The UN Chronicle

---

General Assembly Coverage

Interview with Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee:
President of the Executive Board of UNDP and UNFPA

8 May 2009

Kaveh Afrasiabi asks what the responsibilities of the UNDP/UNFPA Board consist of, among other questions.

Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)
Focus on Decolonization, Demining and Peacekeeping

21 July 2008

The Fourth Committee had worked on two major topics—the maintenance of peace and security, and organizational and administrative matters.

Read previous articles about the General Assembly.

Climate Change

Book Review
Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming Is Changing the World — by Gary Braasch

Reviewed by Yuwei Zhang

Melting glaciers in Antarctica, drought in China and flooding in Tuvalu are only some of the consequences of climate change that impact our lives.

Now Is The Time — We must find a global response to this most global of problems

By United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Climate change, and how we address it, will define us, our era and ultimately the global legacy we leave for future generations. It is time for new thinking, and a new inclusiveness.

The Climate Change Challenge

26 January 2008 | By Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Will we have an international consensus on the causes and consequences of global warming? Is the international community willing and ready to act decisively on the significant scale needed to respond adequately to the threat of climate change?

Ethanol from Corn: A Solution to Oil Dependence?

11 January 2008

Only recently, ethanol has gained the popularity that is reserved for major breakthroughs, even though it has been used as a fuel since 1908, when Henry Ford produced the first ever vehicle that could run on ethanol or gasoline, or a combination of both.

Breakthrough in Bali: A Two-Year Road Map on Climate Change Agreed

02 January 2008

187 countries agreed to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on strengthening international efforts to fight, mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Climate Change 2007:IPCC Launches Fourth Assessment Report

23 November 2007

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) launched the final part of its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) on 17 November 2007 in Valencia, Spain.

UNEP Launched GEO-4 Report

09 November 2007

On 25 October 2007, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched its fourth Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development, the so-called GEO-4 report.

Read previous articles about Climate Change.

Recent Events

Security Council Debate: ‘Sexual Violence Affects Health and Safety of Women’— 2008 Resolution Declares Rape Can Constitute a War Crime

30 June 2008

Concerned over the security of women and girls in situations of armed conflict, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently stated that rape is a crime that can never be condoned; yet, women and girls around the world have been subjected to widespread and deliberate acts of sexual violence.

Holocaust Remembrance and Genocide Prevention: ‘UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights Remain Guiding Principles’

30 June 2008

Coinciding with the sixty-third anniversary of the signing of the United Nations (UN) Charter, an engaging and educative panel discussion on genocide prevention, “Saving Succeeding Generations”, was held on 26 June at UN Headquarters in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) Outreach Division and the United Nations University (UNU).

2008 High-Level Meeting on AIDS: ‘Don’t We Deserve to Live a Better Life?’

20 June 2008

At a United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS, Ratri Suryadarma of Indonesia, who is openly living with AIDS, stated that the marginalized and vulnerable groups in Asia have limited access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Global Food Crisis: ‘Raise Food Production by 50 per cent by 2030’

12 June 2008

At a recently concluded High-Level Conference on World Food Security in Rome, held from 3 to 5 June 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the world needed to produce more food and that its production needed to rise by 50 per cent by 2030 to meet growing demand.

60 years of Peacekeeping: A Special Focus on UNTSO

29 May 2008

Since its inception in 1948, the United Nations has led a total of 63 peacekeeping operations around the world. 29 May, 2008 marks not only the International Day of Peacekeepers, but also the sixtieth anniversary of UN peacekeeping operations.

Afghanistan a Top Priority at Bucharest Summit

12 May 2008

In his speech on 3 April, 2008, Mr. Ban reassured the meeting that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) would not leave the country as long as it is needed by the Afghan people and would continue to guarantee national peace, security and development.

UN Commemorates the 14th Anniversary of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda

12 May 2008

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the United Nations had a “moral duty” to learn from the lessons of Rwanda and spearhead efforts to prevent another genocide, in a message he delivered on 7 April, 2008 to mark the 14th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Russia’s Private Sector joins UN Global Compact Network

12 May 2008

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the launch of a Global Compact network in the Russian Federation on 10 April, noting that the country’s private sector had joined thousands of businesses in more than 120 countries that embrace the UN Global Compact’s vision of a more inclusive global economy.

Commission on AIDS Releases Report on Asia

09 May 2008

AIDS is still the most likely cause of death and work days lost among fifteen to forty-four year-old residents in Asia, and nearly five million people are living with HIV with 440,000 people dying each year in that region

UN Humanitarian Coordinator Calls For International Help to Solve Crisis in Eastern Chad

09 May 2008

Eastern Chad has experienced a humanitarian crisis fueled by a massive influx of refugees from the Central African Republic and Darfur that has strained the capacity of local environment and basic infrastructure.

World Cities Join Forces to Achieve Millennium Development Goals

08 May 2008

More than 1,000 delegates representing cities in 100 countries attended the sixth forum of the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP)in Athens, Greece.

Spiralling Food Prices Pose a Threat to Development in the World’s Poorest Countries

28 April 2008

Increasing food prices are affecting millions of people across the world, in particular those living on the edge of poverty. Some of the effects of this situation are devastating and represent a threat to progress in developing countries, stated the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

The Security Council Extends the UN Mission in Timor-Leste

25 April 2008

On 25 February 2008, the Security Council, in resolution 1802, approved the extension of the mandate of United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) for another year, until 26 February 2009. The resolution was adopted following the attacks on Timor-Leste’s President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmâo on 11 February.

