A People’s
Movement for the United Nations
January
2009 Update – Vol 1, No 2
News Flash!!
The International
Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on
President’s Message
I wish all the members a very
Happy New Year. It seems 2009 will be a year of challenges with the economic downturn,
global climate change issues and increasing fighting in some war torn areas of
the world. The importance of the United
Nations Associations increases. We all
have a responsibility to ensure that the young people of
The
committee will meet on Sunday February 22nd to make a plan for the
work of the WA Association this year. This plan will include celebrating
important UN days, the Huelin Lecture, lunch time forums, celebration of
Harmony Week, priorities for the human rights committee and the environment
committee and the model UN. It will be a
busy year and the Association needs your input, with ideas, as a volunteer and
in attendance at events.
There
is a need to build up the membership of the Association. Please discuss with your friends the benefits
of becoming a member. Membership forms
are available on-line or from the office.
Fundraising is required this year, as the Association has been informed
that the concurrent funding which covered the cost of office rental up to 2007
is no longer available. It will be
necessary to gain sponsors and fundraise.
A donation was received last week after a member invited some friends to
lunch and they each contributed $10. All had a pleasant lunch and $100 was
raised for the work of the Association. The human rights committee is planning
another lunch. I recommend this type of
fundraising as it also assists the members to get to know each other and
socialise.
The
Association has applied to hold a stall at the
A
subcommittee has been working hard to put together an application to Lotterywest
Grants Section for a grant to upgrade the computer system and purchase a data
projector for use at meetings, lunchtime forums and seminars. I thank Vice President Carolyne Gatward and Treasurer
Harvey Davies for their work on this application.
I
look forward with optimism to working with you all towards a successful year
for United Nations Australia Association WA Division.
Judith
A. Parker AM, President
2009 Diary Dates
National
News
UN Doha Conference
National
President of UNAA, Professor John Langmore has circulated to all Division Offices
a copy of his paper on the recent UN Doha Conference on Financing for
Development. In just 4 pages he gives an
excellent summary of preparations for the conference, the main themes on the
agenda, some insightful opinions on the progress made and, finally, concludes
with the optimistic view that “The
intellectual and political momentum for concerted improvements in financing for
development and in multilateral economic
and financial governance seemed to pick up during the conference. Just meeting
is an encouragement for renewed commitment and action.” The report is available from the office in
word document format.
Response
to
President of the General
Assembly (GA) calls Emergency Special Session of GA on
National President, John
Langmore has forwarded the following advice:
Please
note that at the request of Member States, the President of the General
Assembly, Miguel D´Escoto, has called an Emergency Special Session of the
General Assembly to consider the ongoing humanitarian situation in the occupied
The
President has informed Permanent Representatives and is referring to Resolution
A/RES/ES-10/17 adopted by the 10th Emergency Special Session of the General
Assembly at it’s 31st meeting of 15 December 2006 on the Illegal Israeli
actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian
Territory, which authorizes the President of the General Assembly to resume the
meeting of the Special Session upon request from Member States.
Enrique
Yeves, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly.
Other
News
Helen
Suzman: Died
For decades Helen was the sole
Parliamentary voice to dissent from
Helen Suzman was a true woman
of courage and a defender of human rights.
For further information read the obituary in The Australian,
The Secretary-General Video Message on Human Rights
Day
This video was shown at our Human Rights Day Open House on
Further Resources
Subscribe to UNity for 2009, as well as earlier issues are available at:
www.unaa.org.au
Sign up for UN Wire: http://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsp
Read more about the Millenium project: www.unmillenniumproject.org
