September 2009 volume I, #1

NEWSLETTER

F R IENDS OF THE UN

FOUN Supports
Secretary
WMD - WE MUST DISARM
General’s WMD
Campaign

Friends of the UN
answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge

As its contribution to this

Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign
World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum
If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that
humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever.
Rusudan. Grigolia

effort FOUN has created a

poster series designed to
energize the Campaign and
mobilize various publics.

FOUN is also urging members

of the NGO communities to Secretary General’s Message Marks the 100-Day
develop innovative and creative Countdown to the International Day of Peace.
WMD ways to generate support.
WE MUST DISARM
Friends of the UN
answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge
Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign
“This alarming outlook is counterbalanced by a new momentum on the
World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum

If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale

that humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever.
WeMustDisarm! posters are part of world leaders to address the issue of nuclear weapons. The United
So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009.

made by us as we want to
strongly support WMD-
WeMustDisarm Campaign.
States and the Russian Federation have signalled a new commitment to cut
their nuclear arsenals. Furthermore, the Conference on Disarmament,
which includes all States with nuclear arms, has recently broken a decade-
long deadlock and agreed to work to resolve some of the key issues
related to disarmament and non-proliferation.

We must build on this momentum. To that end, I am launching the WMD-

6 August – The 64th
anniversary of the dropping WeMustDisarm! Campaign. Over the next 100 days, the United Nations
of the atomic bomb on and our partners around the world will work to raise awareness of the
WMD - WE MUST DISARM
Hiroshima serves not only as true costs and dangers of nuclear weapons. Between now and 21
a reminder of the destruction September, we will issue 100 reasons to disarm, via Twitter, MySpace,
wrought by nuclear weapons, Facebook, email, text message, radio and from friend-to-friend. Celebrities
but also as a time to renew will also help us spread the message. And finally, as we observe the
the global commitment to rid
Friends of the UN
answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge
Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign International Day of Peace with world leaders gathered in New York for
the world of this deadly
World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum
If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that

the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, I will proclaim
humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever.
So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009.
Rusudan. Grigolia

scourge. one strong, simple message: We Must Disarm!”

September 2009

WE M US T D I S AR M ( WM D) UN LA UN CH
“Against Nuclear Arms” Exhibit at
the United Nations
“Hope of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki” highlights the
destruction caused by the
atomic bombs, the recovery
process and survivors’
renderings.  It also includes a
presentation of the work of
HICARE, the Hiroshima
International Council for
Health Care of the Radiation-
Exposed, established after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to promote
international cooperation.
A joint exhibition entitled “Against Nuclear Arms” opened with a
The “Untold Story” of ceremony and reception on Monday, 10 August in the Main Gallery
Semipalatinsk Polygon”
recounts the untold story of of the Visitors Lobby.  It was on display until 30 September.
nuclear tests in the vast
steppes of central
Kazakhstan. The exibit Composed in two sections, the exhibition portrayed the destruction
reflects the medical, social and terrible damage caused by the A-bomb explosions in Hiroshima
and environmental
consequences on population, and Nagasaki, Japan, and decades of nuclear arms testing in the heart
flora and fauna of the region; of Kazakhstan.  Its goal was to deepen public understanding of the
and the plight of victims scarred from more than four decades of
nuclear tests and Kazakhstan’s 1992 commitments to become free devastating consequences of the use of nuclear weapons and to
of nuclear weapons. advance the international movement to abolish nuclear weapons.

This exhibition is presented

by the United Nations
Permanent Missions of Japan
and Kazakhstan, as part of
ongoing efforts for nuclear
disarmament and non-
proliferation, and in view of
next year’s Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons.

For information on the

exhibit, please contact Jane
Conrad, Permanent Mission
of Japan to the United
Nations, at +1 212
5211565, e-mail: jane-
conrad@un-japan.org; and
Gauhar Abdygaliyeva,
Permanent Mission of
Kazakhstan to the United Nations, at +1 212 230 1900 ext. 14,
e-mail: gauharke@gmail.com.
September 2009
NEWSLETTER
ME SS A G E FR O M T H E P R E S ID E NT

A Word of Welcome:
An Appeal for Cooperation

The Friends of the United Nations (FOUN) is pleased to welcome

readers to this the first of its quarterly newsletters. Through this
medium FOUN, will follow major trends and analyze critical issues
facing the United Nations. It will also invite readers to take part in a
ongoing conversation on the most effective ways that civil society
might support the work of the organization and become more fully
engaged in the search for effective and sustainable solutions.

The 64th General Assembly will provide ample opportunities to test

this approach, as well as to deepen the public’s understanding and
appreciation of what is actually at GA 64.

Our sense is that GA 64 is likely to be a the “Climate Change

Session” whereby a new sense of urgency could be generated as
more people take personal responsibility for climate stewardship
and better management of the world’s climate system.

