Human Health

United Nations Development Programme–Executive Board Meeting

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UNPF

The United Nations Population Fund held a conference to reaffirm the mission of the organization and officially recognize Dr. Natalia Kanem as the new Executive Director of UNFPA. UNFPA is the leading reproductive health and rights agency of the UN for delivering a world where every pregnancy is unwanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. This meeting underlined the critical importance of instating universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Dr. Kanem aims to ensure that human and finance resources of the organization are optimally employed. A strong humanitarian presence must be maintained not only to colocate rapid response but to optimize common back office options.

The representative of Antigua and Barbuda highlighted the importance of UNFPA in responding to real time crisis in relation to the passage of recent hurricanes Irma and Maria. He also stated that the resources behind UNFPA should not be redirected from the program budget, but rather through cross-cutting and cross-saving exercises.

The representative of Cuba stressed the importance of maintaining attention and support for middle income countries, as they continue to face poverty eradication and commitment to not leave anyone behind. The representative of Norway asserted the protection and promotion of sexual and reproductive health as crucial for sustainable development. UNFPA must be a stronger humanitarian actor to support the women and men who do not know how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies, and disease, as lead them towards a better life. Enhancing better sexuality education is the equivalent of delivering the SDG’s.

The representative of the United States honored the concept of families as building blocks of societies and will continue to work with agencies that share this commitment. However, the U.S. stands against any program of abortion and coercion, as domestic laws of coercive abortion do not protect the sanctity of life, the most important human right of all.

Universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare will also promote the advancement of gender equality, empowerment of women, and focus on eradicating poverty.

Meeting: Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme / United Nations Population Fund / United Nations Office for Project Services

Date/Location: Thursday, 25 January 2018, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm; Economic and Social Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Speakers:

H.E. Mr. Jagdish D. Koonjul, President of the United Nations Population Fund

Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UNFPA

H.E. Mr. Chull-joo Park, Vice-President of the UNFPA, Deputy Permanent Representative of Republic of Korea to the United Nations

Mr. Tumasie Blair, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations

H.E. Mrs. Anayansi Rodriguez Camejo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Ib Peterson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations

Mr. Tore Hattrem, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Yasuhisa Kawamura, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

Representative of the United States

Written by: WIT Representative Kristin Kweon

Vulnerability and the Future of Families with Children in Europe

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Family.jpgIn recognition of the 56th Commission for Social Development, the International Federation for Family Development and UNDESA/Division for Social Policy & Development (DSPD) organized a side event on the vulnerability of large families in Europe. Mr. Armella mentioned that there was a need for research on this topic so the European Union financed this research. The research had a multidisciplinary approach with the goal of enhancing the civil societies connection to policy making through data. Mr. Socias mentioned how the focus of the study was Europe but the information is relevant all over the world. He said that experiments are necessary for progress and the only way to take advantage of them is finding outcomes, analyzing them, and then acting accordingly. He said that a less supportive and weaker family leads to a cycle of less freedom.

Mr.Márki said his research was focused on understanding the motivations, living conditions, and general features of larger European families to see what policies meet their needs. He said that France and Italy had older parents therefore larger families. He compared countries with long and paid maternity leave like Hungary to Portugal where 70% of mothers have a full time job. Mr.Riederer talked about his research and the types of vulnerability including economic, psychological, and social. He stressed how important it is to provide help not only temporarily but to improve the situation in a sustainable manner. He concluded by talking about how family vulnerability is multidimensional and that policy could drastically improve the situation.  

Meeting: Side Event entitled “Vulnerability and the Future of Families with Children in Europe”

Date/Location: Thursday, February 1, 2017; 10:00- 11:30; Conference Room D, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers: Mr.Mario Armella, World President, International Federation for Family Development (IFFD); Mr. Ignacio Socias, Director of International Relations, International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), Partner, Families And Societies Consortium; Mr.László Márki, President,  European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC), Partner, Families And Societies Consortium; Mr. Bernhard Riederer, Wittgenstein Centre, Vienna Institute of Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Co-leader, Families And Societies Work Package 10

Written By: WIT Representative Nicole Matsanov

 

Seventh Session of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information: Economic and Social Council

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Representatives gathered to coordinate, discuss, and propose work-plans to promote global frameworks, common principles, policies, guidelines interchangeability of geospatial data and services. Specifically, the discussion topics at hand were 1) integration of geospatial, statistical and other related information, 2) national geospatial data and information systems, and 3) geospatial information and services for disasters.

