NGOs Unite on Earth’s Greatest Crisis

A three-day meeting of over 2,500 delegates from more than 500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and representing 80 countries affirmed that climate change “is potentially the most serious threat humanity and our environment have ever faced.”

A declaration adopted Friday warns that global warming can possibly have a devastating impact on virtually all aspects of life in the planet, including “catastrophic effects on our earth’s ecosystem, biodiversity and infrastructure.”

Among other potential threats singled out were: the significant reduction of available food, water, energy and transport; massive migration of populations and the possible destruction of entire cultures and small island nations; significant damage to economic, political, cultural and social bases; and irreversible harm to the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.

The meeting, described as one of the largest single gathering of NGOs, was organised by the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, which has been hosting similar conferences over the last 59 years. This year’s theme was: “Climate Change: How it Impacts Us All.”

Stressing the role of NGOs in raising global awareness of climate change, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told delegates the United Nations today relies on its partnership with the NGO community “in virtually everything the world body does”.

“Whether it is peace-building in sub-Saharan Africa or human rights in Latin America, disaster assistance in the Caribbean or de-mining efforts in the Middle East, the United Nations depends upon the advocacy skills, creative resources and grass-roots reach of civil society organisations in all our work,” she said, paying a compliment to NGOs, described as “the world’s third superpower.”

The NGO representatives committed themselves, over the next 12 months, “to unify behind a common vision of collaboration — even if we disagree on tactics — to develop and implement plans for adaptation and mitigation, taking into account the full range of consequences.”

UN announces high level meeting on climate change

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced that he will convene an informal high-level event in New York on the margins of the General Assembly on 24 September to promote discussion on possible ways to move the international community toward negotiations on new global agreement on climate change at the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Bali in December.

The Secretary-General hopes that world leaders will send a powerful political signal to the negotiations in Bali that “business as usual” will not do and that they are ready to work jointly with others towards a comprehensive multilateral framework for action on climate change for the period after 2012.

Ban Ki-Moon to Sudan

UN Secretary-general, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon will travel to the conflict zone in Sudan, Libya and Chad next week to try to push the peace process forward.
- I want to go and see for myself the very difficult conditions under which our forces will operate. I want to know, first hand, the plight of those they seek to help.

Last month the UN Security Council made the decision to send 26 000 peacekeeping forces to Sudan to provide basic security as a foundation for a long-lasting peace.

Stand Up against poverty on October 17

On October 17, join millions of people from around the world to Stand Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality.

In 2000, world leaders from 189 countries signed up to the Millennium Development Goals, a global plan to halve extreme poverty by 2015.

Last year, more than 23 million people in 87 countries stood up and took action to remind them of this promise. It was the largest single coordinated mobilization in the history of the Guinness World Records.

In 2007, we are at half time – but the world is falling behind.

This year, you can join this growing movement of people calling on our leaders to take action now.

On October 17, 2007 Stand Up and Speak Out!

More information
Stand Up Against Poverty

UN seeks support for Peru program

Margareta Wahlström

An appeal seeking approximately $37 million to assist victims of the Peru earthquake would be officially launched early next week, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said at Headquarters this morning.

At a press conference where she briefed correspondents on United Nations relief efforts in response to natural disasters, she said $9.6 million from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) had already been allocated to ensure the availability of resources.  The Prime Minister of Peru had made the announcement at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

There had been an enormous outpouring of assistance from countries in the subregion, regional banks and non-governmental organizations, she said.  Relief efforts were proceeding well, despite some organizational issues in terms of distribution and access to people in need, and problems of hygiene and sanitation.  In the next few weeks, however, there would be efforts to clear the rubble from the widespread destruction of churches, public buildings and homes and to establish emergency employment schemes.  With 514 people dead so far and 1,000 injured, United Nations assessments were reaching out to rural areas and the Government was conducting a local census to establish the correct numbers of people in need.

Turning to Hurricane Dean, she said the category 5 storm had now been downgraded, although a hurricane warning remained in effect for the Gulf of Mexico coastline.  While only a relatively limited number of people had been killed, the hurricane had caused huge economic damage to power networks, as well as the agriculture and fisheries of many Caribbean islands.  Those left homeless in Haiti and Jamaica were being supported by the authorities, the United Nations system and voluntary organizations.  Hopefully, the disaster relief operation would be relatively short, with the focus on recovery.

