The expert consultation held on November 1-2, titled “Promoting the rights of children working and/or living on the street: Bridging the gaps between policy and practice,” aimed to solidify the Global Research Paper on street children in order complete the document by the end of 2011. Gathered at the meeting were field experts, country missions, and civil society representatives working to contribute tangible results to the report. The meeting was sponsored by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner and co-sponsored by Aviva, Consortium for Street Children,...

On 31 October, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted for the Admission of Palestine as full member of the Paris-based agency. The decision was taken with 107 votes in favour, 14 against and 52 absentees, raising the current number of Member States to 195. Included among the black-balls votes were that of both the United States and Israel. In an interview the General-Director of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, expressed her concerns for the Organization’s future: in fact, one of the major UNESCO’s contributors is the United States...

On October 31, 2011 the world population reached 7 billion inhabitants as stated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) recently issued yearly State of the World Report outlining the trends that define our world. On one hand this exponentially increasing number represents the possibility for positive global advancements and development; while on the other, the reality of poverty, the economic crisis, human rights violations and volatile governments titter on the verge of collapse.    UNPA Executive Director Mr. Babatunde Osotimehin, recognized this pivotal state the world is approaching and called on...

A conference on the occasion of the 66th Anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, dating back to 1945,  was organized on 21 October, 2011, by the NGO Liason Unit of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), and the Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN).  Also present to commemorate the anniversary was Ms.  Daniel Schender, FDFA, UN Coordination Unit Security Council and Political Affairs. Ms. Schender asserted that inspiration, values and commitment are three very important tools to incorporate into one’s life work, she explained...

On October 24th, 2011, the UN celebrated its anniversary since its foundation 66 years ago. The General-Secretary, Ban-Ki Moon stressed the need for unity to face the challenges of the new era, from the economic crisis to the climate change. “Global problems demand global solutions,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the United Nations. “They compel all nations to unite in action on an agenda for the world’s people. That is the very mission of the United Nations,” he added. This year is particularly dramatic as the role of UN...

From the 10th to the 14th of October 2011, Bice  BICE (Bureau International Catholic Child Bureau) along with the secretariat of the Lasallian educational mission, co-organized a training course on “Human Rights, the Right to education and education to human rights” addressed to the South American members of the religious congregations of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools of La Salle.Sr. MariaGrazia Caputo, Main Representative of IIMA and VIDES to the United Nations, showed her support of the course by giving a speech on “the religious congregations’...

In a resolution co-sponsored by the 193 Member States, the UN General Assembly called all nations to respect the Olympic Truce during the next summer’s Olympics in London. The objective of this initiative is to “use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation” in areas of conflict during the weeks in which the Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place.  According to Mr. W. Lemke, Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisor on Sport and Development, the peculiarity of the resolution is that all the UN Member States agreed to sponsor...

The 2011 Social Forum took place from 3 to 5 October 2011 in room XVIII, at Palais des Nations in Geneva. In the context of the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, the Social Forum focused on three main issues:1) promotion and effective realization of the right to development; 2) measures and actions needed to make the right to development a reality for everyone at the local, national, regional and international level; 3) international assistance and...

On 21 September, 2011, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon presented a report titled "We The Peoples" focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the future role of the United Nations. The South Korean diplomat focused on five generational opportunities that he defined as “imperative” actions to be taken in changing the future world. The UN Secretary-General indicated sustainable development as the priority  of the 21st century. He remarked on the importance of increased efforts dealing with climate change, food security and water scarcity. A second great opportunity for change...

On Thursday 13th October a meeting was held celebrating the 1st closing cycle of the mechanism of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Palais des Nations, Room XX. The meeting, organized by the NGO UPR-info in co-sponsorship with the Permanent Missions of Morocco, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, aimed to review the first cycle session, identifying the progress made in the field of human rights around the world. H.E. Omar Hilal (Permanent Mission of Morocco) opened the meeting stressing the importance of the...