UN Celebrates its 62nd Birthday
Events
scheduled in New York and around the world
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The
United Nations celebrates the 62nd anniversary
of the United Nations Charter, the treaty that established
the UN, this week as part of UN
Day
festivities worldwide.
Events include a
concert at UN headquarers in New York and a
climate change discussion in Washington, D.C. as well as other
scheduled events around the world.
(story
continues below)
Sixth
grade students wearing UN blue berets attend the opening
ceremonies of UN Week festivities at the Marie Reed Community
Learning Center in Washington, D.C. this morning.
Photo/Andrew Carmona
The UN
Charter
was put into force on October
24, 1945 and has been celebrated as United Nations Day
since 1948.
The
day has traditionally been marked throughout the world
with discussions, exhibits and special events detailing
the achievements and goals of the UN.
In
Washington, D.C., the UN
Association of the National Capital Area
(UNA-NCA) has coordinated a full week of activities that
include an opening ceremony, discussions, and special
events as part of their UN
Week
festivities.
"We
will be judged in the future on the actions we take today
-- on results. On this United Nations Day, let us
rededicate ourselves to achieving them," said
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his UN Day message.
For
a complete list of UN Week events, visit: www.unanca.org
Jeremiah,
a sixth grade student, discusses the Millennium
Development Goals as Will Davis, Director of the United
Nations Information Center in Washington, D.C., looks on
at the Marie Reed Community Learning Center today.
Photo/Andrew Carmona
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Secretary-General
Proposes Speeding Up the Renovation of UN
Headquarters
New strategy calls for completion by 2013 instead of 2016
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Citing the need to make up for lost time and move ahead
urgently with renovating the United Nations Headquarters
complex in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has
proposed a revised strategy that will allow for the entire
renovation to be completed by mid-2013 rather than
mid-2016 as envisioned under the current strategy.
 "The
schedule has slipped," Mr. Ban writes in his latest
progress report on the
UN
Capital Master Plan
(CMP), noting a slowdown in the
project owing to planning and scheduling delays, as well
as the loss of leadership following the resignation last
year of the project's Executive Director.
But
the Secretary-General adds that although there have been
delays, "steps are being taken to accelerate the
project and bring it in line with the schedule and
budget" approved by the 192-member General
Assembly."
Over
the past year, the Assembly approved the financing of the
plan and a pre-construction manager has been
selected. In addition, renowned United States architect
Michael Adlerstein was appointed to lead the project as
the new Executive Director.
An
accelerated approach will reduce the time needed
during the renovation by reducing the total number of
phases needed to refurbish the Secretariat and Conference
Buildings, and speed up the construction of a temporary
Conference Building.
The
renovations under the CMP are expected to make the main UN
Headquarters buildings - which have not been significantly
improved or maintained since they were constructed in 1949
and 1950 - more energy efficient and eliminate safety and
health risks.
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Meet
the UN
USG
for Communications & Public Information
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Kiyotaka
Akasaka
Under-Secretary-General
for Communications and Public Information
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon appointed Kiyotaka Akasaka of Japan as United
Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and
Public Information on April 1 2007.
Prior
to joining Secretary-General Ban's senior management team,
Mr. Akasaka held the position of Deputy Secretary-General
of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) from August 2003 until March 2007.
At
the OECD, he was responsible for sustainable
development, the environment, and partnerships with other
international organizations. He developed a reputation as
the source of innovative reforms and initiatives that
greatly improved coordination between the various OECD
departments and thereby strengthened the efficiency of
that organization.
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Resettling in Afghanistan
UN
Photo of the Week
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Families
settle in Afghan's Baghlan province
after years on the road
An Afghan family builds a
new home in Darkhat, Afghanistan after spending years away
from home. Twenty-four families have started to build
their homes with the assistance of UNHCR on six jeribs
(acres) of land, the equivalent of 12,000 square meters.
© UNHCR/M.Maguire
Read
more...
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About the UN Information Center
As the UN Secretariat's office in Washington, D.C., the
United
Nations Information Center
articulates UN priorities and activities on a timely
basis, raises awareness of the UN and its work, and fosters
relations with the American public, US government
officials, and NGOs.
Should you need more information
about the Center or UN affiliated agencies, please do
not hesitate to contact us at 202-331-8670 or at unicdc@unicwash.org.
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New
UN
Agency
Reports
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Here is a sample of UN agency reports recently
released:
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Monday
October 22
The
Committee on UN Program of Assistance in Teaching, Study,
Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law
holds its 42nd session in New York.
UN
Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture Board of Trustees
meet in Geneva for the 27th session through
Friday.
Tuesday
October 23
The
General Assembly holds its high-level dialogue on
financing for development in New York through Wednesday.
Wednesday
October 24
UN
Day is
celebrated.
World
Development Information Day - The UN General Assembly
instituted the day in December 1972 to draw attention each
year to development problems and the necessity of
strengthening international co-operation to solve them.
The General Assembly also decided that World Development
Information Day should coincide, in principle, with United
Nations Day to stress the central role of development in
the work of the United Nations.
Global
Symposium for setting information standards for
humanitarian action takes place in Geneva through Friday.
Wednesday
Oct. 24- Tuesday, Oct. 30
UN
Disarmament Week
raises awareness of the danger of
the arms race, propagate the need for its cessation and
increase public understanding
of the urgent tasks of disarmament.
Friday,
October 26
Jehangir
Khan and Darko Mocibob, of the UN Department of Political
Affairs (DPA), will brief House and Senate staff
about the UN's work in Iraq on Friday.
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