Srgjan Kerim

President of The Sixty-Second Session: Srgjan Kerim

Srgjan Kerim of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was elected President of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly . Dr. Kerim, born in1948 in Skopje, is a seasoned diplomat who has served

Peacebuilding at a glance

The United Nations marked its one year anniversary of the establishment of its Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) with two meetings in the UN Secretariat--one to conclude the inaugural year of work of the Commission and endorse the PBC’s annual report; the second to serve as the first meeting of the PBC’s second year of work, during which PBC members elected a new chairperson and vice-chairs.

PM Erdogan and SG Ban

Ban Ki-moon highlights crucial role of Iraq's neighbours and regional partners

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the vital role played by Iraq's neighbours and regional partners in securing peace and stability in the strife-torn nation which continues to face daunting challenges. “Iraq today is faced with an exceptionally complex series of overlapping sectarian, political and ethnic challenges,” Mr. Ban told the Expanded Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, that took place in Istanbul early November.

BUPS stood up against poverty

Stand Up Against Poverty

In 2007 world stood against poverty in an unprecedented way. More than 40 million all around the world reconfirmed their commitment to eliminate poverty. In Turkey, at separate events jointly organized by the UN Turkey and local schools and universities, including, Bilkent University Private School, TOBB University and Kirikkale University, students stood against poverty.

The Secretary-General’s Message on the International Day of Older Persons, 1 October 2007

The theme of this year’s International Day of Older Persons focuses our attention on the challenges and opportunities of ageing. Population ageing brings significant economic and social challenges, for developed and developing countries alike.

Facts about ageing

World populations are ageing at an accelerated pace. The median age is projected to rise from its current 28 years to 38 years by 2050. Currently, some 10 per cent of world population is aged 60 years or above, and it is estimated that by 2050 more than one in five persons (22 per cent) will be in this age group.

Certificate ceremony of vocational training for the families of child labourers in Izmir (Source: ILO)

Elimination of worst forms of child labour in Turkey

Second National Congress of Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour was organized in Ankara in November with the participation of Minister of Labour Faruk Çelik.

High season for fund-raising efforts

The sale of greetings cards and gifts is just one of the activities organised by the UNICEF Turkey National Committee in its efforts to raise funds to support activities for children

UNDP’s Human Development Report stresses climate change

The UNDP’s Human Development Report 2007/2008 on Fighting Climate Change was launched in November worldwide. The UNDP Administrator, Mr. Kemal Derviş, launched it jointly with President Lula of Brazil in Brazil. And it was launched simultaneously in numerous countries on all continents. In Turkey, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mahmood Ayub, at a conference at the Boğaziçi University.

Peacekeepers Offer Free Medical Care to Local Population

Registering births and deaths: “The Job that No One Wants”

The Health Metrics Network has launched a drive to encourage countries to count all births and deaths through civil registration. The Health Metrics Network is a global partnership – hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) – established to address the lack of reliable health information in developing countries.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message on World Food Day, 16 October 2007

The right to food is a human right. Yet 854 million people in the world suffer from chronic hunger, and the figure has been increasing since the beginning of the new Millennium. In a world of plenty, this situation is unacceptable.

UN Officials with NGO reps at a press conference

Designation of UN Day could boost efforts to raise awareness about autism

The designation by the United Nations of World Autism Awareness Day would provide a landmark opportunity to focus attention on a global epidemic estimated to affect 35 million people worldwide.

David Nabarro, Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Influenza

Avian Influenza still a risk

The risk of a world-wide influenza pandemic is as great in late 2007 as it was in mid-2005. The World Health Report 2007 states that “There will be an influenza pandemic, sooner or later” with the potential to result in millions of deaths and severe social, economic and humanitarian consequences. We have a unique opportunity to prepare for the pandemic now and to significantly mitigate its potential impact.

Global HIV prevalence has levelled off; AIDS is among the leading causes of death globally and remains the primary cause of death in Africa

Improvements in surveillance increase understanding of the epidemic, resulting in substantial revisions to estimates New data show global HIV prevalence - the percentage of people living with HIV - has levelled off and that the number of new infections has fallen, in part as a result of the impact of HIV programmes.

My First Year as Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon

This is the UN

Today everybody knows about the UN. However, how much of that information is acurate?

We prepared a brief information note to update your knowledge of the UN and its functions.

The UN is an international organization, not a world government
The United Nations is an organization of sovereign States. These States voluntarily join the UN to work for world peace, promote friendship among all nations and support economic and social progress. It formally came into being on 24 October 1945. At that time, it had 51 countries as Members. As of March 2007, 192 countries were UN members.

