United Nations
The United Nations was established, in the aftermath of a devastating war, to help stabilize international relations and give peace a more secure foundation.
But the United Nations is much more than a peacekeeper and forum for conflict resolution. Often without attracting attention, the United Nations and its family of
agencies are engaged in a vast array of work that seeks to improve people’s lives around the world. Child survival and development. Environmental protection. Human rights. Health and medical research. Alleviation of poverty and economic development. Agricultural development and fisheries. Education. The advancement of women. Emergency and disaster relief. Air and sea travel. Peaceful uses of atomic energy. Labour and workers’
rights. The list goes on. We are pleased to give you more information about the activities of the United Nations
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Pakistan Needs our Help, Now
By Ban Ki-moon
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 Secretary-General Visits Camp for Pakistanis Displaced by Flood
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23 August – Standing under leaden skies in Pakistan last Sunday, I saw a sea of suffering. Flood waters have washed away thousands of towns and villages. Roads, bridges and homes in every province of the country have been destroyed.
From the sky, I saw thousands of acres of prime farmland – the bread and butter of the Pakistani economy – swallowed up by the rising tides. On the ground, I met terrified people, living in daily fear that they could not feed their children or protect them from the next wave of crisis: the spread of diarrhea, hepatitis, malaria and, most deadly, cholera. more
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Marking World Humanitarian Day, UN lauds heroic efforts on the front lines
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19 August 2010 –The United Nations will mark the second-ever World Humanitarian Day on Thursday by paying tribute to the life-saving work carried out by aid workers around the globe, often in perilous places, to help those whose lives have been torn asunder by conflict, natural disasters and other crises.
Events will be held at UN offices and peacekeeping missions worldwide, with many focusing on those personnel at the front lines who have been killed in the cause of assisting people in need.
Last year, 102 humanitarian workers lost their lives, compared with 30 deaths among aid workers in 1999. In addition, nearly 280 aid workers were victims of security incidents, more the quadruple the number one decade ago. more |
In Pakistan, UN chief urges rapid assistance for flood-stricken communities
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 Victims of worst floods to hit Pakistan in several years, walk through water-filled streets in city of Nowshera
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16 August 2010 –Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called for the rapid delivery of assistance for millions of people in flood-stricken Pakistan, as he saw for himself the devastation wrought by the recent disaster.
Mr. Ban arrived in the South Asian nation to demonstrate the support of the United Nations and the international community in the wake of what has been called the country's worst disaster in living memory, having claimed more than 1,200 lives and leaving at least 2 million homeless. more |
General Assembly to launch International Year of Youth today, 12 August
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12 August 2010 – The International Year of Youth is being launched today in the General Assembly Hall with an eclectic event of speeches, musical performances, videos and poetry. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be on hand with welcoming words to kick off the Year, which runs from 12 August 2010 to 11 August 2011 under the theme Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.
The Year aims to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across generations, cultures, religions and civilizations.
In a message issued on the occasion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “in a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts.”
He called for strengthening efforts “to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours.” In addition to the Secretary-General, today’s special event will be addressed by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Education of Tunisia, Samir Laabidi and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations, Jean-Francis Régis Zinsou.
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Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s Message on International Youth Day
12 August 2010
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 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right with youth visiting UN Headquarters)
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12 August 2010 –This year’s commemoration of International Youth Day also marks the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.
Today’s challenging social and economic environment warrant a special focus on youth. Eighty-seven per cent of people aged 15 to 24 live in developing countries. The global economic crisis has had a disproportionate impact on young people; they have lost jobs, struggled to find even low-wage employment and seen access to education curtailed. more |
Secretary-General’s statement on the establishment of the Panel of Inquiry on the flotilla incident of 31 May 2010
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2 Ağustos 2010 -
For the past two months, I have engaged in intensive consultation with the leaders of Israel and Turkey on the setting-up of a Panel of Inquiry on the flotilla incident of 31 May. Today I am very pleased to announce the launch of the Panel. This is an unprecedented development.
I thank the leaders of the two countries with whom I have engaged in last minute consultations over the weekend, for their spirit of compromise and forward looking cooperation.
