women.” The Contest judges were impressed with the background Ms. Ali acquired about the various causes of the problem, with her detailed and colorful PowerPoint presentation, and with the imaginative publicity brochure she prepared.

Yuyi Li, Sophomore, East Chapel Hill High School. Honorable Mention for “Blood Diamonds.” Judges were impressed with the background she acquired about various aspects of the topic and with her delightful PowerPoint presentation.

Rachel Hainline, Senior, East Chapel Hill High School. Honorable Mention for “Poverty Reduction.” Ms. Hainline demonstrated considerable knowledge about the topic and her PowerPoint presentation included an interesting proposal for using U.N.-supervised clinics to reduce poverty. Ms. Hainline and various colleagues won awards in our 2009 and 2010.
These students will summarize their projects before the Chapter’s membership at the April 27th Lunch and Learn. At that time they will receive their cash awards, certificates of achievement and a U.N. lapel pin. Their full projects will be on display at our web site, www.una-westtriangle.com, starting in early May.

This is one of the many wonderful outreach and awareness events held by the Education Outreach Committee. If you would like to support this Committee’s work, please check off “Education Outreach” on the Lunch and Learn Registration form and send your donation in together with your Lunch fee. Suggestions? Please contact us at cgreen17@nc.rr.com.

Know Your UN - UNESCO

2011-03-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

by Gregory Flood, Vice President, West Triangle Chapter

The diversity inherent in UNESCO’s mission to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information makes it perhaps the most complex and difficult of the UN Specialized Agencies to understand. The organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities and a number of overarching objectives:

- Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning;

- Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development;

- Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges;

- Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace; and

- Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication.

This complexity arises in part through the process by which UNESCO came into being. In 1942, the allied European governments met in the United Kingdom for the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME). Although World War II was not yet over, these countries sought ways to reconstruct their education systems once peace had been restored.

At the proposal of CAME, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization was convened in London in November 1945. There, the representatives of forty-four countries decided to create an organization that would embody a genuine culture of peace and establish the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind”.

In the same month, the Constitution of UNESCO was signed, and came into force a year later after ratification by twenty countries. Author Archibald MacLeish, the first American member of UNESCO's governing board, wrote the preamble to the Constitution, which opens with: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”

UNESCO's governing bodies consist of a General Conference, composed of member states and the Executive Board. The General Conference, composed of the representatives of all member states of the Organization, determines the policies and the main lines of work of the Organization and sets the budget of UNESCO. It also elects the fifty-eight members of the Executive Board and appoints, every four years, the Director-General. The Board oversees UNESCO’s management. As in all UN agencies, the choice of countries to sit on it reflects the diversity of the cultures and their geographical origin.

UNESCO’s Secretariat, headquartered in Paris, consists of the Director-General and the agency’s staff. As of mid-2009, the Secretariat employed around 2,000 international civil servants from some 170 countries. More than 700 of them work in UNESCO's field offices around the world.

The relationship between UNESCO and the United States has been a troubled one that has reflected the diversity of cultures and political streams with which all UN agencies must contend to carry out their missions. For example, during the 1970s and 1980s, UNESCO supported a “New World Information and Communication Order” (calling for democratization of the media and more egalitarian access to information). Championed by developing and then-communist countries as a way to attack the West, it was condemned by the United States and its allies as an attempt to curb freedom of the press. In addition, the Organization was widely considered to have been grossly mismanaged by its then-Director-General, Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow. As a result, in an unprecedented move, in 1984, the United States withheld its contributions and withdrew from the Organization in protest.

Subsequently, UNESCO implemented a range of significant reform measures over the following ten years, streamlining its organization and reducing its staff. As a result, in 2002, then-President Bush announced the United States’ intentions to rejoin the Organization, stating: “As a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the United States will return to UNESCO. This organization has been reformed and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights and tolerance and learning.” The United States formally resumed its participation in UNESCO in October 2003.

(For more information on UNESCO see www.UNESCO.org)

History and Mission of the UNA-USA

2011-03-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

-(taken from http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=311)

UNA-USA's History

The American Association for the United Nations, UNA-USA's predecessor organization, grew from the League of Nations Association in 1943. A group of prominent citizens, including the first executive director, Clark M. Eichelberger, activated the association to promote acceptance of the Dumbarton Oaks proposals in the late years of World War II,. Among the association's early actions was a national tour by a number of US representatives to spread the word and gain support for American adherence to the Dumbarton proposals, which led to the creation of the UN.

When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a member of the association’s board of directors, completed her term as a US representative to the UN General Assembly in late 1951, she walked into the association’s offices and asked for something to do. Her offer was gratefully accepted, and in early 1953, she established an office at the association’s headquarters.

This was the quiet beginning of a major campaign in which Mrs. Roosevelt carried the message of the American Association for the United Nations across the country through personal appearances, recruitment speeches and fund-raising efforts that continued until her death in November 1962. She was elected chairwoman of the board in 1961.