United Nations in Turkey

The United Nations System has been present in Turkey for over fifty years. Over these years, it has worked in a dedicated manner with the Turkish authorities, private sector, media, women’s groups, NGOs, academia and other representatives of civil society in designing and implementing projects, building capacities, sharing information, knowledge and experience and supporting the priorities of Turkey.

United Nations Conferences

Some 30,000 people journeyed to Istanbul to seek solutions to urban problems at the Habitat II Conference. Nearly 50,000 went to Beijing to set new standards for the advancement of women. And some 47,000 converged on Rio de Janeiro to find a better balance between environmental protection and economic development at the Earth Summit. To some, the series of large-scale United Nations conferences held in the 1990s seemed like an extravagant talk-fest.

The Secretary-General Message on United Nations Day 24 October 2007

The world is changing in the United Nations’ favour -- as more people and Governments understand that multilateralism is the only path in our interdependent and globalizing world. Global problems demand global solutions -- and going it alone is not a viable option. Whether we are speaking of peace and security, development, or human rights demands on our

Minister Aydın and RC Ayub

Minister Aydın: World needs the UN more than ever

UN celebrated its 62nd anniversary at a reception organized in Ankara on October 24. State Minister Mehmet Aydın, who participated in the reception on behalf of the government, said that world needs the UN more than ever to solve its problems.

Bali Roadmap Adopted at UN Climate Change Conference
Ban: "A pivotal first step toward an agreement"

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the outcome of the landmark United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007, in which 187 countries agreed to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on strengthening international efforts to fight, mitigate and adapt to the problem of global warming.

After almost two weeks of marathon discussions, delegates agreed on both the agenda for the negotiations and a 2009 deadline for completing them so that a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions can enter into effect in 2013.

Antalya Düden Waterfall

Environment: A Priority For Turkey

Respect for nature is one of the fundamental values essential to international relations in the twenty-first century. In order to translate shared values into actions, the Millennium Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 identifies key objectives of special significance.

Governor Yüksel and RC Ayub at the ceremony

UN forest in Antalya

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, via a televised ceremony, kicked off a major 5-year forestration campaing on 2 December in İstanbul. The campaign will cover an area as big as Belgium and is a part of Turkey’s efforts to establish a sustainable forestry policy and to fight against soil erosion.

Progress For Children

A new report issued on December 10 by UNICEF reveals a wealth of detailed information on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review is the sixth in a series of Progress for Children reports released by UNICEF, and the most comprehensive in scope since the series was launched in 2004.

UN launches International Year of Sanitation to address global crisis

The United Nations officially launched the International Year of Sanitation on November 21, to accelerate progress for 2.6 billion people world wide who are without proper sanitation facilities. Every year inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene contribute to the deaths of 1.5 million children.

Lost in migration: Asylum seekers face challenges amid efforts to stem flows of illegal migrants

Against the backdrop of escalating migratory flows and growing concerns over security, the institution of asylum finds itself in need of protection as the line gets blurred between victims who flee persecution and migrants who seek economic opportunity.

Migrants are assets to their societies

Both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and IOM Director General Brunson McKinley released messages on the occasion of the International Migrants Day, 18 December. In his message Secretary General said: “Today marks the eighth International Migrants Day, an occasion that grows more meaningful with each passing year.

Supporting Turkey’s efforts to combat human trafficking and promote access to justice for all trafficked persons

In line with Turkey’s efforts on counter trafficking a new founded by European Commission has been launched and implemented by IOM Mission to Turkey in close cooperation with the Turkish Government. The aim of this two-year project is to provide support to Turkish institutions in their fight against human trafficking and protection of victims in line with EU council directives and harmonization with the EU Acquis. The specific objective is to increase identification and protection of victims of trafficking in Turkey and initiate prosecution of human trafficking crimes in Turkey. The final beneficiaries of the project are the trafficked persons.

The Project on Development of Institutional Capacity on Refugee Status Determination and Administrative Capacity on Reception Centres has been finalized with an Impact Evaluation Meeting

The Project on Development of Institutional Capacity on Refugee Status Determination and Administrative Capacity on Reception Centres, which has been realized during the period January 2006 – December 2007 within the framework of an agreement concluded between UNHCR Turkey Office and the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been finalized with an Impact Evaluation Meeting in Ankara on 5 – 7 December.

UN Budget Approved by the General Assembly

The Secretary General thanks the members of the General Assembly for their efforts to reach a budget level for the United Nations sufficient to preserve efficiency and fiscal discipline, while maintaining the priorities of the Organization.

