DESA News
Features
International Year of Youth: their year, their voice
The International Year of Youth, commencing on the United Nations annual Day of Youth, 12 August 2010, celebrates and focuses on the importance of youth around the world. The contributions of youth to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are fundamental for success and Youth Conferences with the United Nations reflect the role youth play in achieving development. Youth are the future of the UN, and the future of all development. FULL ARTICLE
Investing in women and girls: a key to achieve the MDGs
In the framework of the 2010 Substantive Session, the Ministerial Declaration was adopted at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Segment on 2 July, calling for greater investment in women and girls in order to strengthen and advance gender equality and women empowerment. Under this premise, the 54 member Council supported the creation of the United Nations Entity for Women. FULL ARTICLE
UN Women entity to accelerate empowerment of women
On 2 July, the General Assembly voted unanimously to create a dynamic new entity to merge four United Nations offices focusing on gender equality. “I welcome what will be an historic move by the General Assembly today in establishing UN Women, an entity designed to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide,” said the Deputy Secretary-General. FULL ARTICLE
- Webcast (38 minutes)
Global dialogue on development
- Celebrating indigenous filmmaking on International Day
- International Year of Youth: Dialogue and mutual understanding
- Development to help nations consolidate peace
More on Global dialogue on development
Trends and analysis
- Exchanging information on civil registration and vital statistics
- Designing MDG Electronic Centre
- Networks for national development
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Capacity development
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Publications and websites
World Statistics Pocketbook
The United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook 2009 is an authoritative and comprehensive compilation of over 50 key statistical indicators in convenient country profile format. This edition presents available data from 216 countries and areas, from over 20 international statistical sources, generally for the years 2000, 2005 and 2008. The topics covered include: balance of payments, communication, education and culture, environment, health, industrial production, international trade, labour force, largest urban agglomeration etc.
More on publications and websites
Comings and goings
Comings
Mr. Donald Lee was appointed Chief of the Social Perspective on Development Branch in the Division for Social Policy and Development, DESA, effective 1 August 2010. With this move, he returns to the Division for Social Policy and Development where he had earlier served as Chief of the Poverty Eradication and Employment Section from 2000 to 2007. Currently, Mr. Lee is Officer-in-Charge of the Communications and Information Management Services (CIMS), a position he has held since July 2009.
Goings
Μs. Elsa Stamatopoulou left the United Nations on 31 July 2010 as Chief of the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, a position she held with distinction since the establishment of the Secretariat of the Forum in 2003. Her departure marks 31 years of service at the United Nations (Vienna, Geneva and New York) of which some 23 were dedicated to the human rights field. Indigenous issues were part of her portfolio since 1983.
Mr. Vladimir Markhonko retired on 31 July 2010 as Chief of DESA’s Trade Statistics Branch, a position he held with distinction since 2003. His retirement marks many years of dedicated service to the Statistics Division and, in particular, to the field of international trade statistics. With a PhD in Economics from Belarus State University and his experience as an associate professor there, he started his United Nations career in New York in 1982.