And the indicators are clear. Early in the Session the Secretary
General will convene his Climate Summit thereby asserting UN
leadership and encouraging governments at the highest level to keep
this issue in the mainstream. This follows his call for a Global
Climate Week and millions of online climate signatures during the
100 Day countdown for the Copenhagen Summit in December.
Friends of the United Nations New Address
In the meantime, UNEP has launched a number of initiatives to
engage youth in the global climate argument and to empower them
to take action to protect their climate future. The Friends of the UN is pleased to report that it has
now relocated to the heart of the UN district.
Disarmament is likely to receive a new impetus during the Session
fueled by the WeMustDisarm-WMD Campaign launched by the
Secretary General in June of this year. FOUN is now an official resident at:
866 UN Plaza, Room 544, NY NY 10017
If WMD is to be more than a slogan it should be featured where it is always open house.
prominently during the arms control and disarmament deliberations
during the Session.
From its new location, FOUN plans to work closely with
If one seems encouraged, if not optimistic, it is because there is its many friends and with the NGO Community in order
something in the popular mood that this planet is worth saving and
to more actively support the work of the United
that the UN must be continuously energized to play its part.
Nations.
In any event it’s too late for pessimism!
Tel: 212 533 4192
Dr. Noel Brown
President & CEO, Friends of the United Nations
E-mail:friendsoftheun@gmail.com
www.fotun.org

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192
September 2009
NEWSLETTER
UNIT ED NATI ONS NEW S
UN Climate Chief says China

Poised to Lead
64th President of the
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N.
climate chief says China is poised to
join the European Union in claiming
General Assembly
"front-runner" status among nations
battling climate change. H.E. Ali Treki
Yvo de Boer told The Associated Press
that China is leaping ahead of the
United States with domestic plans for
more energy efficiency, renewable
Friends of the UN welcomes 64th President of the General Assembly
sources of power, cuts in vehicle
pollution and closures of dirty plants. H.E. Ali Treki. He officially won the presidency of the United Nations
General Assembly for the 2009-2010 session.
Chinese President Hu Jintao will “I’m very proud that Africa has chosen me to represent them,” Treki
announce new plans to fight global
warming at a U.N. summit on climate said. “We are really part of this continent and we are very keen to
change on Tuesday. help in building the continent.”

De Boer said he also was encouraged

by Japan's new goal of a 25 percent cut New General Assembly President Calls for
in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
The EU has promised to cut its Strengthening of 192-Member Body
emissions by 20 percent by 2020, but
will cut up to 30 percent if other rich
countries follow suit.
18 September 2009 – The new General Assembly President, Ali Treki
of Libya, today reiterated his call for the revitalization of the 192-
Check back soon for further
member body, saying its decisions should be respected. At present
information.
only the decisions of the 15-member Security Council are binding.

UN 101 “The majority of countries are in favor asserting the authority of the
General Assembly, which represents the world as a whole,” he told a
A Reader for Beginners news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

UN is a large and complex Dr. Treki made a similar call for UN reform when he opened the
organization in the service Assembly’s 64th session on Tuesday, and he reiterated today the need
to enlarge the Security Council to give it greater world
of humanity. As part of its representation.
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
educational mission, the
1

2
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice
in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
Friends of the UN has Asked about his priorities, Dr. Treki cited a long list, beginning with
the strengthening of international peace and security, disarmament,
worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women
and of nations large and small, and
3 to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the

prepared “A UN for
obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international

UN 101 human rights, the environment, and climate change.

A Reader for Beginners Beginners” designed to
introduce the organization He also included combating extreme poverty; infectious diseases such
as AIDS; achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
law can be maintained, and

to various publics worldwide

4 to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger
freedom,

which aim to slash a host of social ills by 2015; the economic,

AND FOR THESE ENDS

1 to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as

and to assist readers to

good neighbors, and
2 to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security,

Prepared by Robert Standard &

Rusudan Grigolia
financial, food and energy crises; and the question of Palestine.
better understand and more
fully appreciate this great In addition, Dr. Treki called for greater investment in Africa, which he
described as “a very rich continent. It doesn’t need really money, men
human legacy with all its
and help but it needs investment.”
potential and promise.

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192
September 2009

CL IM AT E C H A N GE CAMPAIGN

FOUN Welcomes Youth

Involvement in UN “Seal the
Deal” Campaign

Daejeon (Republic of Korea), 20 August 2009

100 Days: UN Calls for Signatures for Action on Climate - Young people from around the globe today
Change called on world leaders to take radical
measures against climate change.
NAIROBI, 28 August – The United Nations is calling for millions of online In a statement, the young delegates -
signatures for a climate petition and is launching the first-ever Global Climate representing three billion of the world's
Week as part of its Seal the Deal! campaign, 100 days ahead of a crucial UN
population - expressed their "concern and
climate change summit in Copenhagen (COP15) in December.
frustration that their governments are not
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is leading the call for doing enough to combat climate change",
communities around the world to take advantage of Global Climate Week adding that "we now need more actions and
from 21 to 25 September to encourage leaders to seal a fair, balanced and less talking".
effective agreement on climate change.
The declaration was finalized and adopted by
"Time is running out. Scientists warn that climate impacts are accelerating.
the young participants at the Tunza Children
Now more than ever, we need political leadership at the highest level to ensure
we protect people and the planet, and to catalyze the green growth that can and Youth Conference in Daejeon (Republic
power the 21st century economy”, the UN Secretary-General stressed. of Korea), as part of the global UN-wide 'Seal
the Deal!' campaign spearheaded by UN
“Efforts made today to combat climate change are one of the smartest Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to galvanize
possible investments we can make in our future. We need to show our political will and public support for a
support for green stimulus packages and a fair deal in Copenhagen which will
comprehensive global climate agreement. "It
determine the path of the global economy and the well-being of
is very important to include the voice of
hundreds of millions of people throughout the 21st century,” said Mr. Ban.
children and youth in every environmental
See: www.sealthedeal2009.org decision.

