........update on the United Nations and UNA-UK: news, action points and events

Welcome

Welcome to the June 2008 e-newsletter of the United Nations Association of the UK (UNA-UK).

Each issue of ‘UN Matters’ features news updates and events listings, as well as actions and activities you can undertake in support of the United Nations.

What is UNA-UK?

UNA-UK is the UK's leading independent policy authority on the United Nations and a vibrant grassroots membership organisation with a base of supporters throughout the UK.

UNA-UK is committed to a strong, credible and effective UN at the centre of an international system governed by multilateralism and the rule of law. We believe that a strengthened UN is in the UK's national interest, and we strive to promote consistent and constructive government support for the UN and its work.

UNA-UK to host speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, 13 June

UNA-UK is delighted to be hosting, in partnership with the FCO, a major speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, 13 June at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The speech - entitled 'Securing the Common Good: The United Nations and the Expanding Global Agenda' - will begin promptly at 2pm, with guests to be seated by no later than 1.45pm. Lord Hannay of Chiswick, UNA-UK's Chair and former British Ambassador to the UN, will introduce the Secretary-General.

This is not a public event, but a few places remain for UNA members. To apply for a place, e-mail sg@una.org.uk stating your name, affiliation (e.g. UNA branch or, if applicable, organisation you work for) and postal address. If you have been allocated a place, you will then be sent an invitation card in the post. You will need to present this at the venue, along with photo ID which matches your name as it appears on the card. Please note that priority will be given to UNA members. If you are not a member, click here to join.

Panel discussion of New World Disorder, a new book by David Hannay

This event will take place from 12.30pm to 1.45pm on Wednesday, 11 June at the Foreign Press Association, 11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. Sandwiches and refreshments will be served from 12 noon. After an overview by Lord Hannay, responses will be given by Sir Michael Wood (Senior Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge, and former Legal Adviser to the FCO); and Sir Jeremy Greenstock (Director of the Ditchley Foundation, former British Ambassador to the UN, and former British Special Representative in Iraq). Click here for details of the book, copies of which will be available to UNA members to buy at the event at a discounted price.

To register for a place, please e-mail rusling@una.org.uk or call 020 7766 3459.

Diplomats approve cluster bomb ban

On 28 May, after nine days of intense negotiations, over 100 states reached agreement on an international treaty to ban all forms of cluster munitions.

Campaigners praised Prime Minister Gordon Brown for his announcement that the UK would scrap its stockpiles of the weapon. In a statement on the final day of the talks, seen by some as a personal intervention, Mr Brown said, ‘In order to secure as strong a convention as possible, in the last hours of negotiation we have issued instructions that we should support a ban on all cluster bombs, including those currently in service by the UK.’

Click here to read more.

UN Human Rights Council: UK re-elected, Sri Lanka defeated

On 21 May the UN General Assembly voted from a pool of 19 candidates to elect 15 members to the Human Rights Council. Britain pipped Spain by one vote to win a seat as one of two representatives of the 'Western European and other states' group, the other being France. Commenting on the UK's re-election, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said, 'The UK stood for election because we want to continue to build the Council into the strong and effective body it needs to be'.

Click here to read more.

Do Something: Support the relief effort in Burma

Estimates from the United Nations put the number of people severely affected by Cyclone Nargis at 2.4 million, 1.4 million of which remain in desperate need of food, clean water, shelter and medical care. The United Nations is mobilising aid and giving assistance. Although some aid flights have been allowed to land in Rangoon, the UN and its humanitarian partners are being impeded by the Burmese authorities' failure to allow foreign experts into the affected areas.

Click here to read how you can support the relief effort.

Spring issue of New World

The spring issue of New World leads with an essay by Baroness Williams on the push to reinvigorate multilateral nuclear disarmament. Other features include articles by Ed Luck, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, and Jacques Diouf, head of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

Click here to view New World online.

JUNE

7 June

UNA-UK - First conference in major climate change series (Birmingham)
Join UNA-UK for a one-day conference on climate change. 'The Climate Challenge: a call to action' will take place from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, 7 June 2008 at Birmingham Council House, Birmingham, B1 1BB. Our speakers include: Lord Hannay (Chair of UNA-UK and former ambassador to the United Nations), Alex Evans (from New York University's Center on International Cooperation), Paul Hilder (Campaign Director of Avaaz.org), and Ziana Kotadia (Climate Change Champion for the West Midlands). The conference - which will also feature interactive workshops and information stalls - will evaluate what solutions are needed at the international, national and local levels if the challenge of climate change is to be met with necessary action. Complimentary lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Places are still available. To book visit www.una.org.uk/climate, or call 020 7766 3448.