In 1964, the association merged with the US Committee for the United Nations, a group of 138 national organizations supporting the work of the UN, thereby creating the United Nations Association of the United States of America. Since then, several distinguished Americans have served in positions of leadership at UNA-USA. These include Arthur J. Goldberg, former Justice of the US Supreme Court and US permanent representative to the United Nations; James S. McDonnell, former chairman of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation; Elliot L. Richardson, former US attorney general and US representative to the Law of the Sea Conference; William Scranton, former governor of Pennsylvania and US permanent representative to the United Nations; Cyrus Vance, former secretary of state; and John C. Whitehead, former deputy secretary of state.

In 1999, the Business Council for the United Nations joined UNA-USA as a division. Founded in 1958 with the blessing of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskj?ld, BCUN worked to build support for the UN among business leaders and employers of major US corporations, enjoying the early support of such leaders as former Secretary-General U Thant and US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman.

In 2010, UNA-USA formed a strategic alliance with the UN Foundation. Under the new alliance UNA-USA continued as a robust membership program of the UN Foundation. Together, UNA-USA and the UN Foundation are pooling their talents to increase public education and advocacy on the work of the UN. UNA- USA works closely with the UN Foundation's sister organization, the Better World Campaign, whose mission is also to strengthen the U.S.-UN relationship.

Our Mission

We are dedicated to educating, inspiring and mobilizing Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations, strengthening the United Nations system, promoting constructive United States leadership in that system and achieving the goals of the United Nations Charter.

The Better World Campaign

2011-02-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

The Better World Campaign is an advocacy group that is dedicated to a strong US-UN relationship. Its efforts to lobby payment of US dues and debts to the UN through the promotion of citizen action is supported by the UNA-USA. It also encourages US support for UN peacekeeping missions, engagement in the Human Rights Council, commitment to achieving Millennium Development goals, ratification of UN agreements, and adoption of UN reforms.

Currently, the Better World Campaign is encouraging US citizens to contact their Senators to preserve UN funding in its version of the Continuing Resolution that passed in the House last week to withhold UN funding for peacekeeping, security, and global health programs. If you would like to participate in this campaign measure, you can visit http://www.betterworldcampaign.org/news-room/web-articles/preserve-un-funding.html for more information.

Read More:

1. http://www.betterworldcampaign.org/

Remember to sign up for February's Lunch and Learn!

2011-02-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

Lunch and Learn to Discuss Germany’s Future

An economic powerhouse and internationally highly influential, Germany was elected by the General Assembly to be one of the Security Council’s non-permanent members for the period 2010-12. It also a long-time leader of the European Union leader, where its influence on European affairs is critically important, not only to the European nations, but to the relations of Europe with the rest of the world. But what does the future hold? Expert and scholar in modern German history, advisor to the German Federal government and the State government of Bavaria, and author of many books on German political and intellectual history UNC Exchange Professor from the Free University of Berlin Paul Nolte will discuss "Whither Germany? 20 years After Reunification: From Redemption to Unexpected Challenges"

We’ll meet on Wednesday, February 23 from Noon to 2PM at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill. Reservations by check for $18 to UNAUSA West Triangle Chapter, should be sent to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or deposited in Jodi Hite’s office at Carolina Meadows by Friday February 18.

UN Increases Its Focus on Women

2011-02-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

by Simone Lewis, West Triangle Chapter Editorial Intern

The welfare of women has always been a top priority for the United Nations. And now more than ever, women’s issues are gaining visibility and initiatives to improve women’s welfare are gaining momentum.

The UN has recognized the importance of women’s rights since the 1945 founding Charter where the UN declared its aim to encourage human rights without regard to gender. Then, in the 1970s, the international feminist movement began and so did the UN Decade for Women. In 1979, the General Assembly adopted an International Bill of Rights for Women. It was the first such document to affirm reproductive rights. It also defined and declared an end to discrimination. Then, in 1995, women’s rights were equated with human rights. And more recently, the Millennium 2000 Summit and subsequent Millennium Development Goals included specific provisions for women.

In the last couple of years, efforts to define and protect women’s rights have picked up in intensity. Security Council resolutions in 2008 and 2009 further clarified gender-related parameters on the international scene by calling on those involved in wars to take care to protect women from all forms of violence. UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, in 2008, also began a multi-year campaign called UNiTE to End Violence Against Women, which aims to do just that by unifying a host of UN bodies along with governments, civil society, young activists, and the private sector. Toward that end and by 2015, the Secretary General aims to increase awareness, collect data, and address sexual violence in conflict areas.

In February 2010, Margot Wallstrom of Sweden was appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence In Conflict, with the specific purpose of holding individuals accountable for gender injustices in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. She’s repeatedly renewed her commitment, along with the rest of the Special Representatives for Women, to end the malicious cycle of violence many women suffer.

Most recently, in 2010, former Chilean President Michele Bachelet was appointed to head a unified women’s body called the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, or “UN Women.” The new organization, which will oversee all the UN’s efforts to improve the welfare of women, just became active in January. It combines four previous organizations - the UN Development Fund for Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues, and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. Consolidated under Bachelet’s leadership, these former smaller bodies will, in their new incarnation, receive a generous boost in funding and efficiency that will make the UN more effective than ever at implementing gender-related initiatives.

