United Nations

The Situation in the Middle East

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The Security Council met for its 7954th meeting on 30 May 2017. It addressed the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen.

The meeting brought attention to the prevailing humanitarian situation in Yemen. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien briefed the Security Council that Yemen was facing “the largest food security crisis in the world”, with 17 million people in need of food, of which 6.8 million just “one step away from famine.” Besides, half of all health facilities are now closed, and yet, the Yemeni people are still suffering from communicable and preventable diseases. The recent outbreak of cholera is also alarming. They both stressed that these threats were avoidable, subject to the international community’s support.

Meeting: 7954th Meeting of the Security Council – “The Situation in the Middle East”

Date/Location: Tuesday, May 30, 2017; 10:00-11:30; Security Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers: Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN Special Envoy for Yemen; Stephen Rothwell O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; Radhya Almutawakel, Chairperson, Mwatana Organization for Human Rights; Representatives of Bolivia, Uruguay, and Yemen

Written By: WIT Representative Jadice Lau

Open Call for NGOs to apply for Consultative Status with the United Nations for 2018

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UN ECOSOC

UN ECOSOC

As an NGO in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), World Information Transfer Inc. would like to inform the public about the open call for NGOs to apply for Consultative Status for 2018 with the United Nations.

NGOs interested in applying for ECOSOC consultative status should submit their application and required documents on or before the deadline of 1 June 2017. The following link provides background information, the benefits of consultative status and instructions for how to apply:

http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=337&type=230&menu=14
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The Fight against Impunity for Atrocities: Bringing Da’esh to Justice

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The crucial nature of holding the members of Da’esh accountable for their crimes, for victims to attain justice, was explored at today’s high-level meeting. A call to action was evident to collect and preserve evidence of their atrocities.

Simon Adams expressed how in 2005 all the states within United Nations made a commitment toward their responsibility to protect vulnerable populations from mass atrocity crimes. Matthew Rycroft conveyed that thousands of corpses, each a victim of Da’esh, were found last week in a sinkhole near Mosul, Iraq.

Mr. Mohamed Ali Alhakim disclosed how Da’esh used to cover forty percent of Iraqi territory, but as a result of the progress of the military and coalition partners, it now covers very few kilometers. He conveyed how 5,000 lawsuits have been filed against members of Da’esh in Iraq.

sdgs_poster_new1Mr. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve described how the primary victims of Da’esh include the Yazidi people, Christians, and other minorities.

Mr. Michael Douglas Grant brought into conversation how members of the LGBTI community are targeted by Da’esh. In addition, he described a new initiative that has allowed over 400 Yazidi victims into Canada. Likewise, Mr. Juergen Schutz introduced into the discussion a residence program that has allowed over 1,100 Yazidis into Germany.

Ms. Nadia Murad gave a testimony regarding her experience as a Yazidi Genocide survivor. She implored the Iraqi government and the United Nations to establish an investigation to prosecute ISIS under international law. She conveyed how she had spoken at the United Nations fifteen months before, yet not one ISIS militant had faced charges under an international investigation. Ms. Amal Clooney, the legal representative of Ms. Murad, asked that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadion of Iraq sends a letter to the Security Council to have an investigation a behalf of all victims.

Meeting: High-level event on “The Fight against Impunity for Atrocities: Bringing Da’esh to Justice” (co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Belgium, Canada, Germany, Iraq and the United Kingdom and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect)

Date/ Location: Thursday, March 9, 2017; 15:00-17:00; Trusteeship Council Chamber

Speakers: Simon Adams, Executive Director of Global Center of Responsibility to Protect; Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom; H.E. Mr. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium; H.E. Mr. Michael Douglas Grant, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada; H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Permanent Representative of Iraq; H.E. Mr. Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom; H.E. Mr. Juergen Schutz, Permanent Representative of German; H.E. Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sexual Violence in Conflict; Ms. Nadia Murad, Yazidi Genocide Survivor, Human Rights Activist and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking; Ms. Amal Clooney, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and Legal Representative for Nadia Murad and Other Yazidi survivors

