Ban Ki-moon

International Leaders Discuss Bringing Agenda 2030 to Fruition

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This meeting was held to discuss the creation of partnerships between various stakeholders and how they would benefit the 2030 Agenda.

Mr. Lykketoft called for work between the public and private sectors, academia, and foundations in action for the Agenda 2030

Next, Ms. Kingo transitioned by encouraging companies and UN bodies alike to share available resources and collaboration to find new opportunities.

A statement from Ban-Ki Moon was read and it noted the need to move from commitment to action. Wide expertise was called for, as were the inter-linkages supported by the Agenda goals.

Mr. Mitchell spoke on how although there is a conception that business love risk, they ultimately crave stability with the hope of maintaining stakeholder relationships. He noted that it is extremely crucial for governments to establish infrastructure, maintain un-corrupt economics, and protect intellectual property. He also stated that it is crucial to foster economic development in other countries.

Ms. Marini spoke on how the first change that needs to be implemented for partnership development is transparency on the motives of all involved in the partnership. She also noted the need to shift towards putting the food of people first, effectively a shift towards human-centered design. She also touted that it is important to stop “think globally and act locally” to transition to “think locally and act locally”.

Meeting: “From commitments to results: Leveraging partnerships for the 2030 Agenda”

Date/Location: Thursday, March 31, 2016; 10:00-13:00 ECOSOC Chamber

Speakers: H.E. Mr. Oh Joon, President of the Economic and Social Council; H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly; Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations; Her Royal Highness Haya Al Hussein, UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson, International Humanitarian City; Mr. Richard Lui, Moderator, News Anchor, MSNBC; Ms. Alice Albright, CEO, Global Partnership for Education; Ms. Peggy Dulany, Chair, Synergos; Mr. Michael Landau, Chairman, CTI Global; Ms. Mary Chege, Director, Development Finance International; Ms. Lise Kingo, Moderator, Executive Director, UN Global Compact; Mr. Scott Mitchell, President and CEO, Sumitomo Chemical America; Ms. Joy Marini, Executive Director, Johnson and Johnso;  Mr. Igor Runov, Under Secretary-General, International Road Transport Union (IRU);

Written By: WIT Representative Olivia Gong

Edited By: Alex Margolick

In International Memory: Commemorating the Victims of the Holocaust

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The special event was hosted in honor of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The program consisted of various speakers, including Holocaust survivors who gave their testimony. The first speaker was the Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who stated that today was a day of both remembrance and celebration, as January 27 was the day the remaining inmates of the Auschwitz concentration camp were finally liberated. The Secretary-General also explained that the Holocaust remembrance is linked with the founding principles of the United Nations, which is shown in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

One notable speaker was Mrs. Marta Wise, who is a Jewish survivor. She was 10 years old when she and her sister were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. She is one of the few remaining survivors who were there when the soldiers of the Red Army liberated the inmates. She described the horrible pain and trauma she experienced in the camp, and she explained how she and her sister were put in the medical experiment block of the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, where they were subjected to horrible experiments. Mrs. Wise said that people often asked her where was God during the Holocaust, but she wonders where was man?

Another notable speaker was Her Excellency Samantha Power. She explained that it is often difficult not to lose oneself in the death of millions of victims, and the scale is so massive as to feel unknowable. She stated that nothing will be like the Holocaust, but there are still contemporary atrocities today. She explained the important role we have to play as the upstanders, and that it is even more important with the surge of anti-Semitism in various parts of the world today. The event concluded with special musical performances.

Meeting: Special event on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust on the theme “The Holocaust and human dignity” (27 January) (organized by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, Department of Information))

Date/Location: Wednesday January 27, 2015, 11:00 – 13:00; General Assembly Hall

Speakers: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon; Her Excellency Ms. Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN; His Excellency Mr. Felix Klein, Special Representative for Relations with Jewish Organizations, Federal Government of Germany; Mr. Szabolcs Takács, Chair of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; Mrs. Marta Wise, Jewish survivor; Mr. Zoni Weisz, Sinto survivor; Mr. Haim Roet, Jewish survivor

Written By: WIT Representative Kangho (Paul) Jung

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

UN Delegates Speak on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

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Ms. Khalaf presented the Secretary-General’s report on the repercussions of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel enacted a system in the Gaza strip where citizens are treated significantly more favorably than residents. Free movement restrictions have been imposed, including 65 kilometers of roads to be used only by Israelis. It is “almost impossible” for Palestinians to build without Israeli construction permits. During the summer of 2014 the Israeli offensives killed 551 children, bombed seven schools, and have continued “patterns of excessive use of force.” Since 2000, dependency on UN food aid has increased tenfold in Gaza. There is a heavy water shortage fueling the conflict, where “Israelis are allocated up to seven times the water allocated to Palestinians in the West Bank”. The report concluded by noting that peace is impossible as long as this occupation continues