We can all take the time to recognize the need for women’s rights and celebrate the strides that are being made each day. March 8, International Women’s Day, emerged from early 20th century labor movements, and we can also honor November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is recognized in the international community in remembrance of three sister activists in the Congo. Annual gender-themed days of celebration for the masses, combined with the UN’s concerted effort to increase women’s scope and visibility, should help to make the efforts of people like Ban Ki-Moon, Wallstrom, and Bachelet even more impactful.

Secretary General's Priorities for 2011

2011-01-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Last week Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced his priorities for the year:

1) inclusive and sustainable development
2) climate change, empowering women

The Secretary General focuses on this priority in the video below by detailing the "Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health", which focuses on advancing maternal and newborn health, ensuring access to safe abortion, and the importance of family planning and contraceptives.

3) promoting a more safe and secure world
4) advancing human rights and accountability
5) improving responses to major humanitarian crises
6) supporting nuclear disarmament & non-proliferation
7) undertaking UN reform

Video from http://www.unicwash.org/

Read More:

1) Turtle Bay
2) On sustainable development
3) Coffee Today

Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)

2011-01-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

by Gregory Flood, Vice President, West Triangle Chapter

There are more than one billion undernourished people in the world today. Among the causes of hunger are natural disasters, conflict, poverty, poor agricultural infrastructure and over-exploitation of the environment. Recently, financial and economic crises have pushed even more people into hunger. The very first of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations for the 21st century is halving the proportion of hungry people in the world.

Nevertheless, hunger has been slowly but steadily rising for the past decade. Ten million people die every year of hunger and hunger-related diseases. Rising food prices may push 100 million people deeper into poverty. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a major UN agency involved in efforts to enable countries to achieve long-term sustainable food security for all. At the heart of FAO's efforts is the aim to ensure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

FAO was established in October 1945 (one week before the United Nations itself) with an initial membership of 42 nations. Today, FAO has 192 member countries plus one member organization, the European Community. Its mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy.

FAO provides assistance that helps people and nations to increase crop yields through simple, sustainable tools and techniques. It provides legal advice to smooth the transition from state to private land ownership and to assist women farmers to establish credit cooperatives. In addition, FAO gathers agricultural statistics, promotes research and facilitates nations in establishing common food safety standards, agricultural priorities and food security goals.

It is an autonomous agency, i.e. its Director-General is responsible to its own governing body (the FAO Conference), not to the UN Secretary-General or the General Assembly. Every two years, representatives of all member states meet at the Conference to review work carried out and to approve a new budget. The Conference elects a smaller group of 49 member countries, known as the Council, to govern the Organization's activities between Conferences. The Conference also elects a Director-General to a six-year term.

FAO's overall program of work is funded by both assessed and voluntary contributions. The FAO regular budget for the 2010-2011 biennium is US$1.005 billion. As a condition of their membership in the Organization, member states are required to pay an apportioned share of this regular program budget. These assessed contributions are set by the Conference.

Members and other partners provide voluntary contributions to support technical and emergency assistance to governments, as well as FAO's core work. For example, it operates some 2,000 technical assistance projects providing advice to governments and training nationals of developing countries in all aspects of agriculture, land and water development, plant and animal production, forestry, fisheries and agricultural policy. Voluntary contributions are expected to reach approximately US$1.2 billion in 2010-2011.

FAO is composed of seven departments: Agriculture and Consumer Protection; Economic and Social Development; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; Corporate Services, Human Resources and Finance; Natural Resources Management and Environment and Technical Cooperation. It employs about 1,700 professional and 1,900 support staff. Approximately two-thirds are based at headquarters in Rome, Italy. The remaining staff members are deployed throughout the world in FAO’s decentralized offices. In all, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

In a complex world of competing needs, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. It provides the background knowledge needed to reach consensus among both developed and developing nations with differing priorities. Unfortunately, these disparate views among member nations have often led to deadlock and an inability to reach agreement on the specific activities that FAO should pursue and the funding level required to do so.

To address this problem, the FAO Conference agreed to carry out an Independent External Evaluation (IEE) of FAO. The IEE aimed at strengthening and improving FAO, taking into consideration its performance in conducting its mandate. The more than 300 recommendations of the IEE were endorsed by the Conference in November 2007. A comprehensive program of organizational reform and culture change began in 2008 and will continue through 2011.

Headquarters restructuring and delegation of decision-making have created a flatter, more responsive structure and reduced costs. Administrative and operational processes have been modernized and streamlined. Improved internal teamwork, closer external partnerships and greater autonomy of FAO's decentralized offices allow the Organization to respond more quickly where needs are greatest.

As FAO is primarily a knowledge-based organization, investing in human resources is also a top priority. Leadership, employee rotation and junior professional programs have been established. A staff performance management system, an ethics officer and an independent office of evaluation have been introduced to improve performance through learning and strengthened oversight.

