World Federation of United Nations Associations
Encyclopedia
The World Federation of United Nations Associations (or WFUNA) was created in 1946, inspired by the opening words of the United Nations Charter
"We the Peoples". Today it is a global network of people linked together through United Nations Associations (UNAs) in over 100 member states of the United Nations
. These networks enable people to connect with each other on critical global issues, from peace
and human rights
to the spread of democracy
, equitable development, and international justice
.
WFUNA is an independent, non-governmental organization
with Category One Consultative Status at the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) and consultative or liaison links with many other UN organizations and agencies.
"We the representatives of the United Nations Associations in our respective countries, Believing that since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed, and Believing that the peace must be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to form an association of the peoples...to be known as the World Federation of United Nations Associations."
This was one year after the UN Charter was proclaimed with the opening words "We the peoples of the United Nations". Ever since, WFUNA has been the only global organization with the primary mission of supporting the principles and purposes of the UN.
Its founders had long experience in international cooperation and were aware of the fundamental importance of public understanding of the role of the UN in shaping international relations between nation states.
While the first objective of the WFUNA Constitution is "To be a peoples' movement for the United Nations" the 7 subsequent objectives include to promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and co-operation among men, women and children throughout the world without distinction as to race, sex, language, religion, or political orientation; to contribute to the removal of obstacles to peace, to work for justice, security and disarmament, and to promote the development of peaceful co-existence and co-operation among nations.
Over the years, UNAs have been established all over the world, as new nation states were formed and joined the UN. UNAs are national entities that enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations by disseminating information about UN programs and activities, mobilizing public support for and popular participation in those programs, and lobbying their national government, political parties and interest groups in support of the UN.
Secretary-General
Executive Committee Members
Treasurer
Vice Presidents
Friends of WFUNA
Our Vision
A United Nations that is a powerful force in meeting common global challenges and opportunities.
Our Mission
WFUNA works to build a better world by strengthening and improving the United Nations through the engagement of people who share a global mindset and support international cooperation–global citizens.
What we believe
WFUNA believes that peoples’ involvement in all levels of local, national and global decision-making is essential in order to achieve the goals of the United Nations.
What we value
WFUNA’s mission is grounded in what we value:
Eleanor Roosevelt
was an active participant in WFUNA. Since the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
, which she chaired, WFUNA considered human rights advocacy as a central part of its programs. A number of international seminars in different regions of the world have been organized by WFUNA on the teaching of human rights. The proposal for creating the position of a High Commissioner for Human Rights was on WFUNA’s agenda for many years.
In practical terms, WFUNA played a crucial role by helping people in those countries where human rights were violated, such as Franco’s Spain
, some of the former communist countries in Eastern Europe
and in the Middle East
. WFUNA brought together people of divided countries – such as East and West Germany
and Cyprus
, and the opponents in conflicts, for example between Israel
and Egypt
in the late 1960s.
WFUNA helped promote "Security and Co-operation in Europe
" (CSCE) by holding in 1967 the first conference on this topic. Other NGOs followed WFUNA’s campaign which continued until 1975 when the Final Act was signed at Helsinki
by 35 governments, including USA and Canada
, establishing the CSCE process. Further campaigning led in 1994 to the CSCE process that consisted of a Biennial Review Conference being raised to a Permanent Organization (OSCE).
WFUNA, including its African UNA members, made significant contributions to the NGO campaign for the abolition of Apartheid. The 32nd General Assembly of the UN, in 1977, received a resolution from the 117th WFUNA Executive Committee meeting, which requested:
"The Security Council of the UN to give urgent consideration to the taking of immediate steps to ensure that no State, multinational or other body or person be allowed to provide South Africa
or Rhodesia
with any equipment, technology or production of nuclear weapons of any kind".
WFUNA facilitated high-level informal consultations on disarmament issues between key experts of the USA and USSR during the Cold War
. It organized a number of NGO Seminars on disarmament
in cooperation with the UN, UNESCO
and other NGOs.
During its history, WFUNA has served as a forum for global dialogues on development. Several suggestions, like the establishment of an Economic Commission for Africa, were first adopted at the WFUNA Plenary Assemblies and then endorsed by governments.