           The state of Palestine called for peaceful and legal means to salvage Gaza. South Africa, representing Group of 77 and China, noted that Israel has nearly full control of the water resources of the West Bank. Further, a third of Palestinians under occupation are food insecure. Qatar noted that Palestine experienced the highest civilian death toll last year since 1967. Iran noted that it will be almost impossible for Palestine to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

            Israel dismissed the report as being biased. For example it ignores the fact that Hamas initiated and escalated the 2014 conflict, which caused hardships on both sides. Thousands of Israeli families and children suffered from the missile attacks on their houses over a period of months. The delegation highlighted that the Arab countries attacking it had numerous human rights violations of their own. They then invited these same countries to return to the negotiations table to find a peaceful solution.

Meeting: Second Committee, 18th Session

Date/Location: Monday, October 26, 2015; 10:00-13:00, Conference Room 2

Speakers: Rima Khalaf, Executive Secretary of ESCWA; H.E. Mr. Riyad H. Mansour, State of Palestine; Representative from South Africa; Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Salim Al-Shanfari, Oman; H.E. Mr. Bashar Ja’afari, Syrian Arab Republic; H.E. Mrs. María Rubiales de Chamorro, Nicaragua; H.E. Mr. Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, Malaysia; H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Iraq; Mr. Abdulrahman Yaaqob Y.A. Al-Hamad, Qatar; H.E. Mr. Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, Egypt; H.E. Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Maldives; Ms. Maritza Chan, Costa Rica; H.E. Mr. Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran; H.E. Mr. Mansour Ayyad SH A Alotaibi, Kuwait; H.E. Mr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Zimbabwe; H.E. Mr. Ibrahim O. A. Dabbashi; H.E. Mrs. Dina Kawar, Jordan; H.E. Mr. Desra Percaya, Indonesia; H.E. Mr. Francis Mading Deng, Sudan; H.E. Mrs. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, United Arab Emirates; H.E. Mr. Wilfried I. Emvula, Namibia; H.E. Dr. Mwaba Patricia Kasese-Bota, Zambia; H.E. Mr. Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi, Saudi Arabia; H.E. Mr. Danny Danon, Israel

Written By: Alex Margolick

Edited by: Modou Cham

Official Launch of the 2015 Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction

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savethedateMr. Meza-Cuadra opened the meeting by saying that sustainable development will not be sustainable without risk reduction. The Secretary-General proclaimed that sustainability starts on March 14th in Sendai, Japan, during the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. The increased number of natural disasters has cost the world roughly $3 billion each year. The poorest countries are hit hardest when disasters strike, and 90% of fatalities come from low- and middle-income countries. Mr. Maskrey described how the world is reaching a breaking point as 1.5 planets are needed to sustain the current consumptions of water resources and carbon output. Mr. Sareer spoke about how Maldives was ready to transition into a middle-income country; however, it took 10 years to rebuild what the 2004 tsunami destroyed. Food security, water sources, ecosystems, and economies are all at stake with climate change.

Mr. Nkwain mainly spoke about the vulnerability of developing countries. He also mentioned that the information that we have about risk prevention needs to be effectively utilized for it to be useful. Mr. Binger spoke about the Caribbean countries and stated that SIDS have very limited areas of development due to restrictions on land. Developmental assistance needs to focus more on SIDS, as they are the most vulnerable due to their small area and isolated nature. The final speaker was Mr. Mayer, whose main point centered around the need for the world to move towards a culture of disaster prevention. Disaster warning systems need to be relied upon more in order to prevent casualties and infrastructure damage. He finished the speech by stating that it is up to everyone in the room to help implement disaster risk reduction in the future.

Meeting: Official launch of the 2015 Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction (by the Secretary-General of the United Nations) (organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR))
Date & Location: Wednesday, 4 Februrary 2015, Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Permanent Representative of Peru to the UN; Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General; Andrew Maskrey, Coordinator of the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk. Reduction (GAR); Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN; Margaret Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Stan Nkwain, United Nations Development Programme; Albert Binger,  Energy Science Advisor at Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre; Thomas Mayr-Harting, EU Head of Delegation to the United Nations
Written by WIT Representatives: Paige Stokols and Brian Lee
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s MDG Advocacy Group’s Breakfast Session

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un_newsFollowing the opening of the 69th UN General Assembly debate, the MDG advocacy group Co-Chaired by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda and H.E. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, spoke at a breakfast gathering to showcasing the successes of the eight MDGs to deliver a more healthier, equitable and more sustainable future, and launching the MDG Advocates’ Leaders Report.