Despite these efforts by the management and staff of FAO, it remains to be seen whether the member nations in the Organization’s governing bodies will be able to see past the parochial concerns that led to the IEE in the first place and come to an agreement on the future role and funding of FAO, moving forward into the 21st century.

The Midterm Election’s Potential Impact on US-UN Relations

2011-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

(the following is a synopsis of articles appearing on UNA-USA’s web site --ed.)

The mid-term election results will have significant repercussions for United States relations with the United Nations system going forward. While the Obama Administration will certainly continue to pursue its policy of active engagement in international organizations, a Republican-dominated House of Representatives will likely view the more than $2 billion annual appropriation of US assessed and voluntary contributions to the UN system and peacekeeping with a critical eye. It is not unreasonable to assume that continued funding of UN activities, whether in the areas of peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, or disaster relief, among so many others, will come under increased scrutiny and, ultimately, under attack.

In the Senate, a Democratic majority will be forced to find ways of accommodating the views of Republican members who, in recent years, have been able to postpone action on controversial issues before they can ever be voted on by the chamber. Finally, the election of House and Senate members affiliated with the "Tea Party" movement will inject a new variable into the debate over America's role in the world manifested by the movement's suspicion of international institutions that are seen to diminish American sovereignty.

For members and supporters of UNA-USA, it will be as important as ever for all of us to be able to articulate the case for active US engagement in the work of the United Nations both locally and nationally. We can count on the continued support of the Obama Administration, but it is clear that the Obama Administration will depend on us to make the case for sustained involvement in the UN in order to muster the necessary support on Capitol Hill to make our country’s continued involvement possible as well as to enhance it. In our new role as an integral member of the United Nations Foundation family, UNA-USA will be on the “front line” in the effort to inform and educate the public about America’s stake in an effective United Nations. Working in communities across the country and in the nation’s capital, UNA-USA will be called upon to play a prominent and visible role—as it has done on so many occasions in its history--in the coming national debate concerning our country’s role in the United Nations.

For a full analysis of the impact of the midterm elections on USA-UN relations, go to http://www.unausa.org/midterm

Responsibility to Protect

2010-12-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

By Amanda Conklin, WTC Outreach Intern

“Responsibility to Protect” (RtoP) is a new international security and human rights norm focused on addressing the international community’s failure to prevent and stop genocides, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity by building an international coalition of NGOs from around the world to strengthen consensus for the initiative. “RtoP” was first introduced in the 2001 report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which questioned the relevance of state sovereignty in the face of violations against humanity and international law within a country. In recent years, ongoing humanitarian disasters fostered more support in the UN for the initiative, and it was advanced in reports by both the former and current Secretary-Generals as well as included in the African Union Charter, giving the Union the right to intervene in a Member State during times of war crimes, genocides, and crimes against humanity. World leaders finally recognized the importance of this commitment at the 2005 World Summit, and the first debate on “RtoP” in the General Assembly took place in July 2009, during which many countries showed support for the norm, resulting in the adoption of a resolution to continue its consideration of “RtoP”.

Fueled by the lack of or late response to the 1990s genocides in Armenia, Bosnia and Rwanda, “RtoP” has focused its efforts on preventing further crisis in the areas of Burma, Darfur, DRC and Sri Lanka among others. The initiative believes that future humanitarian crimes can be reduced by 1) committing to “enhancing early-warning” systems, 2) implementing “national plans of actions on how to protect populations”, 3) strengthening collaborations in the prevention of mass atrocities, 4) providing “assistance for improving the capacity to protect mechanisms”, and 5) committing “to take timely and appropriate action” in situations where crimes and violations threaten to occur. However, stopping ongoing human rights violations could sometimes come at the cost of nullifying a state’s sovereignty by the use of international force without government permission. Critics are wary that the reasoning behind this last tenet could also be used to justify violations of the sovereignty of a number of developing countries who struggle with keeping all segments of their populations under the rule of law.

It will be difficult for the UN to decide which crises the initiative applies to and if a crisis is best served by simply putting pressure on the state, assisting the state in its administrative capacity, carrying out a multilateral intervention, or allowing another state to intervene unilaterally. Yet, it seems to be the consensus, after the genocides of the 1990s, that the direction provided by “RtoP” on how and when to intervene and under whose authority is better than waiting for the crisis to resolve itself.

Keeping Them Honest: UN Human Rights Council Rapporteurs

2010-12-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

By Simone Lewis, WTC Editorial Intern

The titles designating members of an exceptional group of United Nations officials are more illustrious and mysterious than descriptive: Special Representatives; Independent Experts; Special Rapporteurs. However, these unknown men and women form a network that is the foundation of the operation of one of the United Nations’ most critical bodies - the UN Human Rights Council.