WFUNA has actively supported reform of the UN and its capacity to meet new tasks and challenges. WFUNA has continually received recognition from the highest ranks of the UN. The sentiments in this statement by UN Secretary-General
, Dag Hammerskjöld, to WFUNA's 12th Plenary Assembly were shared by his successors: "I wish... to express my appreciation of your most essential service. At the same time, I wish to urge you to fresh endeavors. Over the years you have accomplished much and have acted with an ever increasing sense of your great responsibilities."
For many years WFUNA conducted a fund raising program based on the sale of first day covers of UN stamps and lithographs produced by artists and celebrities, such as Picasso, Lou Zheng Jang, Miró
, Salvador Dali
, Ruben Leyva, Al Hirschfeld
and Andy Warhol
to promote the ideals of the UN. This highly successful program ran for several decades during the 20th century.
Now in the 21st century, WFUNA sees a need for the UN to rise to the challenges of globalization. True to the vision of its founding members, WFUNA is searching for ways of giving voice to the peoples of the world. The bi-monthly newsletter UN Connection aims to equip people with an appreciation of what is happening at the UN and provides insights into the partnerships being formed between the UN and NGOs and civil society to promote peace, sustainable development
and human rights. Many member UNAs and WFUNA itself have been actively engaged in the various processes for reforming the UN with the aim of, in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
's words, "Making the UN a more effective instrument in the hands of the world's people."
WFUNA pursues this mission through our Strategic Directions which relate to the UN’s three main pillars:
These Directions are approached through three interrelated sets of strategies:
WFUNA's main objectives are to educate about the goals of the UN Charter, and to encourage support for strong, effective UN. We accomplish these goals through a number of educational outreach efforts, from seminars and research papers, to internships and conferences.
At UN headquarters in NY and at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, we help organize and educate UNA study tours for those wishing to develop their knowledge of the UN System. We encourage young people to use our organization to play a more active part in shaping the future of their world. In the past few years, Model United Nations meetings have become an increasingly effective and popular means of educating students about the United Nations and global issues, which WFUNA supports and helps coordinate.
During this time of interconnected global crises, when the United Nations is more indispensable than ever, WFUNA has launched its Global Citizen Campaign to increase its capacity, resources, and programming in support of the UN. Taking place from 2009–2012, the Global Citizen Campaign includes targeted programs and activities that underscore the interconnectedness of global issues; promote cooperative and democratic problem solving; and educate and engage the youth of today to be leaders and global citizens.
WFUNA is launching in 2010 The Responsibility to Protect: Mobilizing Public and Political Will, which addresses the need to prevent and react to large-scale loss of life including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and will work towards its development, strengthening and proper application. Member UNAs will gain the knowledge, skills, and power to become effective R2P advocates in their countries.
WFUNA is implementing the Zero World program in the field of disarmament, which is a priority issue for the United Nations, and will have much international focus this year with the 2010 Review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. WFUNA's aim is to find sustainable solutions to conflicts by guaranteeing that disarmament, including the elimination of nuclear weapons, is a political priority for governments, and that relevant UN treaties, protocols, resolutions, and decisions are implemented and adhered to.
Human Rights
The Civil Society in Action on Human Rights Program aims at strengthening the capacity of UNAs to interact with international human rights mechanisms and to carry out human rights education and human rights advocacy at their national levels. This program will strengthen the understanding of UNAs of how to work towards the achievement of human rights standards in their countries by providing the necessary tools to interact effectively with the UN human rights system. WFUNA will provide ongoing technical support to UNAs in their work throughout the project.
Sustainable Development
WFUNA’s YOUth Impact Africa project will address the prediction that no African country will achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals in time. The project begins with a Model UN experience and, through WFUNA’s training and resources, grows into youth-led MDG community-service initiatives that impact hundreds of African citizens. Working with African UNAs, the aim is to provide skills, training, networks and guidance to young people to take action on the MDGs.