H.E. Ban Ki Moon elucidated that he established the advocacy group 5 years ago to mobilize support from members states, civil society, academia, parliaments and private sector to develop new and ground-breaking ideas and ways to accelerate the MDG implementations. He called the MDG advocacy group superheroes fighting to end extreme poverty. He then advocated for the support of the 17 new SDGs. Further the Co-Chairs of the advocacy group both pointed out that we can all be advocates of the MDGs.

President Kagame elucidated that the amount of time left for the expiration of the MDGs should not matter and the MDGs are a “floor not a celling” because being on track does not mean problems are solved. Prime Minister Solberg spoke of the courage of Malala Yousafzai, one of the contributed of the report, who she said is currently at school using her right to be educated. Next she asked us all to do “everything we can to prevent and end conflict while making sure that the generation of people living through these conflicts have access to education and health”.

Professor Jeffery Sacks promoted organizing and funding as a crucial means to solving problems in the world. Two speakers responded to his challenge. Prime Minister Solberg pledging that Norway will help bring quality education to a million more children in conflict areas. In addition, H.H. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser elucidated that her foundation “Educated A Child” has supported 2.5 million children in 33 countries and their goal is to reach 10 million children by the 2015 – 2016 school year.

Meeting Title: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s MDG Advocacy Group’s Breakfast Session, Organized by the The MDG Advocacy Group & The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM).
Date: September 25th, 2014
Location: Delegates Dining Room, United Nations HQ, New York
Speakers: Opening remarks by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Co-Chairs HE Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, and HE President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Other Speakers HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Christine (Stine) Bosse, CEO of TrygVesta Group, Chairman of Børnefonden / The Childrens’ Fund (Denmark), Ray Chambers, United Nations Special Envoy for Financing the Health Millennium Development Goals and For Malaria (United States), Dho Young-shim, Chairperson of the UN World Tourism Organization’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation (Republic of Korea), Robert Edward Turner – III, Philanthropist, Chairman of the United Nations Foundation (United States), Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the MDGs (United States), Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, founder of the Grameen Bank (Bangladesh), Philippe Douste-Blazy , United Nations Special Advisor on innovative financing for development (France), with the participation of Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, RBM Executive Director
Written By WIT Representative: Modou Cham
Edited by WIT Representative: Aslesha Dhillon 

Open-ended Working Group Discusses Ageing

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On Friday, August 1st, 2014, member states met in the General Assembly to discuss ways to strengthen the rights of older persons through enhanced implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). Ms. Rosita Kornfeld-Matte, the Independent Expert of the Enjoyment of all Human Rights by Older Persons, led the discussion and answered various member states’ and NGOs’ questions and enquiries. Throughout her speeches, Ms. Kornfeld-Matte emphasized that it is not possible to do everything that needs to be done with regard to ageing in just three years. However, this does not mean actions should not be taken to defend the rights of older persons, women, disabled persons, and children. She promised that her organization will work with people to help vulnerable individuals. Many member states, including Uruguay, believe that there should be more binding aspects of MIPAA, as opposed to its current nonbinding properties. In their eyes, a binding mechanism will make it possible to generate an international standard for the treatment and rights of older persons. Many also believe that NGOs play an extremely crucial role in the area of older persons’ rights. This is because NGOs are the ones who tell member states what needs to be done, while working with and maintaining close contact with older persons. However, it was emphasized that member states need to be careful about working jointly with NGOs without paying close attention to the needs of older persons. According to member states, visibility of older persons is not nearly enough. The agenda also needs to include the right for people to bageinge as autonomous as possible until the very end of their lives. Preventive measures need to be taken so that people are not forced to live in nursing homes. The passion for older persons’ rights, as well as the motivation to work with all member states in achieving consensus on the “ageing” issue, were evident during this meeting. There were also a lot of questions asked and points made by NGO representatives, portraying the significance of civil society engagement in this issue. 