These individuals work either independently or in small groups to address a variety of human rights infractions. Once a complaint is filed, their job is to investigate the allegations, but only in countries where they are welcome (a sometimes frustrating hallmark of United Nations functioning). The United Nations Human Rights Council sets the mandates they follow. They may be country mandates, which require examination, monitoring, and advising on human rights violations in specific territories, or thematic mandates which aim to address major phenomena worldwide. Once identified, Special Rapporteurs alert the appropriate governments, investigate the issue, help craft solutions, and raise awareness. Topics of interest include trafficking, torture, educational injustice, and right to food, to name a few.

While their positions are extremely vital to carrying out the United Nations’ goals and mission, it is an exclusive group. Currently, there are only 35 Special Rapporteurs, each appointed by the United Nations Secretary General and chosen for high moral character and expertise in human rights issues. They work independently of any government, since impartiality is key. They also work independently of any payroll – the experts are not financially compensated for their efforts, which often consist of one to three years of work. We should applaud these individuals for their passion and commitment to defending human rights in order to fight poverty.

Curious to find out what governs the behavior of UN Special Rapporteurs? The Manual that dictates their code of conduct is right online at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner’s website! Certainly we could all learn something from this critical group.

We will be posting articles from our newsletter over the holidays and will resume normal coverage of United Nations' events and happenings in January. Happy holidays and please enjoy!

Also, if you would like to be added to our distribution list, please email una.west.triangle@gmail.com.

SC Consultations on Myanmar

2010-12-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

The Security Council is holding special consultations on the status of Myanmar this afternoon. The country held their first elections in twenty years last month, but the conditions at the polls drew criticism from international leaders. The Council will be briefed by Vijay Nambiar, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Myanmar, who recently returned from an official visit to the country. His visit is hoped to pave the way for the UN to engage directly with all parties involved in last month's election to continue on the path of a transparent democratic transition, but pursuing progress on this issue after the briefing will be difficult with China and Russia strongly convinced the Myanmar issue is not important enough to warrant Security Council debate.

Read More:

Vijay Nambiar's visit:
http://www.unicwash.org/Media.aspx?date=2010-11-29#item653
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, pro-democratic opposition leader in Myanmar:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/daw_aung_san_suu_kyi/index.html

December's Lunch and Learn - Global Aging

2010-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

The number of people in the world is not only growing, but due to scientific and nutritional advances the population of all countries is aging. These trends are placing increasing demands on national resources and, as illuminated by the recent elections, government finances. Both trends hold the potential for national destabilization and international unrest as governments try to meet the demands of their populations. On the other hand, greater longevity can be a blessing and provide unprecedented opportunities. Through a variety of specialized agencies the United Nations is assisting governments to deal with the new socio-political paradigm resulting from aging populations globally.

Erdman (Pal) Palmore, Professor Emeritus at the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and President of the West Triangle UN Association, will discuss "Global Aging: Blessing or Curse?" at the chapter’s meeting on Wednesday, December 15.

The meeting will take place from Noon to 2:00PM at Carolina Meadows on Whippoorwill Lane in Chapel Hill. Reservations should be made by check for $18.00 to "UNA-USA West Triangle Chapter, sent to Warren Glick. 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill NC 27517 by Friday December 10.

UN Climate Change Conference

2010-11-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Starting tomorrow, the sixteenth Conference of Parties (COP) and 6th Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol will commence in Cancun, Mexico. Delegates will try hammer out a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012, as well as draft agreements on emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification. This year's conference is not expected to have such high profile leaders attend as last year's conference. However, keeping publicity and tensions low-key might lead to more progress than was made in Copenhagen last year.

In addition to greenhouse emissions, delegates are expected to address other environmental issues, such of deforestation and green technology transfer. These issues are also expected to have a greater consensus than a new global agreement to address global warming. Hopefully, small acts of cooperation will build ground for opposing countries to make bigger sacrifices for global progress.

Read More:

1. http://unfccc.int/2860.php

Focus on Haiti

2010-11-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, the recent developments in Haiti give us a lot to be thankful for. Statistics released today suggests that there are 50,000 cases of cholera in the country and spreading quickly. Despite the health crisis, national elections will be held this Sunday to determine the new government that will shape Haiti's fragile future and organize the continuing response to the cholera epidemic among other problems. Over sixty-six political parties are taking part in the elections, signaling the difficulty that the new government will face in forming a cohesive unit to form solutions to Haiti's problems and negotiate with international agency about response strategies. Despite these circumstances, Haitians citizens still have hope that their country will regroup and persevere.

Read More:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36853&Cr=haiti&Cr1=
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36836&Cr=haiti&Cr1=

UNF and UNA-USA Alliance

2010-11-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the United Nations Foundation and the United Nations Association of the United States announced the joining of their two organizations to strengthen and deepen American support for the work of the UN through public education and advocacy. This partnership will combine the 125 UNA-USA chapters with the UNF's advocacy network to educate both American leaders and ordinary citizens on issues that face our leaders in the United Nations.

Read more:

Press Release
Letter to Chapters

Opportunity for Advanced Study of the United Nations

2010-11-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

For several years, the UNA and Seton Hall University have organized a week long summer session open to graduate students and advanced undergraduate students from across the US to learn more about the political dynamics of the United Nations. Participants attend official sessions of the United Nations as well as briefings at UNA headquarters by UN officials, government representatives, and distinguished practitioners.