Written By: WIT Representative Donna Sunny

Holocaust Remembrance: Education Against Extremism & Building and Better Future

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In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section and the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, Outreach Division and the Department of Public Information organized a meeting to discuss the importance of education against extremism. Throughout the briefing, the curator of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dr. Steven Luckert, continually placed special emphasis on the role that propaganda had during the rise of the Nazi party. The Nazi movement was a rapid rise of power. Within a few years, the Nazi party won 230 seats in parliament, becoming for the first time the largest party in parliament. It was advertised as a “party of youth, a party for the future.” Widespread propaganda was so efficiently distributed by the Nazis that it was one of the most effective factors leading German constituents to vote for an extremist party.

Dr. Steven Luckert explained that Adolf Hitler was one of the first German politicians to craft a public persona by practicing and perfecting charismatic gestures, creating a trademark logo, and using slogans that appealed to mass mindsets. Dr. Luckert noted that Hitler recognized women’s influence in Germany. The majority of women voters were swayed by the party as well, although there were no promises of progress for women’s rights. Hitler’s campaign of propaganda was carefully curated. It included influencing children through boardgames and anti-semitic word problems in mathematics textbooks and the promise of protection from Jewish people rather than a war of aggression against them. Dr. Luckert’s in depth analysis of Hitler’s rapid rise to power called for a more careful consumption of widespread modern media and warned of the influences it has on societies today.

Meeting: “Holocaust Remembrance: Educating against Extremism, Building a Better Future” (In observance of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the victims of the Holocaust (27 January)) (organized by the NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section and the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)

Date/ Time/Location: Thursday, 26 January 2017; 11:00 to 12:30; UN Headquarters Conference Room 1

Speakers: Kimberly Mann, Manager of the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme; Steven Luckert; Curator of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Jamey Fischer, Professor of German and Cinema and Digital Media, University of California, Davis and Director of the Davis Humanities Institute; Thomas Schieb, Minister Plenipotentiary of Germany to the United Nations; Virginie Ladisch, Head of the Children and Youth Programme at the International Center for Transitional Justice; Gillian Kitley, Senior Officer and Head of Office of the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect

Written By: Janice Park, WIT Representative

Partnerships for Sustainable Action

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In the December 20th session Professor Jan W. Dash discussed climate action as a matter of justice, ethics, and human survival. He emphasized that all SDGs are tied to climate change and that humanity has the power to reduce dangerous effects that climate change had on our planet’s health and biodiversity. H.E. Mr. Ahmed Sareer spoke on behalf of Small Island Developing States. He discussed the 300 partnership listings and the Samoa pathway. He reinforced the Maldives’ commitment to these partnerships and the necessity of the participation of all stakeholders. H.E. Mr. Odo Tevi reiterated the need for more efficient work to ensure that the SDGs are implemented and stay relevant. He also expressed the need to ensure oceans’ health and that countries enforce nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Dr. Christine K. Durbak shared the relevant work that she and World Information Transfer have provided over the last few decades. The Conference of NGOs began the committee on SDGs in the late 1980s, when WIT was invited to join. WIT focused on connecting the global community’s resources on human health and the environment.

Dr. Judy Buster-Otto discussed mental health and quality of life resolutions in the 2030 Agenda. She explained the work of the WHO and shared how the NGO-SDG forum can work through shared input and ideas, linkages to stakeholders, and advocacy with missions. Ms. Hawa Diallo noted the 66th DPI/NGO conference held in 2016 in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. She shared the goals of the conference and the action plan for a youth program/agenda. She briefly explained the next conference and the TOGETHER initiative. Ms. Emilie McGlone briefly introduced Peace Boat organization and a few related upcoming youth initiatives and summer programs. Mr. Marc Jourdan expressed his aim to promote SDGs in Dominican Republic. He shared projects in schools and towns based in recycling and sustainable agriculture. Mr. Daniel Perell explained the importance of engagement with the larger NGO body and creating platforms for NGOs to target relevant goals. The election of the of the NGOCSD-NY Executive Board for 2017 ended the session.