Go Beyond, WFUNA’s new climate change project will be launched in 2010. The project aims to educate about the interconnectedness of the climate problem as it relates to consumption and global issues. It will challenge consumers to go beyond viewing consumption as merely an individual act, and urge businesses to go beyond the bottom line. Go Beyond will promote innovative social solutions for combating climate change in the context of the relationship between developed and developing countries.
WFUNA itself is committed to engaging people of all ages, from all walks of life with the United Nations. In particular, WFUNA has regularly emphasized the importance of encouraging, inspiring and involving young people in this work. As a priority, all of WFUNA’s programs include a youth element, with some initiatives such as Model UN, being entirely dedicated to young people. We aim to continue building on this experience and enthusiasm and further develop and grow WFUNA’s youth programming in the future.
WFUNA will be holding a series of Youth activities and seminars, which will take place during the International Year of Youth, August 2010-August 2011. The first Youth Seminar will be hosted in Oslo by UNA-Norway from 1–3 October 2010.
The aim of the Youth Seminar Series is to develop the capacity of WFUNA’s youth network; to determine the youth priorities of UNAs and youth members; to share successful youth programs and communication ideas; to promote the strengthening and expansion of WFUNA’s youth network; to provide skill training to youth members; and to encourage collaboration with the WFUNA Secretariat and amongst UNAs and UNYAs.
Young people doing UNYA work choose different organizational structures:
Youths might set up an independent organization - a United Nations Youth Association - that works independently from their “mother organization”, their country’s United Nations Association (UNA). In these cases, the relationship between the UNYA and the UNA takes various forms ranging from the UNYA and the UNA being independent organizations that coordinate on an ad hoc basis to the UNYA having a seat in the UNA’s board.
There are also United Nations Associations that do not have “Youth” in their title but that are almost entirely composed and governed by youth.
Moreover, there are Youth Sections within the UNA acting as a youth organization within the adult organization.
Last, there are UNA Youth Programmes taking various forms.
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
"We the Peoples". Today it is a global network of people linked together through United Nations Associations (UNAs) in over 100 member states of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. These networks enable people to connect with each other on critical global issues, from peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
to the spread of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, equitable development, and international justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
.
WFUNA is an independent, non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
with Category One Consultative Status at the Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
(ECOSOC) and consultative or liaison links with many other UN organizations and agencies.
History
WFUNA was founded in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 2 August 1946 by 22 UNAs. The Constitution they adopted proclaimed that:"We the representatives of the United Nations Associations in our respective countries, Believing that since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed, and Believing that the peace must be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to form an association of the peoples...to be known as the World Federation of United Nations Associations."
This was one year after the UN Charter was proclaimed with the opening words "We the peoples of the United Nations". Ever since, WFUNA has been the only global organization with the primary mission of supporting the principles and purposes of the UN.
Its founders had long experience in international cooperation and were aware of the fundamental importance of public understanding of the role of the UN in shaping international relations between nation states.
While the first objective of the WFUNA Constitution is "To be a peoples' movement for the United Nations" the 7 subsequent objectives include to promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and co-operation among men, women and children throughout the world without distinction as to race, sex, language, religion, or political orientation; to contribute to the removal of obstacles to peace, to work for justice, security and disarmament, and to promote the development of peaceful co-existence and co-operation among nations.
Over the years, UNAs have been established all over the world, as new nation states were formed and joined the UN. UNAs are national entities that enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations by disseminating information about UN programs and activities, mobilizing public support for and popular participation in those programs, and lobbying their national government, political parties and interest groups in support of the UN.