Housing is available, and students may receive a 3-hour credit from Seton Hall University upon completion of the coursework.

The deadline and costs for next year's program has not yet been announced, but stay tuned to http://www.shu.edu/academics/diplomacy/un-program.cfm for more information.

Upcoming G20 Summit

2010-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Leaders of the G20 countries will meet in the Republic of Korea next week on November 11-12. UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon has urged leaders to focus their efforts on creating a political environment for sustainable economic recovery and for future green economic growth. He also hopes that this Summit will see the same success of the year's earlier MDG Summit.

In preparation for the meeting, more than two dozen Asia-Pacific countries gathered in Bangkok at the end of October to coordinate the region's perspectives and goals going into the Summit. The region faces major economic gaps between countries and within countries and is looking forward to the topic of development being included on a G20 agenda for the first time.

Stay tuned for updates on the G20 Summit next week!

Further Reading:

1) Secretary-General urges G20 to focus on sustainable
2) Asia-Pacific countries confer on upcoming G20 Summit

Know Your UN

2010-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

republished from newsletter

by Gregory Flood, Vice President, West Triangle Chapter

Much of the media’s attention (and indeed much of the work of the United Nations Association of the USA) focuses on the international diplomatic activities of the UN (peacekeeping, international treaties, etc.). The United Nations (through its Secretariat) carries out this work under the auspices of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The UN’s programs, however, cover a significantly broader range of economic, social, humanitarian, and cultural issues. Much of this work is carried out by the Specialized Agencies of the UN. These agencies are not part of the United Nations itself. Rather, they are autonomous bodies, numbering 16 in all and based throughout the world, established by intergovernmental agreement, and having wide responsibilities spanning the economic and social spectrum, from agriculture to meteorology, finance, health, economics, etc.

The specialized agencies report annually to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), however, they control their own budgets and have their own Governing Bodies which appoint agency heads independently of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General. Accordingly, while they often cooperate with each other, they also have their own principles, goals and rules, which at times may conflict with those of other UN organs and agencies.

Major specialized agencies include the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Two of the most powerful specialized agencies, which also are the most independent with respect to UN decision-making, are the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The United Nations along with its specialized agencies is, therefore, rightly considered to be a “family of organizations”: the United Nations system.

Future articles in this series will address the work of each of the Specialized Agencies and the relationships among them.

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

2010-10-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

On this night sixty years ago, young supporters of the United Nation's Children's Fund rang the doorbells of Philadelphia homes asking for small change to help children in other countries instead of candy. This annual initiative has expanded into a million dollar fundraiser benefiting UNICEF's efforts to provide nutrition, medicine, and education to children in more than 150 countries.

Today, children and communities in Canada, Hong Kong and China, among other countries join the U.S. in going door to door and holding events to raise awareness of UNICEF's mission and collect donations.

The local UNICEF organization at UNC Chapel Hill has partnered with local high schools in a week long drive to raise donations on campus and community that culminates in going trick or treat this afternoon. The group hopes to raise more this year than in previous years, and whatever it raises will be doubled by the George Harrison Fund.

Read More:

http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/
http://knightdale.highschoolmedia.org/2010/10/trick-or-treat-for-unicef-2/

UN helps Indonesia after tsunami and volcano

2010-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

This week a tsunami and a volcano, both deadly, struck Indonesia. 154 people were confirmed dead and 400 missing on Pagai Island in West Sumatra after the tsunami, and the volcano caused 24 deaths in Central Java.

UN officials in Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have stepped in to help the government coordinate aid responses and assess the damages caused by the two disasters. UN rapid response teams will also be deployed to the disaster areas to help alleviate the needs of the people affected and distribute emergency supplies.

Appreciation of the UN's Humanitarian Efforts

2010-10-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

republished from newsletter
By Simone Lewis, Editorial Intern

Happy 65th birthday to the United Nations, an organization not only ever present in almost every struggling corner of the globe, but also noticeably ubiquitous here at home in the media. Because we see and hear about the UN so often, it’s difficult to realize the real scope and positive impacts of its efforts.

The UN’s role in humanitarian relief is now assumed and is the bedrock of disaster relief internationally. But its inclusion as a major function of the United Nations wasn’t foreseen as such by the organization’s founders. Rather, it evolved over time with the need to find a way to facilitate the mobilization of resources internationally to alleviate the effects of major disasters.

Centered in the UN Secretariat, the UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is the arm of the world body that is responsible for bringing together governments and non-governmental humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. It is headed by Under-Secretary General Valerie Amos, a former British government minister, who is entrusted with overseeing all emergencies necessitating UN humanitarian assistance. Of course, the global scope of the issues is much too complex for one organization to handle so the UN’s response also includes specialized technical bodies such as UNICEF, the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN organizations with special competence to deal with the myriad issues that arise in such situations.