The Panel will be led by eminent personalities: former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Geoffrey Palmer as Chair and the outgoing President of Colombia, Mr. Alvaro Uribe as Vice-Chair. The Panel will have two additional members, one each from Israel and Turkey. It will begin its work on 10 August and submit the first progress report by mid September.
I hope the Panel will fulfil its mandate based on the Presidential Statement of the Security Council and with the fullest cooperation of the relevant national authorities of the two countries. It will also give me recommendations for the prevention of similar incidents in the future. I also hope that today's agreement will impact positively on the relationship between Turkey and Israel as well as the overall situation in the Middle East. |
Cambodia: Khmer Rouge official found guilty of atrocities by UN-backed court
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 Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch
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29 July, Ankara (UN Information Centre) – Three decades after nearly 2 million people perished under Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia, a United Nations-backed tribunal issued its first verdict on 26 July, finding the former head of a notorious detention camp guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Kaing Guek Eav, whose alias is Duch, was sentenced to 35 years in prison by the trial chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
The first person to stand trial before the court, he headed the S-21 camp, also known as Tuol Sleng, where numerous Cambodians were unlawfully detained, subjected to inhumane conditions and forced labour, tortured and executed in the late 1970s. more
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National competitive recruitment examination (NCRE)
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28 July 2010 - The United Nations is looking for highly qualified candidates with various academic backgrounds in political, economic, social, legal, administrative and other fields who are ready to start a professional career with the Organization.
The national competitive recruitment examination is a long-standing, recruitment initiative that brings new talent to the United Nations through an annual entrance examination. For young, high-calibre professionals across the globe, the exam is a platform for launching a career as an international civil servant. more |
UN Human Rights Council unveils panel to probe deadly interception of Gaza flotilla
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 The MV Mavi Marmara aid-carrying ship leaving Antalya, Turkey for Gaza on 22 May 2010
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25 July, Ankara (UN Information Centre) – The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday announced the names of the three experts who will serve on a fact-finding mission to investigative violations of international law resulting from Israel’s interception of a flotilla of aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip, which led to the deaths of nine civilians.
Judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips of Trinidad and Tobago, Sir Desmond de Silva of the United Kingdom and Mary Shanthi Dairiam of Malaysia will comprise the panel, the Council’s President, Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Thailand, said.
Mr. Phuangketkeow called on all parties to fully cooperate with the fact-finding mission, saying he hoped its work would contribute to peace and justice in the region. more
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UN to spotlight media’s role in promoting Middle East peace
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 Israeli soldiers inspect Palestinians' documents at the Hawera checkpoint outside Nablus town in the West Bank
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22 July, Ankara (UN Information Centre) – The role of the media in fostering dialogue and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians will be the focus of a two-day United Nations meeting to be held later this week in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.
The upcoming media seminar, which starts today, will be the 17th such gathering organized by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), and aims to sensitize public opinion on the issue of Palestine and the peace process.
With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325, which stresses the importance of giving women equal participation and full involvement in peace and security matters, their role in achieving peace will also be discussed. more
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PM Erdoğan received WHO award for anti-tobacco efforts
Global Adult Tobacco Survey launched
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 Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO’s regional director for Europe, presents the award to PM Erdogan.
Photo by Tuna Sundur
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20 July, Ankara (UN Information Centre) – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday received World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General’s Special Recognition Award for Contribution to Global Tobacco Control.
Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO’s regional director for Europe, presented the award to PM Erdoğan at a ceremony at Ankara Rixos Hotel.
Jakab said that it is a great pleasure for her to present the award to PM Erdoğan on behalf of WHO, the Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan and all WHO staff who have worked on Turkey’s national tobacco control programmes. more
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Welcome to the website for the United Nations in Turkey. This site provides information about what the UN system in Turkey is doing and how. The UN system is comprised of thirteen agencies at a representative level, Two are accredited to the United Nations Resident Coordinator and one is at the liaison office level. These agencies have a common agenda in addition to agency specific agendas that complement the country’s development efforts. You can find information about what the UN agencies are doing jointly and also can link to the individual sites of each agency present in the country.
We hope that you will enjoy our site and look forward to your comments. Best regards,
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