'The Oxford Handbook on the UN' launched in London and Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The UK launch of 'The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations' took place on 5 July and was hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in its beautiful Locarno Rooms. Chaired by Lord Hannay, the event featured a speech by new FCO Minister Sir Mark Malloch Brown and presentations by Professor Sir Adam Roberts, Ambassador Nick Thorne and Dr Ngaire Woods. Professor Tom Weiss and Sam Daws - the editors of the Handbook - made closing remarks.

Click here to view photos and find out more about the event

UNA-UK and partners host UK launch of NGO report assessing the Peacebuilding Commission's first year

On Tuesday, 10 July, UNA-UK co-hosted a seminar at the Foreign Press Association in London to present findings from three major NGOs on the UN Peacebuilding Commission's (PBC) first year and its pilot interventions in Sierra Leone and Burundi.

The event served as the UK launch of a major research report by ActionAid, CAFOD and CARE International UK, entitled ‘Consolidating the peace? Views from Sierra Leone and Burundi on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’.

Click here to read the report, view photos from the event and find out more

Annual Conference keynote speech: Shashi Tharoor

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor delivered the keynote address on 'The future of the UN' in Durham Cathedral on Saturday, 22 April 2006. In addition to members of UNA-UK , local parliamentarians, postgraduate students and academics were in attendance. Click here to read the text of the speech.

Kofi Annan addresses UNA-UK

In an historic speech on 31 January 2006 at Central Hall Westminster, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered a wide-ranging address to a large audience of UNA-UK members, diplomats and civil society. The event commemorated the 60th anniversary of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly, which was itself held in Central Hall Westminster in January 1946.

Click here to read more about the address and to watch the event online

In Larger Freedom: public debates

In early 2005 UNA-UK was tasked by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to conduct a public and expert engagement process on UN reform in the lead-up to the UN Millennium Review Summit in September 2005.

A series of national and regional public debates were undertaken to examine the recommendations made in the UN Secretary-General's report, In Larger Freedom. The purpose of the debates was to ensure the widest possible public input into the development of the UK government's priorities for the UN World Summit. Click here to find out more about the consultations.

UK government launch of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel Report

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appeared together at the commencement of a half-day conference, at the Banqueting House in Whitehall on 10 February 2005, to mark the government’s launch of the UN High-level Panel report: 'A more secure world: our shared responsibility'.

UNA-UK was given a major role in this high-level event. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and FCO Minister Bill Rammell MP used the occasion to announce that UNA-UK would be conducting, on behalf of the Foreign Office, a series of regional public debates on the report and its recommendations. Click here to read more about the event.