Meeting: Open-ended Working Group on Ageing – Fifth Working Session
Date: Friday, August 1st, 2014
Time: 10:00 to 13:00
Location: Conference Room 1 (CB), UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Ms. Rosita Kornfeld-Matte, the Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of all Human Rights by Older Persons; Ms. Monica Roqué, Chair and Rapporteur of the 2014 Human Rights Council Social Forum; Representative of Costa Rica; Representative of Uruguay; Representative of China; Representative of the European Union; Representative of El Salvador; Representative of Brasil; Representative of Mexico; Representative of Chile; Representative of National Association of the Community of Central Australia (NGO); Representative of High Age International (NGO); Representative of the Grey Panthers (NGO)
Written by WIT Representative: Suzy Hallak

Reparations for Victims of Sexual Violence

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Today a panel discussion was held to discuss the Secretary General’s guidance note on reparations for conflict-related sexual violence. Beginning the discussion, Mr. Tolbert from the International Center for Transitional Justice stated that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s guidance report is a truly important policy document that can help design and implement these reparations. Victims of sexual violence have the right to prompt, adequate reparations, and reparations are one of several transitional justice measures states can use in post conflict scenarios to provide some repair to the victims. However, lack of political will and resources often hamper the implementation of reparations.

Following, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson stated that the drafting of the guidance note was led by UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the document outlines principals and guidelines for an international response to conflict related sexual violence in the form of reparations. Sexual violence leaves profound lasting wounds, and the international community has a duty to help restore the dignity of survivors. Furthermore, rule of law and access to justice are necessary to combat impunity and help victims.

Next, Ms. Bangura, the Special Representative of the SG on Sexual Violence, said that failure to provide reparations perpetuates the cycle of violence. Furthermore, shame and stigmatization still surround rape, and reparations provide an opportunity to combat this. Reparations can include skills training and microcredit, and have the potential to help eliminate the unemployment, homelessness, and rejection faced by victims. She concluded her statement by saying that reparations need to translate from policy to practice.

Next, Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, gave a statement on UN Women’s work with women’s organizations and civil society to ensure that the voice of women are heard in building justice mechanisms. She stated that transformative reparations are needed, meaning not just one cash payment, but access to land rights, skills, and fistula surgeries for victims. Reparations are not only about justice; they are also about empowerment.

The Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Mr. Simonovic, stated that the Secretary General’s guidance note includes a comprehensive overview of principles to be applied in reparations programs including that the programs must be accessible and inclusive, designed with the participation of victims in mind, and reparations should have the potential to transform the conditions within society that allowed the violence to occur in the first place. However, despite these efforts, many victims’ rights to reparations have not been fulfilled. For example, no victim of sexual violence in the DRC has received any reparations. In Conclusion, H.E. Ms. Mejia Velez and Ms. Betancur shared the experiences of Colombia in combating sexual violence, and providing reparations.

 

Meeting Title: Dialogue with Member States on the rule of law at the international level “Presentation of the Secretary-General’s Guidance Note on Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence” (organized by the Rule of Law Unit, Executive Office of the Secretary-General)
Speakers: Mr. David Tolbert, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice; H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General; Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict; Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women; Mr. Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; H.E. Ms. Maria Emma Mejia Velez, Permanent Representative of Colombia; Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur; Head of the Unit for Attention and Reparation Victims of Colombia
Date: 1 August 2014
Location: NLB 6, United Nations HQ, New York
Written By WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan

UN Discusses Non Communicable Diseases

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NCD

The issue of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) is a major growing challenge to development. With this notion in mind, delegates from all over the world discussed how far the UN has come in the battle against NCDs and collaborated on effective solutions for stakeholders to help accelerate the process. The September 2011 Declaration for NCDs was frequently mentioned as member states highlighted that, although progress has been made, more action needs to occur. A shared sense of urgency and motivation was evident throughout the General Assembly as delegates reaffirmed the severity of the problem at hand.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Health Organization Director General Dr. Margaret Chan emphasized the necessity of uniting stakeholders from every level and tailoring an agreement to account for all member states’ needs. The UN as a whole must incorporate the issue of NCDs as a major priority while encouraging commitment from state and non-state sectors and accounting for the poorer nations that have been hit hardest by the NCD epidemic. Private sectors can play a significant role by refraining from promotion of unhealthy foods and substances while marketing healthier products, because obesity has been worsening over the past three decades. Not only do governments need to implement stronger prevention policies, there must be sweeping changes in the mindset of public health. Analyzing our current generation, Dr. Chan noted that as incomes rise and standard of living improves, the rise of NCDs occurs because unhealthy lifestyles are being promoted during the process.  

Representatives of health departments from nations including Bolivia, Columbia, Jamaica, Mexico, Mongolia and Argentina discussed the progress their countries have seen after the implementation of the 2011 declaration. They have also expressed their continued commitment to the battle against NCDs. This morning session on NCDs set the stage for further debate and inquiry regarding a unified plan for prevention. 