Current Leadership
President- Park Soo Gil
Secretary-General
- Bonian Golmohammadi
Executive Committee Members
- Shruti Apte, G.S.Chair - India
- Jay Jethwa - Australia
- Maxwell Mckenzi - South Africa
- Anna Rubaduka - Brazil
- Kathryn White, G.S.Chair - Canada
- Pang Sen - China
- Kelly Teng- Singapore
- Aileen Lau- Dem. Rep. Congo
- Carlos Amat Fores - Cuba
- Christos Theodoulou - Cyprus
- Helena Laukko - Finland
- Ramaz Aptsiauri - Georgia
- Suresh Srivastava, Vice-Chair - India
- Sun Joun-yung - Rep. of Korea
- Kari Solholm, Vice-Chair - Norway
- Alexei Borisov, Vice-Chair - Russia
- Kwang Boon Lee - Singapore
- Eduard Sagarra Trias - Spain
- Aleksander Gabelic - G.S.Chair Sweden
- Sam Daws - UK
- Thomas Count - USA
- Norma Rojas - Venezuela
Treasurer
- Sundeep Bhutoria
Vice Presidents
- Beate Wagner - Germany
- Ervin Gombos - Hungary
- Rena Shashua Hasson - Israel
- Mohammad Rashad Daureeawo - Mauritius
- Damba Bir Thapa - Nepal
- Harold Herman - South Africa
Friends of WFUNA
- Amb William vanden Heuvel, President
- Mr Louis Perlmutter, Treasurer
- Mr. Edison Dick, Board Member
- Amb Robin Duke, Board Member
- Amb Richard Gardner, Board Member
- Mr John V Pierce, Board Member
- Mr John Whitehead, Board Member
- Mr Michael Cooper, Board Member
- Mr Maurice Strong, Board Member
- Lord David Hannay, Board Member
- Mrs. Gillian Sorensen, Board Member
- Ms. Marilyn Haft, Board Member
- Mr. Warren Hoge, Board Member
- Mr. Alfred Ross, Board Member
- Mrs.Archana Kocchar, Board Member
Mission & Vision
WFUNA is a global nonprofit membership organization working for a stronger and more effective United Nations. Established in 1946, we represent and coordinate a membership of over 100 national United Nations Associations and their thousands of members.Our Vision
A United Nations that is a powerful force in meeting common global challenges and opportunities.
Our Mission
WFUNA works to build a better world by strengthening and improving the United Nations through the engagement of people who share a global mindset and support international cooperation–global citizens.
What we believe
WFUNA believes that peoples’ involvement in all levels of local, national and global decision-making is essential in order to achieve the goals of the United Nations.
What we value
WFUNA’s mission is grounded in what we value:
- Impact: WFUNA values performance and results. We set and hold ourselves accountable to high standards.
- Respect: WFUNA listens to and learns from our constituents, partners, funders, and one another. We value diverse perspectives and strive to incorporate them in our work.
- Empowerment: WFUNA believes in the power of knowledge and its capacity to mobilize human beings to create a better world.
- Collaboration: WFUNA works as a team within WFUNA and with our partners. We share ideas and try to align our efforts with those of others who are dedicated to the goals of the United Nations.
- Innovation: WFUNA seeks original approaches for achieving our goals, taking advantage of creative communication for our outreach.
- Passion: WFUNA is committed to making a difference. We strive for what can be; we do not settle for what is.
Past Achievements
The UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions expressing appreciation for the Federations’ efforts to promote wider public support of the UN. In 1986 resolution 41/68 concerning questions relating to information dedicated an entire section to commending the efforts of WFUNA and UNAs around the world for their "mobilization of popular support for the programs and work of the United Nations".Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
was an active participant in WFUNA. Since the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
, which she chaired, WFUNA considered human rights advocacy as a central part of its programs. A number of international seminars in different regions of the world have been organized by WFUNA on the teaching of human rights. The proposal for creating the position of a High Commissioner for Human Rights was on WFUNA’s agenda for many years.
In practical terms, WFUNA played a crucial role by helping people in those countries where human rights were violated, such as Franco’s Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, some of the former communist countries in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. WFUNA brought together people of divided countries – such as East and West Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and the opponents in conflicts, for example between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the late 1960s.
WFUNA helped promote "Security and Co-operation in Europe
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe , also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent U.S. Government agency created by Congress in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE commitments. It was established in 1976 pursuant to...
" (CSCE) by holding in 1967 the first conference on this topic. Other NGOs followed WFUNA’s campaign which continued until 1975 when the Final Act was signed at Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
by 35 governments, including USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, establishing the CSCE process. Further campaigning led in 1994 to the CSCE process that consisted of a Biennial Review Conference being raised to a Permanent Organization (OSCE).