She then turned to the floods in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, where a week of torrential rains had dumped up to 850 millimetres of rain — at least half of the country’s annual rainfall.  Momentum was building for an appeal to be launched early next week.  It had been agreed that about 400,000 people had been affected in 92 counties, with 221 dead.  Agriculture had been seriously hit, but the floodwaters were now receding.  The United Nations appeal would focus on providing food and emergency medical, water and sanitation needs.

She noted that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies had launched an appeal on 20 August for $5.5 million.  There was a lot of interest by the donors, who were waiting for the United Nations to determine the first priorities, which would be available next week.  All the relevant United Nations agencies had staff in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, many of them having worked there for 10 years or more.  They knew the environment well and had actively led the needs assessments in all the affected areas.

Emphasizing the vulnerability of all countries to the increasing number of weather-related disasters, she noted the mid-western United States had also just suffered severe flooding.  There was a need for preparedness, early warning systems and consistent collaboration in reducing the human and economic impact of disasters.

In response to a question, she said the appeal for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was estimated at “somewhere between $15 million and $20 million”.

She told another correspondent that, while there were sufficient supplies of water, food, plastic sheeting, blankets and other needs in Peru, there was a need to improve coordination.

Asked whether there had been access problems in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, she said all the affected areas had been assessed.  Where areas had been difficult to reach, that had been the result of physical obstacles like collapsed bridges.  Those problems were mainly in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country.

In response to a question about the Government of Somalia directing who should receive assistance, she said she was unaware of any efforts to prevent assistance reaching those in need.  However, many people had left the capital, Mogadishu, and a growing number needed assistance.

Ban Ki-Moons day

This is the UN Secretery General Ban Ki-Moons schedule for today:

11.00am H.E. Prof. Ishaq Nadiri
Senior Economic Adviser to the President of Afghanistan

11.30am Amb. Jo Manuel Guerra Salgueiro
Permanent Representative of Portugal

12.00noon Amb. Joseph Nsengimana
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda

Guest writer: How do I start to play a role in the (u)niting of (n)ations?

This October the 62nd UN General Assembly gathers in New York. Every year some issues involving young people’s lives are discussed by political leaders from all over the world. This year, 2007, the agenda is “Young people in the global economy”.

On October the 4th I’m leaving on a jet plane!
But the journey has already begun; it started this spring when the Swedish Government elected me as one of the delegates to the UN General Assembly of 2007. This journey has so far been an amazing experience. My days are filled with political discussions regarding young people’s role and importance in global politics. It will, without doubt, be one of the most exciting events of my youth.

Every year some countries send young people as delegates or “youth delegates”, as some prefer to call them, to participate in the forming of the global documents involving young people. These countries are viewed by most as role models. But to be really honest with you – I think it’s just a small first step! What it really comes down to is the perspective of the appointment and the will to grant real influence or not. All since being elected the delegate of the Swedish Youth Organisations a slow chill has crawled through my spine, and not the good kind! Young people’s presence is way too often considered to be enough. It’s not!

Half the people in the world are children and youth. We have the right to participation, influence and power. Co-determination in society is our right and responsibility. The task of society is to see young people and create space for us on the basis of the resource we are and the even greater resource we could be. Our right and responsibility is to contribute here and now with our full potential, creativity and force. We are no more the future than middle-aged people are history.

Presence is not a synonym for participation, influence and power!
So, what is the first step towards participation, influence and power? Well, when I step into the UN building in October I have two weapons in my arsenal, two prioritized issues from the Swedish Youth Organisations – employment and leisure time. I know it sound simple, and maybe it is? But I think that the best effort any young person can do is to care. And not be afraid to show that we care! Regardless of the issue, a perspective from a young person and our organisations should matter. All of us young people must show politicians that we can contribute. If we do, how can politicians afford not listening to us?

Make sure to speak your mind – in issues from the school cafeteria to UN’s World program of action for youth. I think it’s the best thing you can do to help young people wherever they are!

Thank you for reading my thoughts on that I had on a rainy Tuesday night in July. If you want to continue following my journey you can do so on www.fndelegater.blogspot.com. Here you can track the UN delegates from the Swedish Youth Organisations struggle forward on making our voices heard and influencing the world.

Gabriel Ehrling
Delegate to the UN General Assembly 2007

gabriel.ehrling@lsu.se or +4673 580 66 96
Feel free to share your thoughts!