Meeting: “Partnerships for Sustainable Actions in 2017 & Beyond”

Date/Location: Tuesday, 20 December 2016; 13:00 to 15:00; Boss Room, Church Center for the United Nations, 777 UN Plaza

Speakers: Professor Jan W. Dash (NGOCSD-NY Lead Adviser on Climate Change; Managing Editor of the Climate Portal website); H.E. Dr. Caleb Otto Ambassador of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Ahmed Sareer Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Odo Tevi Ambassador and of the Republic of Vanuatu to the United Nations; Dr. Judy Buster-Otto (Adviser to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations); Dr. Christine K. Durbak (Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations; Founder and Chair of World Information Transfer; President of the K. Kovshevych Foundation); Ms. Hawa Diallo (Public Information Officer; NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section Department of Public Information); Ms. Emilie McGlone (Director of Peace Boat US, New York Office); Mr. Marc Jourdan (UN Programs & Outreach Manager; Global Foundation for Democracy and Development); Mr. Daniel Perell (Global Organizing Partner of the NGO Major Group; Representative for Bahá’í International Community to the UN, New York; Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development)

Written By: Renée S. Landzberg, WIT Representative

 

SDG 14: Call to Action

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In this informal briefing on the ongoing preparations for the United Nations Ocean Conference, the President of the General Assembly, the Under Secretary-General, a special advisor to the conference co-presidents, and the Permanent Representatives of Sweden and Fiji discussed the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. They expressed that without clean and healthy oceans our, and all life’s, place on the planet would be in grave jeopardy. Since 1970, there has been a 49% decline in marine species. By 2050, the ocean is expected to contain more plastic than fish. Representatives discussed specific and necessary targets within SDG 14. They reviewed relevant dates for the upcoming global conference and other plenary meetings and stressed the need to strengthen and replicate current efforts. Moreover, representatives expressed the need to form new partnerships that involve all relevant stakeholders (including governments, the UN system, NGOs, the private sector, etc.) in the spirit of widespread, global, and inclusive participation.

The United Nations Ocean Conference will be held from June 5-9, 2017. It will follow a two-day preparatory meeting, February 15-16, 2017, chaired by the Permanent Representative of Portugal and the Permanent Representative of Singapore. The meeting will discuss partnership dialogues themes and elements for the “Call for Action.” The June conference will assess challenges, identify opportunities for action, strengthen current partnerships and forge new ones. It will be comprised of 8 plenary meetings, 7 partnership dialogues, and an additional special event commemorating World Oceans Day. The conference will also adopt an intergovernmental consensus declaration and a report with co-chairs’ summaries of partnership dialogues. Finally, a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG14 will be announced at the conference in June.

Meeting: “Briefing on the UN Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG 14”

Date/Location: Tuesday, 13 December 2016; 15:00 to 18:00; UN Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber

Speakers: President of the General Assembly; H.E. Ambassador Olof Skoog of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN; H.E. Ambassador Luke Daunivalu of the Permanent Mission of Fiji to the UN; Mr. Wu Hongbo (USG DESA); Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares (USG OLA): Ms. Catherine Pollard (USG DGACM)

Written By: Renée S. Landzberg, WIT Representative

 

Autism in Africa: Life Saving Awareness

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The December 6th session focused on improving the lives of people with autism, advocating policies to prevent social exclusion, and raising awareness. The panelists broadly discussed the importance of improving data, transparency, and accessible resources for community development regarding autism. H.E.s, The Ambassadors of Zambia, Uganda, and Malawi acknowledged the realities of children with autism, whose warning signs often go unnoticed. Parents of speech-disabled children, including H.E.Dr. Mwaba Kasese-Bota, the Ambassador of Zambia, are often unable to find support in the form of specialized schooling in their communities. H.E. Dr. Kasese-Bota stressed the need to connect the realities of autism with the objectives in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4. In Uganda, people with autism are not recognized as living with a disability. Their families cannot often afford expensive support resources when they are available. Uganda has several modest facilities for children with autism, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome. In Malawi, treatments can be unhelpful and even detrimental. However, Malawi’s First Lady, Gertrude Maseko, is a dedicated advocate of autism awareness and access to helpful and non-harmful care.

