Demand for ‘Blue Helmets’ at all-time high

In the annals of United Nations peace operations, 2006 will go down as a record-breaker in terms of deployment, with 100,000 uniformed and civilian personnel serving in the field by the end of the year.

Peacekeeping mission statement

Role of UN Police evolves from observing to coaching

United Nations police will change from their traditional role as observers and monitors in peacekeeping operations to building capacity and skills among local forces so they are able to engage more effectively with the community.

UN Police through the years

Racism and Discrimination Obstacles to Development

Racism, whether expressed through subtle face-to-face interactions, outright aggressive and violent behaviour, or social exclusion and denial of access to opportunities,

Mines take lives

The UN General Assembly has declared April 4 the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action to raise awareness about landmines, explosive remnants of war, and progress toward their eradication.

Global Climate Change

The question of climate change continues to generate heated debate worldwide, as negotiations proceed to work out details of the Kyoto Protocol. The prospect of rising temperatures and sea levels, with impacts on people and ecosystems, is spurring governments to seek effective international action-but they face concerns about the economic and political costs. So, what should be done to overcome the obstacles? We have gathered the facts about global climate change for you.

Turkey joins international combat against global warming

The project on Turkey’s adaptation to Climate Change, implemented by the Turkish government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a budget of US$ 420,000 extended by the Global Environment Fund (GEF), has now been completed. The Country Report was presented to the media by the Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry Osman Pepe and UNDP Turkey Resident Coordinator Mahmood Ayub.

A Youth Story Begins!

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) brought the Global Youth Awareness Raising Campaign, Staying Alive and ME, to Turkey. The campaign which is co-run with MTV aims to promote the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) awareness of youth and prevent HIV/AIDS.

High school essay contest: ‘Women-Friendly City’

The United Nations Joint Programme to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls (UNJP) organized an essay contest, “Women-friendly City.” Thousands of booklets, covering the contest terms, have been distributed to students, and announcements were posted at high schools.

Regulating migration

Considering its strategic geographic position and regional integration goals, Turkey is regulating migration through increased efforts to curb irregular migration and trafficking.  Additionally, Turkey has stepped up efforts to find appropriate and humane solutions to the challenges posed by the migrants who are often being trafficked or smuggled through its borders and are in need of further assistance.

UN Commission on the Status of Women focused on violence against women

Thousands of government delegates and women activists met at United Nations Headquarters early March to focus on girls’ rights and how to end the discrimination and violence that girls face around the world. That was the priority theme of this year’s annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held from 26 February to 9 March.

Model UN Turkey Conference

The Third Annual Model United Nations Turkey (MUNTR) Conference was organized in Istanbul between 5-9 February 2007. MUNTR is a non profit platform, composed of students with common interest to raise public awareness about the United Nations among young adults by organizing exemplary Model UN Conferences. 200 students from around the world participated in the third Annual MUNTR Conference, The conference serves as a platform for Turkey's younger generation to interact with international students and and share Turkish Culture.

UN system in Turkey gives priority to working with and empowering Turkish youth.

Please share your views and opinions on United Nations and our magazine with us. We value your input. You can reach us at : unic@un.org.tr

The United Nations is the only universal organization that can address global challenges

Ninth President of Turkey Mr. Süleyman Demirel gave an interview to our newsletter. He answered our questions on the United Nations and issues related to the UN.

UN: Culture of world peace
by Suleyman Demirel, 9th President of Turkey

Today, we all talk of world peace. Yet this idea began to preoccupy people’s minds on an increasing scale throughout the 20th century. Before that, wars of varied scale and violence were widespread. However, the devastation caused by World War I was so great that it gave rise to the first concrete steps to establish lasting peace in Europe, leading in turn to the establishment of the League of Nations. Unfortunately, the League of Nations failed mainly because a culture of peace did not find the chance to take root.

UN Sustainable Development Commission focused on energy solutions

Policy measures to advance long-term energy solutions that can fuel economic and social development while reducing air pollution and the greenhouse-gas emissions responsible for climate change was considered by more than 2,000 government delegates and representatives of non-governmental organizations who attended the Commission on Sustainable Development’s fifteenth session (CSD-15) which was held from 30 April to 11 May.

History and Milestones of Global Forest Policy

Forum on Forests 7th Session will be organized in New York between 16-27 April 2007. The issue of forests has been a priority on the international policy and political agendas for the past 15 years. At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) the forest issue was among the most controversial, polarizing developing and developed countries.

191 Country Parties to the UNCCD met in Buenos Aires to review implementation of the Convention

Delegates from the 191 member country Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification gathered in Buenos Aires from 12 to 21 March for the Fifth Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 5).

UNFPA-Turkish Police cooperate to stop the violence against women

The Awareness Campaign on Violence Against Women (VAW) led the decision makers to develop wide ranged mechanisms to combat VAW in Turkey within the government. At 26 December 2006 a protocol was signed between two ministers; Nimet Çubukçu, the State Minister responsible for women and Abdülkadir Aksu, Minister of Interior about training project on the role of police officers and procedures in the police stations to combat domestic violence.

INCB warns of counterfeit medicines flooding markets

Prescription drug abuse and drug abuse in Afghanistan also highlighted at INCB Annual Report Launch Ankara, 1 March (UN Information Center) -- The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) warned that the flood of counterfeit medicines now available in many countries could have fatal consequences for consumers, at the launch of its Annual Report today in Vienna, Austria.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan receives Agricola Medal, New FAO Subregional Office inaugurated in Ankara

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf today conferred FAO’s highest award, the Agricola Medal, on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in recognition of his contribution to agricultural and social development in Turkey.