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192
September 2009

G L O BA L WATE R IN ITIATIVE
Friends of the United Nations
Collaborate on Global Water Initiative

FOUN is exploring ways to promote the sustainable use and

management of the planet’s increasingly stressed water
resource systems. In its new initiative on global water
security strategies for sustainable solutions FOUN, is in
consultation with a number of groups whose innovative and
state of the art technology shows great promise.

see:www.bestpractices.org Water Crisis:

Friends of the United Nations
Global Water Initiative
New Water Technologies will Save the World
This searchable database
contains over 3,800 proven
solutions from more than 140
countries to the common
social, economic and
environmental problems of an
urbanizing world.
Every day, thousands of people die from lack of access to clean water.
The safe water issue is intimately linked to hygiene education and proper
sanitation, which is why we take an integrated approach to bringing safe
water to the world’s poor.The facts: 3.575 million people die each year
from water-related disease, 43% of water-related deaths are due to
diarrhea, 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14. 98%

of water-related deaths occur in the developing world. 884 million

It demonstrates the practical
ways in which public, private and civil society sectors are working
together to improve governance, eradicate poverty, provide access
to shelter, land and basic services, protect the environment and
support economic development.
people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight
people. The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease
than any war claims through guns.

Global Peace Film Festival

FOTUN is part of the Global Peace Film Festival which was established to utilize the power of the

motion picture to further the goal of peace on earth. With a mission to expand the definition of peace

beyond anti-war, ideology, activism or specific causes, the Global Peace Film Festival films and events

suggest a more personal message as reflected in the daily lives of individuals and communities the

world.

The GPFF presents films from around the world and global discussions that highlight the power of this

extraordinary medium as it relates to new peace issues. See films from around the world, attend

educational panels, meet filmmakers and special guests and hear from local activists about their work.

And get involved!

866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192
September 2009
WAV E S O F C H A N GE CAMPAIGN
FOUN Becomes Partner
with the
Global Oceans Campaign
FOUN has joined forces with the
International Oceans Institute for the
protection of Marine Environment and
the promotion of the sustainable use of
its resources.
The Waves of Change Campaign is an
initiative of the International Oceans
Institute (IOI) for the protection of the
marine environment and the sustainable
use of its resources.
The five-year global campaign is focused
on raising the public awareness and
advocacy on ocean-related sustainability
issues in order to empower
governments to establish sound ocean
governance policies. Research reveals
that only 32% of U.S. adults grasp basic
environmental concepts. Even fewer
understand more complex issues such as
ecosystem decline, loss of biodiversity,
non-point source pollution and
watershed degradation.
The central theme for the Waves of
Change campaign is Global Ocean
Literacy. Improving the ocean literacy of
the pubic will significantly increase the
possibility of change in attitude and
behavior, which will then contribute to
the protection and preservation of the
world’s oceans and seas. Over the next
five years, the campaign will educate and
inspire the consumer public, especially
866 UN Plaza • room #544 • New York, NY 10017 • t: 212 355 4192
young people, which will animate and
motivate people about the need to learn
about the four critical issues facing the
oceans. A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN
TO PROTECT
OUR OCEANS
1. Ocean Pollution: Marine Waste & Yard Sale...start
This Saturday
1234 Main Street a ripple, make a wave...
Litter
2. Ecosystem Restoration
3. Marine Food Security
4. Climate Change and Ocean
Acidification
The four issues will be addressed
through a series of strategies including
education, advocacy, events, alliances, and
marketing. Over the past six months,
several programs have been staged as to
begin the campaign efforts.
Two successful U.S.-based pilot
programs in coastal cities were
produced to create Blue City project
models for the future for other IOI
operational centers
Effective communications are key to the
success of the campaign. Creative use of
the full range of new media platforms
will help spread the word on ocean
literacy. Additionally, high profile
personalities from all sectors of society
will be identified as Ocean Champions
to communicate and advocate ocean
literacy in the pubic global arena.
Marketing is an essential too to support
the campaign with targeted programs
and activities in selected affinity groups
and communities. Marketing and
communications will work in tandem to
ensure that the five-year campaign
maximizes its reach and influence.
WMD - WE MUST DISARM

Friends of the UN
answers the Secretary-General’s Challenge
Joins “WMD-WeMustDisarm” Campaign
World Leaders Make a Start We Must Build on This Momentum
If we come together as one, separate from politics and religion, on a scale that
humanity has never known, then we will change the world forever.
So let us begin on this Day of Peace 2009. Rusudan. Grigolia