H.E. David Roet, the Ambassador of Israel confirmed the country’s commitment to African nations and called upon the global community to unite to prevent discrimination, to make effective policies, and to help create a social and economic environment of inclusion. He stressed the need for more specialized medical staff, screening facilities, and schools specialized in care for students with autism. The Missions of Kenya, Poland, Angola and Nigeria focused on enhancing awareness in professional realms including research, collaboration, and efficient and cost-effective delivery of early diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Alan Kadish explained autism and potential contributing factors. He defined the condition as a disability in social awareness and interaction, not intelligence. He discussed United States’ treatment and schooling opportunities for children with autism. One mother described the special Israeli military roles offered to citizens with autism. Dr. Joel Wallach discussed studies of autism in children and the association of environmental change with worsening conditions for the child.

Meeting: “Autism in Africa: Life Saving Awareness Implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Angola, Israel, Japan, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia)

Date/Time/Location: Tuesday, 6 December 2016; 10:00 to 13:00; UN Headquarters, Conference Room 4

Speakers: H.E. Ambassador Dr. Mwaba Kasese-Bota of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations; H.E. Ambassador Dr. Richard Nduhurra of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations; H.E. Ambassador Necton Mhura of the Permanent Mission of Malawi to the United Nations; H.E. Ambassador David Roet of the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations; Counselor Fidel Casimiro on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins of the Permanent Mission of Angola to the United Nations; Margareta Kassangana-Jakubowska Minister-Counsellor Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Poland to the United Nations; Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations; Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations; Dr. Alan Kadish of Touro College; Dr. Joel Wallach, Marylice Fegeley of Parent to Parent of New York State

Written By: Renée S. Landzberg, WIT Representative

Impacts of Economic Globalization

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Ambassador Donoghue gave a brief summary of Ireland’s economic structure and history to begin the November 29 session. The Permanent Mission of Ireland organized the meeting, and Mr. Steve Landefeld provided attendants with an in-depth summary and outline of the associated data. Mr. Ataman Ozyidirim discussed the current trends, uncertainties, and relevant “disruptions” that will determine Ireland’s economic future. He discussed TCB data that supports global economic growth projections and explained advancements in productivity data new this year. He ended and stressed the importance of creating value through qualitative growth by implementing more reliable and effective ways of measuring GDP. Mr. Klaus Tilmes and Ms. Deborah Winkler discussed ways to make global value chains (GVCs) work for development. They lectured on development through GVC Participation, relevant policy questions, assessing GVC participation, and WGB country engagement. Mr. Klaus and Ms. Winkler provided examples of multifaceted approaches relevant in Bangladesh, the ICT sector in Vietnam, and the livestock sector in Mali.

Mr. Michael Connolly’s presentation focused on Irish national accounts and payment balance within them. He focused on MNE dominance, communication challenges, the impact of increasing stocks in capital assets, trends in net exports, the impact of relocation (GDP to GNI transition), contribution of domestic demand and net exports to annual GDP, and the trends in Irish and EU household savings.The final panelist examined how to more efficiently measure global value chains, the impacts of technology, productivity, comparative advantage, and trade on U.S. employment, the growth and benefits of GVCs and trade, and the need for a system of extended international accounts and business statistics. The panelists ended the with case studies of globalization, an emphasis on the need for consistent aggregate estimates, and a discussion of MNCs and trade, MNCs and domestic economy, and MNE rates of return.

Meeting: Seminar on “Measuring the Impact of Economic Globalization” (organized by the Permanent Mission of Ireland)

Date/Location: Tuesday, 29 November 2016; 10:00 to 13:00; UN Headquarters, Conference Room 12

Speakers: H.E. Ambassador Donoghue of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations; Mr. Steve Landefeld of the UN Statistics Division; Mr. Ataman Ozyidirim (Director, Business Cycles and Growth Research of the Conference Board); Mr. Klaus Tilmes and Ms. Deborah Winkler of the World Bank; Mr. Michael Connolly (Director of the Central Statistics Office, Ireland); Mr. Timothy J. Sturgeon (Senior researcher MIT Industrial Performance Center)