10, 17 and 24 June

UNA Merton – UN Global Compact workshops
Alison Williams will be conducting a series of workshops about the UN Global Compact. After an overview session on 3 June, Alison will focus on human rights & labour on 10 June; environment & development on 17 June; and anti-corruption on 24 June. The workshops will run twice a day on the above dates, from 12.30pm to 2.30pm and from 8pm to 10pm. They will be held at 11 Wilberforce House, 119 Worple Road, London SW20 8ET. For further information, please contact Alison Williams on 020 8944 0574 or alisonwilliams36 (at) tiscali.co.uk

11 June

UNA-UK - A panel discussion of 'New World Disorder', a new book by Lord Hannay
This event will take place from 12.30pm to 1.45pm on Wednesday, 11 June at the Foreign Press Association, 11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ. Sandwiches and refreshments will be served from 12 noon. After an overview by Lord Hannay, responses will be given by Sir Michael Wood (Senior Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge, and former Legal Adviser to the FCO); and Sir Jeremy Greenstock (Director of the Ditchley Foundation, former British Ambassador to the UN, and former British Special Representative in Iraq). Click here for details of the book, copies of which will be available to UNA members to buy at the event at a discounted price. If you would like to register for a place, please e-mail rusling@una.org.uk or call 020 7766 3459.

UNA Exeter - Question time on international affairs
The question master will be Professor Neil Armstrong, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter. The event will take place in the Music Room, Exeter Central Library, at 7pm for 7.30pm. For further details, please contact Noel Harrower on 01395 271 731 or n.harrower (at) btinternet.com

12 June

UNA West Oxfordshire – Discussion on Western Sahara
Sidi Omar, the POLISARIO Representative for the United Kingdom and Ireland, will discuss the current situation in Western Sahara and POLISARIO's position on the issue. The meeting will begin at 8pm at The Cottages, Church Lane, Charlbury, Oxfordshire OX7 3PX. For further details, please contact Malcolm Harper on 07778 450 515 or malcolm.harper (at) ukonline.co.uk

14 June

UNA Wales – AGM and public meeting
The AGM will begin at 11.30am at the Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3AP. The AGM will be followed by lunch and a public meeting at 1.30pm on ‘Justice and Humanitarian Intervention’. The speaker will be Dr Peter Sutch, Senior Lecturer in Political Theory in the Politics Department at Cardiff University. For further details, please contact Stephen Thomas on 02920 228 549 or stephenthomas (at) wcia.org.uk

UNA Eastern Region – Council meeting and speech by Lord Hannay
This event will take place between 10.30am and 3.30pm, with a break for lunch at 1pm. Lord Hannay will be speaking about the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other issues. The event will take place at the Stoneyard Centre, St Andrew’s Baptist Church, St Andrews Street, Cambridge. For further information, please contact David Roberts on 01603 435 790 or unity.eastwards (at) ntlworld.com

20 June

UNA Norwich & District - World Refugee Day meeting
Jackie Watson of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture will speak at the Friends' Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, Norwich. The talk will begin at 1pm and will last for about 45 minutes. Doors will be open from 12.15pm and people are welcome to bring a packed lunch. Hot drinks and biscuits will be included in the charge of £2. For further details, please contact David Roberts on 01603 435 790 or unity.eastwards (at) ntlworld.com

21 June

UNA Canterbury - Garden day
Pat and Ian Wrigley will be opening their garden, at Cooks Farm, Lower Hardres, Canterbury CT4 5PA, to the public between 2pm and 5pm to raise funds for International Service and the UNA Trust. Tickets are £4, which includes tea and cake. For further details, please contact Madeleine Webster on 01227 761 894.

UNA Harpenden - Talk on 'Indigenous voices at the UN'
Phillip Powell, Director of the Centre for International Justice and Reconciliation at YWAM, Harpenden, will give a talk based on his experiences at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York. This event will take place at 11am at the Quaker Meeting House, 12 Southdown Road, Harpenden, AL5 1PD. For more information contact Trevor Evans at jandt.evans (at) ntlworld.com or 01582 713 895.

24 June

UNA Glasgow - Model UN General Assembly
Fifty-two students representing 20 different countries will take part in the event, to be held in the Lecture Theatre of Glasgow University's Boyd Orr Building on University Avenue, Glasgow. The programme starts at 9.30am and will cover children's rights and landmines, and food shortages. For further details, please contact Frances Mildmay on 01413 395 408 or frances.mildmay (at) btinternet.com

26 June

UNA East Gloucestershire – Talk on ‘The United Nations And You’
Branch secretary Chris Dickenson will talk on the above subject at 8pm at Glebelands, Cheltenham Road, Colesbourne, Glos. GL53 9NP. The event will include a participative Security Council simulation. For further details, please contact Chris on 01242 870 260 or egbunauk (at) msn.com

28 June

UNA London and South-East Region - Summer Council Meeting
This event, entitled 'UDHR: The way forward', with a distinguished panel of speakers, will be held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It will take place by kind permission of Her Excellency Dr Lindiwe Mabuza, South African High Commissioner, at The Kinema, South African High Commission, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DP from 12.45pm to 4.30pm. Please arrive by 12.30pm. A cover charge of £10 for members (including YPN) or £5 for UNYSA members will include a light lunch and refreshments. Cheques are payable in advance to ‘UNA Blackheath & Greenwich’. For further details and to book, please write to Neville Grant at 13 Glenluce Road, London SE3 7SD. Alternatively he can be reached on neville.grant (at) gmail.com or 020 8858 8489.