UNHCR expresses strong gratitude for Turkey’s generosity for Iraqi refugees

UNHCR expressed strong gratitude for the Turkish government’s exceptional generosity addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees and internally displaced persons inside Iraq and in neighbouring countries. At the two day international conference on addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees and internally displaced persons inside Iraq and in neighbouring countries held in Geneva on 17-18 April, the Turkish delegation announced that the Turkish Government will provide a further contribution of 2,500,000 US Dollars to be used by UNHCR in support of its activities for Iraqi refugees outside Iraq.

Assembly President: Proorest States benefit least from globalization's advantages

The world's poorest countries have benefited the least from globalization and yet suffered the most from the phenomenon's downsides, the General Assembly President said at the opening of a conference convened in Istanbul, Turkey to help those States make lasting economic gains.

Secretary-General Ban's message on World Water Day

World Water Day is celebrated this year with a special focus on “Coping with Water Scarcity”.

Water scarcity can be physical, economic or institutional, and can fluctuate over time and space. Today, about 700 million in 43 countries suffer from waters scarcity, and by 2025 this figure could increase to more than 3 billion people.

Refugees by photographs

Photographer and journalist Bikem Ekberzade’s photograph exhibition ‘Refugees’ has been exhibitied in Ankara with the contribution of United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Turkish American Society (TAS).

Ekberzade’s photographs taken in the frame of “Refugee Project” in seven years reflect life of people “who lost their life while they were looking for a new life”. The project started with the Balkan War in 1998 and ends with the book called “Illegal”. Ekberzade demonstrated  life of two illegal immigrant women in Istanbul both with photographs and texts in the book.

Bikem Ekberzade has been selected the photographer of the month by EPN World Reporter in May 2002

UNIFEM delegation visits Ankara

A UNIFEM delegation visited Ankara for a four-day working visit to establish priorities and key activities for promoting gender issues. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) delegation headed by Osnat Lubrani, Regional Programme Director for Central and Eastern Europe, met UN Turkey Gender Thematic Group members to explore opportunities for cooperation. At the meeting Gender Thematic Group members expressed their willingness to successfully implement joint programmes and projects in line with the UN Reform efforts.

Sub-Regional UN Resident Coordination Officers meeting in Istanbul

UN Resident Coordination Officers from Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, and Pakistan met in Istanbul From 26-28 July. UN Turkey was represented by UN Turkey Coordination Officer, Ms. Halide Caylan. The regional coordination officers meeting aimed to establish an operational network of Coordination Officers; EXCHANGE knowledge, best practices and lessons learned;  exchange information about the status and progress of UN reform and UNDAF;  introduce new initiatives with regards to planning, programming and procurement; and discussing the UN team role in national development processes.

Louise Arbour - José Antonio Ocampo

A treaty for justice, not charity, for persons with disabilities

An occasional soul helps a person in a wheelchair navigate traffic in a treacherous intersection. Others give handouts to the many school-age children with disabilities who roam the streets of poor communities.

Progress towards development targets is mixed, UN finds
Secretary-General says political leaders must honour commitments

Halfway to a 2015 deadline, there has been clear progress towards implementing the Millennium Development Goals, a set of global commitments to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty.

The More Schools! campaign exceeds expectations

The joint UNICEF–NTV More Schools! campaign surpassed its 100 new claasroom target. The total of contributions raised through SMS and direct donations are enough to build 121 new prefabricated classrooms.
One of the main barriers to girls’ education in Turkey is the shortage of classrooms. By focusing on solving classroom shortage, the joint UNICEF–NTV campaign on the occasion of the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, exceeded expectations well beyond the original target.

2006 Child Survey Outcomes: Trend keeps falling

The results of the “Child Labour Survey” covering the period October-December 2006 conducted by the Turkish Statistics Institution (TURKSTAT) with the support of ILO’s “International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour” (IPEC) were published.

A New Step in Turkey towards eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour: “The Project for Eradicating the Worst Forms of Child Labour”

Child labour, especially its worst forms, is among the issues to which Turkey has to address. International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 calls for urgent and effective action to prohibit and eradicate the child labour in its worst forms for all children who are under 18 years of age.

Road crashes are number one cause of death among young people – UN report

Road traffic crashes have become the leading cause of death among young people, with nearly 400,000 people between the ages of 10 and 24 killed around the world each year and millions of others disabled or injured, usually in crashes that are entirely preventable, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) warns in a new report.

Sustainable development: A priority for Turkey

United Nations Development Programme Turkey and Turkish State Planning Organization presented ongoing sustainable development endeavors of Turkey with a side event at 15th meeting of UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message on World Environment Day
5 June 2007

Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are causing our world to get warmer. Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are higher than at any time for the past 600,000 years, and the rate of increase is accelerating.

From water wars to bridges of cooperation: Exploring the peace-building potential of a shared resource

UNJP Local Equality Action Plans ready

United Nations Joint Programme to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls (UNJP) Manager Nevin Senol said that Local Equality Action Plans were being prepared under the UNJP and added that, “Local Equality Action Plans aim to achieve gender equality on a local level, and establish a gender-sensitive approach in local governments to create sustainable equality policies”.

UN envoy in Iraq visits Turkey to seek regional support for peace efforts.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative Ashraf Qazi, who at the end of January  conferred with Syrian officials in Damascus and Saudi leaders in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara on February 14, 2007 to discuss “the important role the neighbouring states can play in reducing violence and promoting stability” in Iraq. The two men “stressed the need for greater regional engagement to bolster efforts aimed at promoting dialogue, reconciliation and consensus building in Iraq,” the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said in a statement. Mr. Qazi’s regional tour was  “designed to learn the views and perceptions of Governments of the region and explore the different ways these governments can take to help enhance Iraq’s stability and regional reintegration,” it added.

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
Sehnaz Tanilkan

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