The representative of Poland started the discussion by asking the promotion of geospatial information. The representative of the United States agreed, endorsing the global geospatial framework and claiming such a framework would benefit member states and international efforts to leave noone behind. The representative of Cuba emphasized the need for creating  data sources and strengthening the dissemination of technology as well as the availability and accessibility of data. On the other hand, some representatives asked for the academic network to introduce more education in the fields of geospatial and statistical information, such as the representatives of Singapore and China. China emphasized the need for a post graduate program to promote the integration and monitor the progress of its geospatial group. Representatives from Barbados and Nepal provided a different perspective on the same matter. They asked member states help at the regional level, as small island developing states need not be left behind. Nepal, in particular, has been working with geospatial and statistical agencies while producing the socio-economical atlas. The representative of Argentina similarly claimed member states must do the utmost to assist statistical institutes as the representative of Urisa Caribbean suggested an overarching framework to be adopted in each respective country. Other countries spoke, suggesting the implementation of framework, knowledge management, consolidation, and practical cooperation. Wellenstein then spoke, affirming member states overcome complex challenges of the geospatial divide. She asked countries to recognize their own unique attributes and tailor the principles, guidelines, and good practices respectively.

Meeting: Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management Seventh Session by Economic and Social Council

Date/Location: Thursday, August 3rd, 2017; 10:00-13:00; Conference Room 4

Speakers: Co-Chair; Representative of Poland; Representative of the United States of America; Peter Tiangco, Co-Chair of the Working Group on Disasters; Representative of Denmark; Representative of Cuba; Representative of Singapore; Representative of Peru; Representative of Canada; Representative of Australia; Representative of India; Representative of Nepal; Representative of Barbados; Representative of Malaysia; Representative of the Republic of South Korea; Representative of Argentina; Representative of Ecuador; Representative of Norway; Representative of Urisa Caribbean; Representative of Philippines; Representative of Cote D’ivoire; Representative of China; Representative of Costa Rica; Representative of Honduras; Representative of Eclac; Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis; Representative of the Dominican Republic; Representative of the State of Palestine; Representative of GEO; Representative of ESCAP; Representative of Mexico; Representative of Ethiopia; Representative of Japan; Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Representative of Belgium; Representative of the Netherlands; Representative of Jamaica; Representative of Spain; Representative of Burkina Faso; Representative of Slovenia; Representative of United Kingdom; Representative of Guatemala; Representative of Sweden; Anne Wellenstein; GGIM Secretariat

Written By: WIT Representative Janet Lee

The Rights of Refugees and Migrants with Disabilities

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This meeting was a side-event of the Conference of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It explored the issue of refugees and migrants with disabilities.

The struggled integration of refugees with disabilities into the labour market bolsters the severity of the global refugee crisis.

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According to European Pillars of Social Rights, disability is taken into the humanitarian considerations when assessing refugee status, but untrained personnel frequently struggle to spot refugees with intellectual disabilities. Further problems emerge when reception centres are ill equipped to accommodate disabilities.

The international community has to reaffirm its commitments to New York Declaration by improving the Refugee Response Framework. Non-discrimination screening must be held and need-based assistance must be provided.

The World Food Programme has begun efforts to ensure food accessibility to all refugees. Ms. Iseminger anticipated that a data collection process will contribute to the creation of a disability handbook to assess and address disabled refugee needs going forward.

Refugees with disability must be protected to ensure no one is left behind.