Written By: Renée S. Landzberg, WIT Representative

Women and Children’s Rights: Draft Resolutions in the Third Committee

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The November 22nd meeting began with a report of UN spending and proposed draft resolutions on preventing and combating corrupt practices and facilitating asset recovery. The Committee Secretary and the representative of Colombia stressed the importance of crime prevention and criminal justice. The Third Committee further discussed social development in the context of regional culture regarding youth, aging, disabled persons, and family life. Representatives focused on implementing outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly. The Committee deferred draft resolutions regarding women’s socioeconomic advancement, trafficking of women and girls, as well as “assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions” until a later time.

The committee discussed the promotion and protection of the children’s rights. Representatives proposed draft resolutions relating to “Child, early and forced marriage,” “Protecting children from bullying,” and “Rights of the child” (including, but not limited to migrant children). After some debate about language and content of the proposed revision, Sudan’s oral amendment to “Rights of the child” (A/C.3/71/L.20/Rev.1) was rejected by vote. The Committee adopted the revisions as earlier proposed, and several delegations followed with relevant personal statements. The committee agreed to adopt draft resolution to A/C.3/71/L.17/Rev.1 regarding the rights of indigenous peoples.

Meeting: Third Committee, 55th Meeting

Date/Time/Location: Tuesday, 22 November 2016; 10:00 to 13:00; UN Headquarters, Conference Room 1

Speakers: Chairperson of the Third Committee, Secretary of the Third Committee, Representative of Colombia, Representative of Nigeria, Representative of the Philippines, Representative of Mexico, Representative of Iceland, Representative of Sudan

Written By: Renée S. Landzberg, WIT Representative

Commemorating World AIDS Day

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To commemorate World AIDS Day, various NGOs discussed the significance of civil society’s role in responding to gloabl HIV/ AIDS. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) cannot be eradicated without vaccines, and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) develops in some people after exposure to HIV. People living with HIV can avoid developing AIDS if they are tested and receive treatment early. Dr. Padmini Murthy, global health director/ professor at New York Medical College, considered AIDS as an issue of gender equality. Women are more prone to AIDS due to biological makeup. Getting tested is a high-priority following unprotected sex, or in cases of sexual assault. According to Dr. Murthy, women are less likely to be proactive in obtaining and initiating condom use during intercourse due to societal gender roles in heterosexual encounters. She sighted education and empowerment as key factors in discontinuing this pattern. Simon Bland, director of the UN AIDS office of New York, tested the audience’s knowledge on statistics surrounding HIV/AIDS. Currently, 37 million people live globally with AIDS. The majority of new HIV infections are in young women having heterosexual sex. Only 60% of individuals living with HIV are aware of their positive status.

Eric Sawyer, co- founder of ACT UP and the Housing Works and Health Gap organization, discussed initial responses to AIDS in 1981. There were extreme stigmas. Fear and neglect of diagnosed individuals made living with HIV/AIDS that much more frightening and isolating. Many who tested positive were fired, evicted, and shunned. Only two funeral homes in New York City were willing to embalm HIV positive bodies. However, 35 years later, Deborah Levine, executive director of Love Heals, happily announced that last year no child was born HIV positive in NYC. Molly McHugh, Communications Director of Grassroots Soccer (GRS), stated that GRS offers support to HIV positive youth by referring them to treatment and providing them with safe and supportive spaces.

Meeting: Briefing on “HIV and AIDS: How can civil society revitalize the response?” (on the occasion of the World AIDS Day) (organized by the NGO Relations, NGO Relations and Advocacy, and Special Events Section, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information (DPI))

Date/ Time/Location: Thursday, 1 December 2016; 13:15 to 14:30; United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber

Speakers: Dr. Padmini Murthy, Global Health Director/Professor at New York Medical College and NGO representative; Simon Bland, Director of UN AIDS office of NY; Eric Sawyer, Co- Founder of ACT UP and Housing Works and Health Gap; Deborah Levine, Executive Director of Love Heals; Molly McHugh, Communications Director of Grassroots Soccer

Written By: Donna Sunny, WIT Representative