All of these bodies struggle daily to find plausible solutions to the humanitarian challenges posed by natural disasters like the serious floods of the Indus River in Pakistan that have displaced millions and the Haiti post earthquake recovery efforts.With an organization so eager, involved, and particularly far-reaching, it’s easy to breeze over its efforts that are so often in the news, but the UN is remarkable. Its staff members and volunteers work around the clock to help the disadvantaged and ultimately raise the standard of living for all. United Nations, we appreciate your presence, your leadership, and particularly, your example of initiative.

Lunch and Learn Speakers through February

2010-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2010 11 AM - 1 PM	Professor Michael Struett, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs at NC State University, will discuss the relationship between ICC and the UN and its effects on the global order in a talk he has titled: "The UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court: Working together for Peace and Justice?"Details Reservations	Carolina Meadows (Whipoorwill Lane, Chapel Hill)
November 17, 2010 Noon-2PM (meeting date moved to avoid conflict with Thanksgiving)	Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Professor, African and Afro-American Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill (re: Problems of Governance in Africa)	Carolina Meadows (Whipoorwill Lane, Chapel Hill)
December 15, 2010Noon-2PM (meeting date moved to avoid conflict with Christmas)	Erdman (Pal) Palmore, Prof. Emeritus, Duke Univ. Center for the Study of Aging; Pres., UNA West Triangle Chapter (re: "Global Aging: Blessing or Curse?")	Carolina Meadows (Whipoorwill Lane, Chapel Hill)
January 26, 2011 Noon-2PM	Xi Chen, Asst. Prof., Dept of Political Science, UNC-Chapel Hill; (re China - specific title of talk to be announced)	Carolina Meadows (Whipoorwill Lane, Chapel Hill)

February - Professor Paul Nolte, a visiting professor from Germany, "Whither Germany? 20 years After Reunification: From Redemption to Unexpected Challenges"

UN Gathering against Organized Crime

2010-10-18T10:16:00.001-07:00

Countries have gathered this week in Vienna to review global progress on the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. 157 states have ratified this convention since it was adopted a decade ago. By signing the treaty, these countries have agreed to extradition terms and mutual legal assistance. The Convention hopes to foster beneficial joint investigations and intelligence sharing between countries that will make it harder for criminals to move goods, drugs, people, and finances across borders unnoticed.

This meeting hopes to draw attention to new forms of transnational crime, such as cybercrime, trafficking in cultural property, and poaching on the high seas, and how these crimes have an impact on the environment, food security, and other aspects of global concern.

World Food Day

2010-10-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is World Food Day, an annual event to raise hunger awareness that is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This year the event is focused on the over one billion hungry people in the world due to soaring food prices and the financial crisis. The FAO has launched an online petition to raise awareness of this tragic achievement. You can sign the petition by clicking on the following link: www.1billionhungry.org.

Uniting against hunger is a key part of achieving the Millennium Development Goal - Eradicate poverty and extreme hunger. Read more about the strategies the FAO promotes to reduce hunger in the 2010 World Food Day brochure.

October Lunch and Learn

2010-10-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

What's happening at this month's Lunch and Learn?

Professor Michael Struett, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs at NC State University will address the topic "The UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court: Working together for Peace and Justice?"

How can you attend?

Every Lunch and Learn is held at Carolina Meadows on Whippoorwill Ln in Chapel Hill. This month, it will start at 11 am and run until 1 pm. The cost for lunch is $18. Please mail your checks and registration forms to Warren Glick, 83203 Jarvis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 by Friday, October 22 to reserve your spot. Registration forms can be found on the Chapter's website at http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm.

Results of the MDG Summitt

2010-10-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Goals

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability

8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The Millennium Project was commissioned in 2002, and the United Nations hopes to meet the targets that have been set for these goals by 2015.

What Happened at the Summit

With three years left to meet the ambitious targets, the UN held a summit on September 20-22 to follow up from since the General Assembly last met for this purpose in 2005 and review progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. At the end of the summit, the General Assembly adopted an action agenda to continue towards meeting the targets in 2015 despite the setbacks posed by the global financial crisis. While significant progress has been made towards reaching some of the goals, the UN recognized that progress still remains slow in the areas of improving maternal and reproductive health and reducing the new number of HIV infections below the number of people starting treatment

What's Next?

The outcome document of the summit called for the body to meet again in 2013 and to continue to meet annually to review the progress made towards the Goals. It also called for new commitments to women and children's health and independent initiatives against poverty, hunger, and disease. In addition to the various UN bodies, partnerships with national government and other international actors will continually need to be developed to meet the Goals by 2015.

Want to Read More?

You can view the 2015 targets for each Goal at:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

You can read the full outcome document at: http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/mdg%20outcome%20document.pdf

To learn more about the continuing work of the summit, please visit: http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/

North Korea calls for peace agreement at the UN

2010-09-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

News

North Korea would like talks to begin about replacing the Korean War Armistice with a permanent peace agreement. North Korean officials say that as long as the 1953 Armistice remains in place, high tensions will continue to be the status quo on the peninsula, undermining the sovereignty and development of the country.

