UN Women

The Global Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign has been intense, interesting and important. Incase this is the first time that you are hearing about it...the campaign "urges the UN and the Member States to create an agency that can operate with an impact, and make this agency operational without delay". When I first heard about the plans for a new UN Women's agency, I thought of the four current entities that work exclusively on women's issues--DAW (division for Advancement of Women), OSAGI (Office of the Special Advisor for Gender Issues), INSTRAW (UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women) and UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women). Also, UNDP and UNFPA do important work on gender equality. Therefore, I did not see the point of a new entity. 

Intern at UNPFII

However, I quickly discovered that the reason that the new entity (UN Woman) was being considered was to strengthen the current structure that was under resourced and fragmented. Furthermore, the existing entities do not have access to the highest decision-making tables at the UN. Therefore, it makes sense that a new, improved ‘Composite Entity’ would be created. 


On the 2nd July 2010, UN Women was launched and my hope for it is that it lives up to expectations. The vision is that UN Women would "holistically incorporate both a global policy-making mandate and a strong programmatic (operational) capacity at global, regional and national levels. Its hybrid structure brings together the normative and operational elements of the Department, Fund and Program. ing women’s rights entities, DAW, OSAGI, UNIFEM, and INSTRAW. To improve the UN’s women’s rights work, the entity will have important new functions, such as leading and coordinating the UN’s work on gender equality and women’s empowerment globally, regionally and in the countries where it is active, and holding the UN system accountable for gender mainstreaming. The new entity will be lead by an Under-Secretary General who is a member of the Chief Executives Board, and it will have more financial resources than the existing entities".

If properly implemented, the hope is that it would remedy the existing fragmentation of the current system and deliver effective results for women. Yet, implementation is a recurring weakness within the UN system. The entities new website states "establishment of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women — to be known as UN Women — is a result of years of negotiations between UN Member States and advocacy by the global women’s movement. It is part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact.

In a recent statement , Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “UN Women will significantly boost UN efforts to promote gender equality, expand opportunity, and tackle discrimination around the globe.” I hope so. I am a firm believer in the necessity for equality of both men and women. I feel that opportunities need to be provided to everyone based on merit and without any prejudice. I agree that a UN entity is necessary. I agree that the reasoning behind the creation of UN Women is sound. Therefore, we all just have to wait and see what happens. This is a positive result for women and girls worldwide. 

Ironically, my concern for UN-Women, is its reason for existence, strength and primary function. According the the FAQ section on the GEAR website. The new entity will absorb UNIFEM, DAW, INSTRAW and OSAGI. It will incorporate all of their mandates and assets, and therefore continue their work. UNIFEM’s donor-supported programmes will be carried over to the new entity since there are pre-existing agreements with programme countries and donors. This has the potential to become a double edged sword. The organisation will be better funded, more powerful but it will also be taking on all the 'baggage' from the other entities.


However, what is obvious is that on the 2 ^nd of July, the world witnessed what could possibly be the most progressive reform at the UN in the past 20 years. The doption of a Resolution which would consolidate the efforts by the previous four UN gender agencies to advance the rights and conditions of women around the world is a momentous step forward and was preceded by tireless work from civil society organizations, who strongly advocated for the reformation of gender equality architecture at the UN. The GEAR (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) Campaign, the most visible of the civil society groups, was closely involved in the process for achieving system-wide coherence in designated areas at the UN.

We can only wait and see what happens. We can only hope that their first Under-Secretary General is up to the challenge (more).

Intro: UN General Assembly

Recently, the proximity of the 65th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) struck me. I have been looking forward to it all year...as a distant event.  However, it was until this month that it has become a reality. It would be amazing if I could attend on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 because it will be an amazing chance to observe the mechanics on Global Governance in action.

Disclaimer:copyright belongs to UN

To provide a little background information. The GA will take place from 23-25 September and 27-30 September. The GA is one of the five primary organs of the UN and amazingly the only one where all 192 Members have the exact same number of votes. The subsidiary organs of the General Assembly are divided into categories: Committees, Commissions, Boards, Councils and Panels, and Working Groups and others. According to the UN's website it is "chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations... and it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. 




However, it is much more than that. The resolutions that emerge from GAs have changed history and are creating the norms and standards that are the successes of global governance.


The GA will be followed by a high-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals ("Millennium Summit") will be held on 20-22 September. I am currently preparing for the 7th Annual Youth Assembly as a representative of the International Youth Council's planning committee for the parts we are organizing in partnership with the friendship ambassadors foundation. As such, I hope to have improved my knowledge of youth involvement in the Millennium Development Goals.