Meeting Title: General Assembly Meeting on Non Communicable Diseases (Morning Session)
Location: General Assembly Overflow Room (NLB 4), United Nations HQ, New York
Date: 10 July 2014
Summary Written By WIT Representative: Suzy Hallak

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of World War I

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The French and German Mission to the United Nation jointly organized a special event in commemoration of 100th anniversary of the start of the seminal catastrophe of the 20th century – the World War One. Mr. Launsky-Tieffenthal, the master of ceremonies, brought the audience’s attention to the 25 member states that co-hosted the event. They span from five continents, which serves to remind the audience that the global effect that the World War I left to people around the world. The global nature of the conflict is also reflected by the letters and diaries of those in the war, which were read during the event. The letters read are not only letters of the soldiers of the belligerent nations in Europe, but also those of the Red Cross nurses and colonial expeditionary forces drafted into the conflict.

IMG_9057 The Secretary-General commented that “the First World War was supposed to have been the war to end all wars”, yet “the battlefields of the Somme, Gallipoli, Passchendaele, Ypres and Verdun form just part of the human roll-call of carnage and unconscionable casualties etched into our collective memory”. He also said with regret that despite of the lessons learnt, military option is still chosen by some as a means to resolve problems. The Secretary-General also took the opportunity to remind the audience of the nature of the settlement followed by the war, and said that it is a particular apt time to reflect the way to ensure peace in the world as the UN steps into its 70th anniversary next years.

Three pieces of war-inspired music were played by the ORPHEUS Chamber Orchestra. The pieces, which are composed by Samuel Barber, Maurice Ravel, and Ludwig van Beethoven respectively, reflect the different moods of the grief of war and anxiety for peace and fraternity among all.

Meeting Title: Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Beginning of World War I

Speakers: H.E. Mr. Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information; H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Interns from the Permanent Missions of France and Germany; and an Intern from the Department of Public Information
Location: Economic and Social Chamber, United Nations Headquarters
Date: 8th July 2014
Written By WIT Representative: Harrison Chung
Edited By WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan

Best Practices and Challenges in Implementing a Moratorium on the Death Penalty

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abolitionThe Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Permanent Mission of Italy convened a meeting to discuss the best practices and challenges in abolishing the death penalty. Twenty-five years ago, only ¼ of UN member states did not practice the death penalty; today more than 4/5 UN member states have abolished it. However, there are many countries that still regularly use the death penalty, including the United States. H.E. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon began the meeting with a stringent call for all member states to abolish the death penalty. He stated that the death penalty disproportionately has an impact on people who are poor/disadvantaged because they often do not have access to appropriate legal counseling, and further stated that 14 countries permit the death penalty on children.

The Secretary General called on member states to ratify the 2nd optional protocol in the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (abolition of the death penalty), and called on member states to support a resolution in the General Assembly to place a moratorium on the death penalty. “The death penalty has no place in the 21st century, together we can finally end this cruel and inhumane practice around the world”, he concluded. Next, the Permanent Representative of Italy, H.E. Mr. Cardi, affirmed his country’s dedication to the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. He stated that capital punishment is degrading, and denies a person’s fundamental right to life. Following, Dr. Karman pointed out how some countries still use the death penalty as punishment when people speak out against their government, express their opinions, beliefs, thoughts, etc. She called on states to begin by eliminating the death penalty for these “crimes”, and to eventually abolish the death penalty as a whole.

Next, Mr. Garcetti, California’s former D.A., gave a statement on California’s challenges, and eventual success in instituting a de-facto moratorium on capital punishment. He also stated that there is no proof that capital punishment deters crime in the U.S. Furthermore, a study was done in the U.S. which found that it costs more to put a person to death than it does to imprison him/her for life, showing that the death penalty is not only a human rights violation, but an economic burden as well. Concluding the meeting, Dr. Paul Bhatti of Pakistan, and Mr. Maja of Zimbabwe, spoke about their countries’ experiences with the death penalty. Currently, Pakistan has the largest population (8,000) on death row; however, executions have been suspended since 2008. In Zimbabwe, no one has been executed since 2004, and the number of crimes punishable by death has significantly decreased in recent years.

Meeting Title: “Best Practices and challenges in implementing a moratorium on the death penalty”
Speakers: H.E. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon; H.E. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy; Dr. Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner; Dr. Paul Bhatti, Former Minister of National Harmony and Minority Affairs, Pakistan; Mr. Gil Garcetti, Former District Attorney for the state of California, United States of America; Mr. Innocent Maja, Attorney, Zimbabwe
Date: 2 July 2014
Location: Conference Room 1, United Nations HQ, New York
Written By WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan
Edited by WIT Representative: Aslesha Dhillon