Context Events

This announcement comes after a tension-filled summer on the peninsula with the sinking of the Cheonan and the commencement of the 3rd Communist Workers' Party Meeting in North Korea where Kim Jong-Il ushered his third son Kim Jong-Un into two important political positions.

History

60 years have passed since the start of the Korean War. The War was the first test for the new United Nations to show it was capable of reinstating security and peace. The UN continues to remain militarily involved at the border of North and South Korea.

Thirty-five years have passed since the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the dissolving of United Nations Command, for the withdrawal of all foreign troops and for a peace agreement to take the place of the 1953 Armistice.

Further Reading

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36278&Cr=dprk&Cr1=
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68S05X20100929

2011 United Nations Contest for Local High School Students

2010-09-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Chapter holds an annual contest each year to encourage local high school students to think creatively about issues that are important to the United Nations.

Students from Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Chatham, Durham and Orange County High School Students may enter the contest by submitting an orginal project that addresses an issue or problem or current concern of the United Nations and present it in such a way that it can be evaluated for its relevance to the work of the UN. Students are welcome to present their project using a variety of forms, such as a poem, story, poster, PowerPoint, or etc. Students may also submit a project as a team.

Deadlines for the 2011 contest:

Dec. 15- notify Education Committee Co-chairs, Jean and Tuck Green, of your intent to submit a project by email at cgreen17@nc.rr.com
Jan. 15- Submit sentence outline and tentative bibliography, again by email to the above address
Early February- Present project to the Education Committee at the Carolina Center for Education Excellence

Prizes (cash awards):

First- $750
Second- $500
Third- $250

For more information on how to apply and to see examples of past winning projects, please visit our website at http://www.una-westtriangle.org/announcements.htm

Want to Join the West Triangle Chapter?

2010-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

The West Triangle Chapter: has several ways for members of the community, young and old and in-between, to get involved!

Here are some ways to participate in the Chapter:

1) Attend monthly Lunch and Learn meetings at the Carolina Meadows Retirement Community to listen to an engaging speaker, interact with other Chapter members, and eat a delicious lunch.

2) Join a committee and help contribute to the organization of Chapter and community events

3) Volunteer to distribute educational material about the UN and the UNA at local events

For more information on how to join the UNA and the West Triangle Chapter, please visit our website http://www.una-westtriangle.org/index.html or email Erdman Palmore or Barbara Berke epalmore@nc.rr.com or berkonu@mindspring.com, respectively.

Upcoming Lunch and Learn

2009-12-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

At this month's Lunch and Learn...

Ambassador Tom Miller, President, United Nations Association of the USA will speak about UNA's role as an advocate of the United Nations and intermediary between the American people, Congress and the world body. He'll also discuss the relationship between the United States under the Obama administration and the UN.

If you are interested in attending, the Lunch and Learn will be held at Carolina Meadows on Whipoorwill Lane in Chapel Hill on December 12-2 pm. To reserve a seat, please fill out this form http://www.una-westtriangle.org/lunchandlearnregistrationform.htm. It explains where to submit your reservation!

Welcome to the UNA West Triangle Chapter!

2009-12-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the United Nations Association West Triangle Chapter's Blog! Here, we will post upcoming event information in the Triangle Area of North Carolina as well as information pertaining to our mission.

Here is some basic information about our Chapter and the UNA

The West Triangle Chapter of the UNA is one of the nations largest. Nationwide over 20,000 persons participate in 125 local units. We have almost 300 members who believe that the United Nations is critical to world peace and well-being. The Triangle Chapter includes Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

The West Triangle Chapter:

Educates the public about the United Nations and its contribution to the security and well being of Americans.
Hosts monthly luncheon meetings at Carolina Meadows Retirement Community at which expert guest speakers discuss the United Nations and other foreign policy issues.
Offers evening meetings featuring speakers on topics related to international affairs.
Encourages local schools and universities to educate students about the United Nations.
Provides curriculum materials about the United Nations to local schools and universities.
Works with the UNC Center for Global Health to develop programs for low income underserved families in Chatham County.
Promotes and supports international humanitarian efforts.
Cooperates with the UNC student UN support organization on joint projects.
Advocates for the UN with Congress and the Administration.

The UNA-USA is the nation’s largest foreign policy organization, building public support for constructive US leadership in a more effective United Nations.

UNA-USA is an incubator of new ideas on such issues as conflict resolution, nuclear nonproliferation and sustainable development.

UNA-USA is a constructive critic of the UN and US policy in the UN. We believe that the UN is so important that we must point out problems and offer alternative solutions.

UNA-USA is a force for change through the work of its 175 chapters, and its New York/Washington-based staff it is creating a powerful national constituency for an even better UN.

UNA-USA is building for tomorrow. The association programs, including the Model United Nations programs for college and high school students are preparing new members of all ages for global change and challenge.

One country alone cannot solve the world’s problems. The organization best suited to affect global problem-solving is the United Nations and no other group is doing more to make the UN stronger than UNA-USA.