UNA Oxford – ‘Win some, lose some: reflections on the struggle for human rights and justice in Burma and East Timor, 1975 to present’
The speaker for this event will be Dr Peter Carey from the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. This event will take place at the Friends' Meeting House, 43 St Giles from 3pm to 5pm. For further details, please contact Neville Shepherd on 01865 761 630 or neville.shepherd (at) metronet.co.uk

JULY

4 July

UNA Westminster – Anniversary concert
At 7.30pm UNA Westminster branch will host a concert to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, at St John's, Smith Square, London. For more information contact David Wardrop on 020 7385 6738. The programme and booking details will be available soon at www.unawestminster.org.uk

11 July

UNA Canterbury - Garden supper and talk
Neville Grant will speak on writing textbooks for the developing world from 6pm at 5 The Terrace, St Stephens, Canterbury CT2 7AJ. For further details, please contact Madeleine Webster 01227 761 894.

26 July

UNA Harpenden - Talk on the UN Commission on the Status of Women
Elizabeth Brown from the Mothers' Union and Hilary Ratcliffe from Soroptomists International will speak about their experiences at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. This event will take place from 11am at St Nicholas Church Hall, Church Green, Harpenden AL5 2TP. For more information contact Trevor Evans at jandt.evans (at) ntlworld.com or 01582 713 895.

JOIN UNA-UK TODAY!

If you're already a member: why not tell a friend about UNA-UK? For more details visit www.una.org.uk

Members receive regular updates about UNA-UK activities and campaigns, as well as invitations to branch, regional and national events. All members automatically receive a subscription to our quarterly magazine, New World.

JUNE

4 June

Royal Commonwealth Society
The event, entitled ‘Building Trust and Sharing Power: Lessons in Peace from Northern Ireland’, will feature a panel including Peter Hain MP, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; Gerry Kelly MLA, senior Sinn Fein negotiator and Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive and Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, Nobel Peace Laureate and former MP & First Minister of Northern Ireland. For further information and bookings, please contact Claire Anholt on claire.anholt (at) rcsint.org or 020 7766 9202.

16-17 June

SOAS Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy: 3rd Annual London Conference on a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone
The conference will include a keynote speech by Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala (former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs). Governmental representativeswill then outline their countries' positions on the zone. This will be followed by expert presentations, including on the legal and institutional elements of a Zone treaty by Jean DuPreez (Monterey Center for Nonproliferation Studies). For more information, please click here.

16-18 June

Low and Zero Carbon Housing Seminar
CIFAL Findhorn, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research affiliated training centre for Northern Europe, offers a series of events that focus on sustainable solutions to the many and varied challenges of climate change. This series of seminars, in partnership with WWF and Moray Council, will take place in Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland. For further information please visit www.cifalfindhorn.org or e-mail cifalfindhorn (at) findhorn.org

16 June

International Rescue Committee 2008 Annual Lecture
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres will give a talk entitled 'People on the Move: The Challenges of Displacement in the 21st Century'. The event will take place from 7pm at The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore (Exhibition Road Entrance), London SW7 2AR. Tickets are £15 for the lecture (concessions £8) and £30 for the lecture and post-lecture reception. For reservations, please call the IRC-UK events line on 020 7692 2737. For more information, please click here.

17 June

Amnesty Film Screening
‘The Exonerated’ is an exposé of the American criminal justice system. It tells the true stories of six people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit and in the face of new evidence exonerated before their execution. This event begins at 6.30pm at the Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3EA. Admission is free but booking is essential. For further information and to book, please click here.

18 June

LSE Lecture
Mark Leonard, Executive Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, will be talking about his book, ‘What Does China Think?’. This event will begin at 6.30pm and will be held in room B212, Columbia House, London School of Economics. For further information and to book a place, please click here.

19 June

Seminar: 'From Fear to Nuclear Learning: Historical and Psychological Perspectives on Trust and Distrust in the Cuban Missile Crisis'
The Trust in World Politics Reading and Discussion Group of the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies is holding the above seminar from 4pm to 6pm in the Main Hall, International Politics Building, Aberystwyth University, SY23 3FE. Speakers will include, from the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University, Jan Ruzica, Vincent Keating and Professor Len Scott, as well as Dr Alex Gillespie of the Department of Psychology, University of Stirling. If you are interested in attending please register by e-mailing Rachel Owen at ddmstaff@aber.ac.uk

JULY

2 July

Amnesty Screening
'Taxi to the Darkside' (cert 15) depicts the use of torture in the 'War of Terror'. Admission is free but booking is essential. For further details and to book, please click here.

15 July

21st Century Network
This event, entitled ‘Globalisation & Fair Trade’ will take place between 6.30pm and 9pm at the House of Commons. Speakers will include Malcolm Bruce MP and Harriet Lamb, the Managing Director of the Fair Trade Foundation. To register for this event and to find out more, please click here.

ARE YOU A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL?

YPN - UNA-UK's Young Professionals Network - sends its members regular e-mails offering careers information, a list of upcoming events and a round-up of the latest YPN news. To sign up to the mailing list and YPN, visit www.una.org.uk/ypn