Ban in Algiers

Ban Ki-moon deplored deadly attacks, met survivors in Algiers

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led a chorus of United Nations condemnation of terrorist attacks in Algiers that killed dozens of people, including 17 UN staff members. Ban also dispatched several top aides to the Algerian capital to investigate the bombings.

Ayub: Human rights is a priority for the UN

Mahmood Ayub, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ankara, at a conference organized at the Bilkent University in cooperation with the UN Association Youth Section, said that “If security and development are two pillars of the UN’s work, human rights is the third. The promise contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which will mark its sixtieth anniversary in 2008, will continue to drive our actions on the ground”.

The Secretary-General Message on Human Rights Day
10 December 2007

On this Human Rights Day, we launch a year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The entire UN family will take part in a campaign to promote the Declaration's ideals and principles of justice and equality for everyone.

Know your rights!

United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels started a year long campaign to mark the 60th Anniversity of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The web site, www.knowyourrights2008.org, created as part of the campaign, features several human rights related material including a quiz to help visitors test their human rights knowledge.

Turkish Guiding and Scouting Federation reps.

Scouts for peace

International Day of Peace, 21 September, was celebrated at the UN Headquarters and field offices around the world. A team from the Turkish Scouting and Guiding Federation also attended the ceremony held at the UN House in Ankara, and made a presentation emphasizing the importance of peace.

MDG Photo Contest 2007 picks its winner

Millennium Development Goals 2007 Photo Contest organized jointly by the UN Turkey and Ankara University Faculty of Communication was finalized in December. Jury evaluated almost 100 photos eligible to enter the contest.

UNFCCC: Emissions of industrialized countries rose to all time high in 2005

According to data submitted to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the total greenhouse gas emissions of 40 industrialized countries rose to an all-time high in 2005, continuing the upward trend of the year before. The increases in emissions came from both the continued growth in highly industrialized countries and the revived economic growth in former East bloc nations. At the sectoral level, emissions from the transport sector grew at the highest rate.

Ban in Antarctica

Secretary-General Ban makes historic visit to Antarctica
Antarctica shows need for action on climate change

Ban Ki-moon, during his historic visit to Antarctica, the first by a United Nations Secretary-General, has said warming temperatures on the continent show the growing dangers of climate change and the need for action to address it.

Children’s voices important in climate change discussions

Two days after the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize to environmental experts, UNICEF has released a publication that outlines the concerns of children and youth about climate change.

Sub-Regional Irrigation Water Management Training Workshop

Searchable online library catalog

United Nations Information Center (UNIC) Ankara reference library catalog is online for researchers.

Liveable Cities
The benefits of Urban Environmental Planning

Cities Alliance, Local Governments for Sustainability and UNEP (United Nations Environmental Progaramme) jointly prepared a report on how to develop liveable cities.

According to the report successful city cannot operate efficiently in isolation from its environment. It must balance social, economic and environmental needs. A successful city must offer investors security, infrastructure and efficiency, and should also put the needs of its citizens at the forefront of all its planning activities.

Poor urban planning and management can have grave results for the urban economy, the environment and society. Poorly managed urban settlements will be unable to keep pace with urban expansion, and unserviced slums will proliferate, bringing with them poor health, poverty, social unrest and economic inefficiency.

Citing Hurricane Dean, UN/ISDR urges strengthening disaster early warning system

Bali Roadmap on Climate Change recognizes importance of DRR

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was included in the Bali Action Plan as a tool for climate change adaptation. The Bali Action Plan was adopted by UN member states on 15 December at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference.

UNHCR Turkey and Istanbul Bilgi University organised a meeting on “Constitutions and Right to Asylum”

UNHCR Turkey organised a meeting on “Constitutions and Right to Asylum” in cooperation with, Istanbul Bilgi University Human Rights Law Research Center and Istanbul Bilgi Center for Migration Research. Academics, NGO representatives and the representatives of platforms involved in the constitutional debate participated at the meeting on 21 December.

UNJP Evaluation Meeting

United Nations Joint Programme to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls annual evaluation meeting was conducted in Istanbul at Hilton Hotel on 13 November 2007 with the participation of UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior Sahabettin Harputlu and Güler Sabancı, Chairperson of Sabanci Holding Board of Directors and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Sabancı Fundation.

UN Turkey Newsletter board of editors (in alphabetical order)

Ahmet Parla
Aygen Aytaç
Gökçe Yörükoğlu
Gözde Doğan
Halide Caylan
Meltem Ağduk
Metin Çorabatır
Müveddet Farrell
Nezih Tavlaş
Selin Arslan
Sema Hosta
Şehnaz Tanılkan

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