WFUNA, including its African UNA members, made significant contributions to the NGO campaign for the abolition of Apartheid. The 32nd General Assembly of the UN, in 1977, received a resolution from the 117th WFUNA Executive Committee meeting, which requested:
"The Security Council of the UN to give urgent consideration to the taking of immediate steps to ensure that no State, multinational or other body or person be allowed to provide South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
or Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
with any equipment, technology or production of nuclear weapons of any kind".
WFUNA facilitated high-level informal consultations on disarmament issues between key experts of the USA and USSR during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. It organized a number of NGO Seminars on disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
in cooperation with the UN, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
and other NGOs.
During its history, WFUNA has served as a forum for global dialogues on development. Several suggestions, like the establishment of an Economic Commission for Africa, were first adopted at the WFUNA Plenary Assemblies and then endorsed by governments.
WFUNA has actively supported reform of the UN and its capacity to meet new tasks and challenges. WFUNA has continually received recognition from the highest ranks of the UN. The sentiments in this statement by UN Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
, Dag Hammerskjöld, to WFUNA's 12th Plenary Assembly were shared by his successors: "I wish... to express my appreciation of your most essential service. At the same time, I wish to urge you to fresh endeavors. Over the years you have accomplished much and have acted with an ever increasing sense of your great responsibilities."
For many years WFUNA conducted a fund raising program based on the sale of first day covers of UN stamps and lithographs produced by artists and celebrities, such as Picasso, Lou Zheng Jang, Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
, Salvador Dali
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, Ruben Leyva, Al Hirschfeld
Al Hirschfeld
Albert "Al" Hirschfeld was an American caricaturist best known for his simple black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars.-Personal life:Born in St...
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
to promote the ideals of the UN. This highly successful program ran for several decades during the 20th century.
Now in the 21st century, WFUNA sees a need for the UN to rise to the challenges of globalization. True to the vision of its founding members, WFUNA is searching for ways of giving voice to the peoples of the world. The bi-monthly newsletter UN Connection aims to equip people with an appreciation of what is happening at the UN and provides insights into the partnerships being formed between the UN and NGOs and civil society to promote peace, sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and human rights. Many member UNAs and WFUNA itself have been actively engaged in the various processes for reforming the UN with the aim of, in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
's words, "Making the UN a more effective instrument in the hands of the world's people."
Current Projects
WFUNA’s mission is to offer insights into what the UN is and how it works, as well as serve as a channel through which global citizens can join with others to become engaged in the critical global issues affecting us all.WFUNA pursues this mission through our Strategic Directions which relate to the UN’s three main pillars:
- Peace and security
- Human rights
- Sustainable development
These Directions are approached through three interrelated sets of strategies:
- Education and awareness raising
- Policy development and advocacy
- Multilateral cooperation and development projects
WFUNA's main objectives are to educate about the goals of the UN Charter, and to encourage support for strong, effective UN. We accomplish these goals through a number of educational outreach efforts, from seminars and research papers, to internships and conferences.
At UN headquarters in NY and at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, we help organize and educate UNA study tours for those wishing to develop their knowledge of the UN System. We encourage young people to use our organization to play a more active part in shaping the future of their world. In the past few years, Model United Nations meetings have become an increasingly effective and popular means of educating students about the United Nations and global issues, which WFUNA supports and helps coordinate.
During this time of interconnected global crises, when the United Nations is more indispensable than ever, WFUNA has launched its Global Citizen Campaign to increase its capacity, resources, and programming in support of the UN. Taking place from 2009–2012, the Global Citizen Campaign includes targeted programs and activities that underscore the interconnectedness of global issues; promote cooperative and democratic problem solving; and educate and engage the youth of today to be leaders and global citizens.
Global Citizen Campaign Programs
Peace and SecurityWFUNA is launching in 2010 The Responsibility to Protect: Mobilizing Public and Political Will, which addresses the need to prevent and react to large-scale loss of life including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and will work towards its development, strengthening and proper application. Member UNAs will gain the knowledge, skills, and power to become effective R2P advocates in their countries.