Meeting: Persons with disabilities on the move- the rights of refugees and migrants with disabilities

Date/Location: Tuesday, 13th June 2017; 13:15 to 14:30; Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers: Ms. Diane Kingston, Deputy Director of CBM International Advocacy and Alliances; Mr. Michel Servoz, Director General for Employment, European Commission; Ms. Mia Farah, Inclusion International – ‘Working with refugees with disabilities in Lebanon;’ Mr. Andrew Painter, Senior Policy Advisor of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees – ‘Global Compact on Refugees;’ Mr. Craig Mokhiber, Deputy Assistant Secretary-General, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – ‘Global Compact on Migration;’ Ms. Michelle Iseminger, Senior External Partnerships Officer-in-charge, World Food Programme – ‘Including persons with disabilities in mainstream programmes.’

Written by: WIT Representative Edward Chan

Edited by: WIT Representative Mariel Brunman

Transforming Tourism: Sustainable Futures for Coastal Fishing Communities in the era of Tourism Development

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While the exchange of visitors can contribute to economic growth, the tourist industry has unexplored and detrimental environmental ramifications.

Because tourists visit a location temporarily, there is a psychological disconnect that de-emphasizes problems facing a particular nation, thereby creating a sense that the tourist will not leave a longstanding effect on the nation they are visiting. On one hand, increased tourism encourages local investment in infrastructure projects, but influx of visitors drastically increases trash, litter, and transportation-based fuel emissions.

In this meeting, the speakers addressed how rampant use of plastic and large amounts of trash deposited in coastal island tourist communities circle through the ecosystem and have international ramifications. Health of communities is interconnected.

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traveltourismblog.com

Solution to waste reduction in small coastal tourist destinations begins with morphing global mindset to see the whole world as home, rather than a specific country or region. The representative from Germany explained the sustained recycling efforts that have been underway for many years. Machines designed to collect waste and return fiscal benefit to those who recycle offer hope for transforming areas with high concentrations of tourism. While new initiatives and technologies are crucial to decreasing excess waste, the speakers suggested that new mindsets are necessary for a long-term sustainable solution.

Meeting: Transforming Tourism: Sustainable Future for Coastal Fishing Communities in the era of Tourism Development

Date/Time: Thursday, 8 June 2017; 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM; German Mission to the UN; UNHQ, New York, NY

Speakers: German Mission to the United Nations; Social Service Agency of the Protestant Church in Germany (Bread of the World); National Fisheries Movement; Tourism Watch; Instituto Terramar; Fair Oceans

Written by: WIT Representative Elia Sampayo Meza

Edited by: WIT Representative Mariel Brunman

 

Understanding the Nexus and Implications for People on the Move

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This meeting aimed to highlight the linkages between migration, climate, and declining ocean health, and to show the international, regional, national, and local impacts of marine overexploitation. At the nexus of climate change and detriment to ocean health discussed in this meeting also lies fights to eradicate poverty, improve food security and quality of life, the increasing severity of natural disasters, and climate change’s impact on migration.

Oceans Conference

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Mr. Ashraf El Nour opened this meeting by outlining how climate change-related ecological modifications to the ocean have direct consequences on the economy, environment, and quality of life for island and coastal populations, particularly in Small Island Developing States.

Data collected by the International Displacement Center suggests that since 2008, around 22.5 million people are displaced annually as a result of natural disasters of climate change ramifications; most of these individuals come from coastal areas and small island states. Millions of people are still at risk for future displacement, but contemporary initiatives have begun looking towards indigenous populations architectural and agriculture traditions for their flexibility and harmonious congruence with the environment.

The ocean is a transit platform for irregular migration and contributes to migrants missing at sea, border problems, humanitarian problems, and international insecurity. The panelists called for an innovative approach to migration and reconfiguring how we conceptualize refugees so that we might include those who are forced to relocate because of climate-related circumstances.