Unsurprisingly, I started my investigations on the GA by focusing on the work of the Third Committee. Afterall, CJ's (a fellow intern) mother is on the third committee and my current work falls under its mandate. The Third Committee deals with range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues around the world. An important part of the Committee’s work focuses on the examination of human rights questions, including reports of the special procedures of the newly established Human Rights Council. It also discusses the advancement of women, the protection of children, indigenous issues, the treatment of refugees, the promotion of fundamental freedoms through the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the promotion of the right to self- determination. In addition, it addresses important social development questions such as issues related to youth, family, ageing, persons with disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, and drug control. I expect that this year will be interesting because of the recent introduction of UN Women and the fact that in 2011 the UN Human Rights Council is up for review.

Promotional Party (IYC Fundraising Success)

Last night, the International Youth Council had an awesome (yes, I went there) party on fifth avenue and 21st Street. We threw a party that was well attended, fun and had some amazing people attending. Furthermore, I managed to network, make some friends and mingle.

 It was the first party that the IYC Communications team have ever promoted in New York City and I was positively surprised by the turnout. I am happy the Reginald pushed me so hard to create the flier and that Asha asked for the promotional materials to be on hand. It was easy for me to organize the printing of the brochures that Gioretti had slaved over and it was a lovely extra touch to the night.

We ended up raising more than expected and we have been motivated to create a second networking mixer. It promises to be better than the last one and it will be worth attending.

I will keep you updated! I am looking forward to the Youth Assembly. I will be facilitating the Think Tank on Advocacy and Social Media--plus some of the MDG ones. Wish me luck. Thank you for reading....

Fire House

There is fun to be had at 3am when perfectly sober, you sneak (with a fireman and some drunk giggling friends) into a fire-station / fire house and dress up in a helmet and jacket (surprisingly heavy) while everyone else blissfully snores away. That is what we did a few nights ago.

It was fun walking into the place, seeing what it actually looks like in real life (and joking that we would try out the pole...none of us did -primarily because we didn't want to wake anyone and figured one of us would possibly scream or fall). We did however, climb onto the trucks, have coffee in the kitchen and watch firemen / women sleep.

It was really interesting to see the rota from September 11th was still on the wall. A new one beside it, the names scrawled in chalk and there forever. It was sad, and yet it means that they will never be forgotten. Those names and nicknames have been immortalised. Not in the traditional way, those men will never fade to become merely names in a history book. They will continue to be legends. They will live on in the memories of the firemen from that station for generations to come. They will never be forgotten and that is what amazed me. I would never have thought that something as simple as a chalked up rota would make me so philosophical about it.

Yet, if I had to die, wouldn't it be great to die saving other people? Furthermore, they won't be forgotten for awhile, wouldn't it be amazing if we could all say that?

It was about 4am when we slipped out (as silently as 6 people can be) and into a taxi to continue our nyc adventures.

I learnt something that night. It was fun. It was something that I could have only done in NYC.

NYC Philharmonic Orchestra (Central Park)

Today work was work. It was one of those days where the files (or to do lists) grow and the to do pile never seems to get smaller...no matter how long you slave at it. This was coupled by rain (which encouraged me to stay and eat lunch at my desk) as well as hectic preparations for the next two days (which are shaping up to be full). That is why, I wasn't expecting to be lying on the grass (in my favorite Jones of New York Suit) looking up at the cloudy sky and wondering how soon it would rain. I was with my friends having a picnic dinner and listening to the New York City Philharmonic Orchestra playing music that reminded me of my school lessons (great kick ass music fyi). The music was amazing (and the rain never came). The company was worth it and as the sunset...in glorious reds and golds...

NYC glorious skyline was highlighted against the trees as if I was gazing up out of a different world at the striking contrast of modernity. I really love NYC. It provides everything I could ever crave--challenges, culture, diversity, free stuff and insane moments that cannot be equaled anywhere else. I love the buzz, I thrive at this high octane pace and I can't wait to experience everything I can. I love that this city accommodates you to work and to balance that with fun. It is amazing how no matter what time it is, you can discover something worth doing and gain a memory worth having.

My evening started with a 45 minute commute to work...and ended with me sprawled on the grass at central park sipping water and watching the fireworks explode. Tomorrow is another work filled, fun filled adventure and I cannot wait!

Waiting...

Waiting. It is amazing how hard it is to just wait. Plans can be made and executed. Presentations can be given and commented on. Applications submitted. Deadlines met. Yet the inevitable wait to hear whether all your hopes, dreams, hard work and effort has paid off? ---That takes courage, patience and immense self confidence.

It is hard to expose yourself to the possibility of failure, to know that everything is completely in another persons hands and there is nothing you can do about it. I hate feeling vulnerable, the rising expectations of success and the intense indecisiveness that involves not knowing your future.

It gives me strength to know that all my friends are waiting with me. To celebrate if I get it or to shrug it off and cheer me up if things don't go according to my expectations. I know that I am lucky that people care, share my triumphs and help me recover from the setbacks. I know my friends are fiercely loyal and believe in me (at times more than I believe in myself). They give me the courage I need (to hang on and expect a positive answer), provide a distraction (so that I don't stare at my phone and constantly check my emails),  the confidence that I did my best and the love I need to get through waiting. Thank you :)