WFUNA is implementing the Zero World program in the field of disarmament, which is a priority issue for the United Nations, and will have much international focus this year with the 2010 Review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. WFUNA's aim is to find sustainable solutions to conflicts by guaranteeing that disarmament, including the elimination of nuclear weapons, is a political priority for governments, and that relevant UN treaties, protocols, resolutions, and decisions are implemented and adhered to.
Human Rights
The Civil Society in Action on Human Rights Program aims at strengthening the capacity of UNAs to interact with international human rights mechanisms and to carry out human rights education and human rights advocacy at their national levels. This program will strengthen the understanding of UNAs of how to work towards the achievement of human rights standards in their countries by providing the necessary tools to interact effectively with the UN human rights system. WFUNA will provide ongoing technical support to UNAs in their work throughout the project.
Sustainable Development
WFUNA’s YOUth Impact Africa project will address the prediction that no African country will achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals in time. The project begins with a Model UN experience and, through WFUNA’s training and resources, grows into youth-led MDG community-service initiatives that impact hundreds of African citizens. Working with African UNAs, the aim is to provide skills, training, networks and guidance to young people to take action on the MDGs.
Go Beyond, WFUNA’s new climate change project will be launched in 2010. The project aims to educate about the interconnectedness of the climate problem as it relates to consumption and global issues. It will challenge consumers to go beyond viewing consumption as merely an individual act, and urge businesses to go beyond the bottom line. Go Beyond will promote innovative social solutions for combating climate change in the context of the relationship between developed and developing countries.
Youth Activities
Most of the national UNAs have United Nations Youth Associations (UNYAs) or youth activities and programs, which aim to increase youth participation in UN issues, and WFUNA supports them in their work. In each UNYA, there is an elected General Secretary of the youth association for a term pertaining 12 months. They work closely with co-ordinators and are actively involved in United Nations initiatives.WFUNA itself is committed to engaging people of all ages, from all walks of life with the United Nations. In particular, WFUNA has regularly emphasized the importance of encouraging, inspiring and involving young people in this work. As a priority, all of WFUNA’s programs include a youth element, with some initiatives such as Model UN, being entirely dedicated to young people. We aim to continue building on this experience and enthusiasm and further develop and grow WFUNA’s youth programming in the future.
WFUNA will be holding a series of Youth activities and seminars, which will take place during the International Year of Youth, August 2010-August 2011. The first Youth Seminar will be hosted in Oslo by UNA-Norway from 1–3 October 2010.
The aim of the Youth Seminar Series is to develop the capacity of WFUNA’s youth network; to determine the youth priorities of UNAs and youth members; to share successful youth programs and communication ideas; to promote the strengthening and expansion of WFUNA’s youth network; to provide skill training to youth members; and to encourage collaboration with the WFUNA Secretariat and amongst UNAs and UNYAs.
Young people doing UNYA work choose different organizational structures:
Youths might set up an independent organization - a United Nations Youth Association - that works independently from their “mother organization”, their country’s United Nations Association (UNA). In these cases, the relationship between the UNYA and the UNA takes various forms ranging from the UNYA and the UNA being independent organizations that coordinate on an ad hoc basis to the UNYA having a seat in the UNA’s board.
There are also United Nations Associations that do not have “Youth” in their title but that are almost entirely composed and governed by youth.
Moreover, there are Youth Sections within the UNA acting as a youth organization within the adult organization.
Last, there are UNA Youth Programmes taking various forms.
Membership
There are currently over 100 UNAs represented in all of the world's regions - connecting hundreds of thousands of people to the United Nations. UNAs have a unique role to play at the national level in:- Disseminating information and educational materials about the UN
- Lobbying the government, political parties and interest groups in support of the UN
- Conducting Model UN conferences
- Stimulating the media to provide frequent and accurate coverage of the UN and its programs
- Collaborating with other voluntary organizations on projects related to the work of the UN
UN Connections
UN Connections is a bi-monthly newsletter published by WFUNA, which highlights the present work of the UN.External links
- World Federation of United Nations Associations - Official site
- United Nations - Official site
- UN Youth New Zealand - Official site