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Meeting: Ocean Health, Climate Change and Migration: Understanding the Nexus and Implications for People on the Move

Date/Location: Monday, June 5, 2017; 13:15-14:30; Conference Room A, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers: Mr. Ashraf El Nour, Director, IOM Office to the United Nations; Mr. Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina, Director General of the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Center, Madagascar; Ms. Francoise Gail, Scientific Advisor, Ocean and Climate Platform; Mr. John Tanzer, Leader WWF Global Ocean Practice; Ms. Mariam Traore Chazalnoel, Thematic Specialist, Migration, Environment and Climate Change, IOM; Hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Madagascar in New York; Lead Organizer: International Organization of Migration (IOM) with Partner: WWF

Written By: WIT Representative Mariel Brunman

How scientific knowledge on oceans contributes to the implementation of national action plans on climate and human-induced changes

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Oceans Conference

The Ocean Conference held at the United Nations from 5-8 June, 2017 brought together many experts on oceans, civil societies and governments to organize different side events. Some of these events were co-organized and facilitated by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with Governments and relevant organizations  by sharing on-the-ground experiences, lessons learned, and insights into transformative actions and partnerships, including partnerships through the Sustainable Ocean Initiative.

One of the first side events on June 5th, organized to bring in marine scientists and discuss the contribution of scientific knowledge on oceans to the implementation of national action plans on climate and human-induced changes. The moderator Jessica Faieta from UNDP opened the meeting by reminding the audience that the deadlines for achieving the SDG 14 (Oceans) were 2020 and 2025. Considering how pressing the issue was, she said, this side event was crucial to identify knowledge gaps and contribute towards ocean national action plans. Echoing Faieta’s view, representatives of the Dominican Republic, Argentina, and UNDP shared the challenges their countries and organization were facing, and their work in this area.

Marine experts also shared their knowledge about the ocean, including its importance, the impact of its change on the ecosystem, and the way the ocean works. In addition, Dr. Alberto Piola and Dr. Jose Muelbert highlighted that the warmer the ocean is, the lower would be the ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Also, because the speed of ocean warming differs in different countries, some countries’ oceans are warming much faster as a result. Due to the fact that 40 percent of the global population live near the ocean, and 11 percent of the largest cities are very close to the ocean, the implications of warming causes a considerable impact on the human population, and the ecosystems. “Life started in the ocean,” Muelbert cautioned, “if we are not careful, life will end because of changes in the ocean.”

Meeting: How scientific knowledge on oceans can contribute to the implementation of national action plans on climate and human-induced changes

Date/Location: Monday, June 5, 2017; 09:00-10:30; Conference Room 6, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers:

Ms. Jessica Faieta, Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); H.E Francisco Domínguez Brito, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Dominican Republic; H.E. Diego Moreno, Vice Minister, National Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Government of Argentina; Dr. Alberto Piola, Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project (SOCCOM), and Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI);  Dr. Jose Muelbert, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande and IAI;  Dr. Rebecca Klaus, Senior advisor and expert in Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas, Cousteau Society;  Mr. Nik Sekhran, Director for Sustainable Development, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP.

Written By: WIT Representative Jadice Lau

Families, Education and Well-Being

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This briefing was co-organized by the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) and the Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI NGO) in observation of the International Day of Families on May 15th, 2017.

International day of families

World family organization

The speakers discussed the vital role of early childhood education in a child’s development and the role of parental education to ensure family well-being. In addition, the relation between corporate responsibility, work-family balance, and the global home index was depicted. Furthermore, the speakers conveyed the role of media within a child’s development and within the promotion of parental involvement.

 

 

Eduardo Garcia Rolland conveyed how the relationship between genes and the environment is closer than ever before. He expressed that within the first year of life, the brain grows at a pace of 700/1000 new neural connections per second. The plasticity of the brain is greatest within the first year of life. This stage is considered as the most important for a child’s development. Rolland discussed how 204 million children are not developmentally on track. He cited an increase in attendance to early childhood education as a way to augment a child’s development.

Patricia Debeljuh discussed how parents working long hours in a job that lacks flexibility can cause damage to the quality of their life. She expressed the necessity of families for the maintenance of sustainable societies.  Diego Barroso depicted how parenting education is highly effective. He cited the importance of legislative support for families. Following this, Michael Robb discussed how media can impact the development of a child. Background television was cited as an issue which can have a negative impact on the quality and quantity of the interaction between a parent and a child.