UN Observes World Autism Awareness Day

25 April 2008

On 18 December 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, to be observed annually starting in 2008. Introduced by Qatar as a draft text and sponsored by 50 Member States, this initiative aims to disseminate information throughout society regarding children with autism.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

24 April 2008

To commemorate and honour the memory of a group of student killed on 21 March 1960 during a demonstration against the racist apartheid “pass laws” in the South African township of Sharpeville, the UN General Assembly, in 1966, proclaimed 21 March the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The UN observes the first International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. CARICOM calls for monument at the Headquarters

24 April 2008

To honour the memory of those who died as a result of slavery and those who have been exposed to the horrors of the “Middle Passage” and have fought for freedom from enslavement, the United Nations held its first observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 26 March 2008

UN Envoy Encourages Involvement in Campaign against Rape in Liberia

16 April 2008

The United Nations joined the Liberian Government, the national Gender-Based Violence Task Force and other partners in launching an anti-rape campaign on 14 March 2008, which brought together local authorities, students, youth and women groups. The announcement was made in the town of Harper, located in Liberia’s southeastern Maryland county.

UNIFEM Announces Partnership with Avon to Foster Women’s Empowerment

25 March 2008

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Avon Products Inc. launched their new public-private Partnership for Women’s Rights and Empowerment and the creation of the Avon Empowerment Fund.

“Together we can make a Difference” UN Launches Year-Long Human Rights Advocacy Campaign

21 December 2007

“Today marks the launch of a year-long advocacy campaign for Human Rights” Under-Secretary General Kiyo Akasaka said to welcome the audience on the occasion of Human Rights Day 2007 at United Nations Headquarters on 10 December.

The UNU-Cornell Africa Series The African Food System and Its Interactions with Health and Nutrition

19 December 2007

Africa remains a central focus of the Millennium Development Goals, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000. The reasons for Africa’s lack of success in achieving the MDGs and the issues that deny the region access to food are complex.

Read previous articles about Recent Events.

Feature Stories

The Chronicle Library Shelf
‘The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations’

Reviewed by Anthony McDermott

Handbook is something of a misnomer for a work of this genre. The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations’ contents and informed analysis are on a scale that makes it invaluable to hand for learned reference.

Can the United Nations Help Fashion a Global Response to Diabetes?

S. M. Sadikot

Declaring 14 November as World Diabetes Day is a significant first step taken by the United Nations in recognizing diabetes. However, the annual observance of the Day would be meaningless if concrete programmes for people with diabetes, especially the most vulnerable, are not launched and monitored, and if funding to help them is not provided. Thus, it is imperative that this recognition does not end with a simple commemoration.

Inequality and Economic Development

Jomo Kwame Sundaram

A comparison of the last quarter century to the previous two decades—the 1960s and 1970s—reveals that economic growth slowed during the last quarter of a century compared to the previous period, often referred to by “Keynesians” as the Golden Age.

The Making of 'Looks Can Be Deceiving'

Katja, Lucas, Rachel, Danilo, Ricardo, Camila, Thais, Juliana and Eduarda

We all met for the first time at the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) Internship Programme in Rio de Janeiro. Just two weeks after we arrived, the former Director of UNIC-Rio, Carlos dos Santos, told us about the Film Your Issue (FYI) contest.

The Marshall Plan at 60: The General’s Successful War On Poverty

Erik Reinert and Jomo K. S.

At the end of the Second World War, the United States Secretary of State, General George Marshall, announced a re-industrialization plan for war-torn Europe. Known as the Marshall Plan, this generous infusion of United States aid and favourable acceptance of national developmental policies ensured the rebirth of modern Europe.

Struggling with TB in Kabul

09 November 2007

They come in their hundreds every morning— except Friday, which is the holy day in Afghanistan—arriving in dribs and drabs to wait patiently for the Ali Abad orthopaedic clinic, which is run by the International Red Cross to open in Kabul.

An Ordinary Miracle

Text and Images by Ray Dirks

When I was asked to travel to Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to photograph that country’s first legitimate elections in more than 40 years, I was filled with anticipation and apprehension.

Seeds of Hope in Afghanistan

Text by Peter Lowrey and Images by Giulio Napolitano

It was hard to believe I was in strife-torn Afghanistan when the Deputy Minister I was interviewing in his well-defended Kabul office said he was overcome with optimism. But Afghanistan threw many surprises at us during a two-week mission by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to three provinces to examine efforts to get the country’s most important sector—agriculture—on track again.

Read previous Feature Stories.

Millennium Development Goals

Deadly Denial - Confronting AIDS in Asia

By United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

As a Korean, and the first UN Secretary-General from Asia in more than 30 years, it’s no surprise that I often speak of my home continent as a model for economic development. Yet when it comes to the AIDS epidemic, I am more disheartened than proud.

The New Face of Global Hunger

By United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The price of food is soaring. The threat of hunger and malnutrition is growing. Millions of the world’s most vulnerable people are at risk. An effective and urgent response is needed.

Innovation, Research and Technology - The Keys to achieving the MDGs in China

By Chen Jin

Meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is critical in order for China to achieve sustained economic growth and improve the quality of life of its people. The Government has contributed to social progress through gradual institutional reforms, groundbreaking scientific advancements and technological innovation.

Inequality and Economic Development

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram

A comparison of the last quarter century to the previous two decades—the 1960s and 1970s—reveals that economic growth slowed during the last quarter of a century compared to the previous period, often referred to by “Keynesians” as the Golden Age.

Poverty reduction in South Asia requires a holistic strategy to achieve the MDGs

By Anita Inder Singh

While it is feasible for the first UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG)—eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 — to be achieved in South Asia, poverty reduction is intertwined with other MDGs, whose attainment remains uncertain.

Read previous articles about Millenium Development Goals.