Meeting: Briefing entitled “Families, Education and Well-Being”

Date/ Location: Thursday, May 18, 2017; 11:00-12:45; Conference Room 4
Speakers: Esuna Dugarova, Policy Specialist, UNDP; Eduardo Garcia Rolland, Early Childhood Development ECD-Specialist, UNICEF; Patricia Debeljuh, IAE Business School, Austral University; Diego Barroso, Director of Family Enrichment Courses. Coordination and Expansion, International Federation for Family Development; Michael Robb, Director of Research, Common Sense Media
Written By: WIT Representative Donna Sunny

 

Promoting Well-being in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological Contributions for Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges

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mental health

UN SDGs

The meeting celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Psychology Day at the United Nations. Continuing the success of including the target of promoting mental health and well-being in the 2030 Agenda that outlines the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the organizer Psychology Day invited speakers who are mainly psychologists to discuss the relationship between mental well-being and other SDGs at three levels: environmental, economic, and social.

At the environmental level, Minu Hemmati reviewed the literature on the impact of environmental challenges on well-being. For example, climate change can increase people’s exposure to mental health consequences induced by disasters. Extreme heat is also correlated with the higher likelihood of mental illness. She then proposed employing psychological techniques such as group learning process to mediate the impact during policy-making and negotiation processes.

At the economic level, Ann Masten highlighted the concept of resilience, defined as “the capacity of a system to adapt successfully to challenges that threaten its life, function or development”. She explained that resilience can be enhanced in various settings such as families, schools, and communities via parenting, teaching and support, and healthcare services. She thus advocated investing in healthy lives and well-being, as it is crucial to building enduring resilience for societies.

At the social level, Doug Oman and Gustavo Gonzalez-Canali offered insights about two respective aspects: religion and gender. Oman suggested that “common ground strategy” usually employed by psychologists is the key that enables them to proactively support patients with spiritual perspectives in addition to professional expertise. Gonzalez-Canali, on the other hand, emphasized that women’s sexual and reproductive rights must be respected to promote development at all levels.

Overall, the meeting seems to suggest that mental health and well-being can be a cause instead of just the effect of environmental, economic, and social development, or degradation.

Meeting: Event on “Promoting Well-being in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological Contributions for Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges” (co-organized by the Permanent Missions of El Salvador and Palau)
Date/Location: Thursday, April 20, 2017; 15:00-18:00; Conference Room 4, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY
Speakers: Minu Hemmati, Ann Masten, Doug Oman, Gustavo Gonzalez-Canali
Written By: WIT Representative Jadice Lau

Initial Briefing on United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA)

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Today, Mr. Harris began the meeting by introducing its agenda, which entailed briefing member states on the upcoming Second Session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-2), which will be held at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya from May 23, 2016 to May 27, 2016.  He mentioned that the theme of the forum will be discussing ways to deliver on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the event will center on calling ministers from UN member states to form resolutions that address critical global environmental challenges.  He stated that the event will also involve inter-governmental and non-governmental actors to add to the discussions on addressing critical issues related to air quality, healthy ecosystems, chemicals, wastes, etc.

Mr. Harris also mentioned that numerous side events, as well as, a “Science and Policy Forum,” which aims to bring people from the science and policy communities to strengthen dialogue and collaboration on achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), would lead up to the UNEA-2.  Lastly, he stated that a debriefing would be held on June 8, 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to share with member states all the resolutions and developments from the UNEA-2 and other side events and meetings.  Mr. Ahmad added that countries that do not have accredited permanent representatives in Nairobi, Kenya could send delegates who can contribute to the discussions of the CPR to UNEP.

Meeting: A Briefing by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to Member States on the Second Session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-2)

Date/Time/Location: Tuesday, May 3, 2016; 10:00 – 12:00; Conference Room 1

Speakers: Mr. Elliot Harris, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Head of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) New York Office (NYO); Mr. Jamil Ahmad, Secretary for the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment (GC/GMEF) and the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Written By: WIT Representative Shubhangi Shukla