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Issue 2: July - August, 2000 |
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British schoolgirl becomes youngest UN Goodwill Ambassador as UNU/INWEH Water4Life campaign is launched in UK 2. Africa
can feed just 40% of its population in 2025; 3.
New
study from UN University: 4. New
book examines international 5. News
in Brief 6. UNU Calendar of Events and Meetings British schoolgirl becomes youngest UN Goodwill A British schoolgirl became the world’s youngest UN Goodwill Ambassador when she was appointed June 8 at the London launch of Water4Life, a UN University appeal to help address the world water crisis. Laura Sweeting, 16, was given the role to help raise awareness that thousands of children – one every eight seconds – die daily due to unsafe water in developing countries. Monies raised by the Water4Life campaign will be channelled by the UN University’s International Network on Water, Environment and Health to on-the-ground projects that reduce the threat of water-borne diseases and contaminated water worldwide.
As Goodwill Ambassador, Laura will spend part of her summer holidays making personal appearances and giving press, radio & TV interviews as part of a nation-wide UK fund-raising campaign for the Water4Life appeal. Laura’s school, Stanborough Secondary School in Watford, Hertfordshire, has already formed its own UN Assembly and enrolled 36 pupils, all of different nationalities, as members. From a converted classroom with Internet, e-mail and fax facilities, pupils can contact other schools worldwide to raise awareness of water problems and promote fund-raising initiatives for the Water4Life Appeal. Said Ralph Daley, Director of UNU / INWEH: "We chose Stanborough School to launch and help promote our world-wide campaign because of its unique international links, and because we believe the idea of children helping children to improve the world water crisis is an excellent, workable and worthwhile initiative."
According to UN statistics:
"Not only is the toll a human tragedy, but it means that hundreds of millions of people are less able to carry on productive lives, and this severely undermines social and economic development," said Dr. Daley. He warned that unless action is stepped up soon the number of those who die from unsafe water is expected to escalate dramatically. UK media coverage of the launch was strong, including four national newspapers and four newswires, as well as more than 30 national television and radio news broadcasts. A number of UK firms have expressed interest in supporting the campaign, with commitments linked to product sales in excess of US$150,000 received in the first week of the campaign. Public fund-raising through major social and sporting events will also occur over the summer. Continuing degradation of soils for agricultural production in Africa threatens the world's fastest-growing region with starvation and poverty on an unprecedented scale within 25 years. Unless action is stepped up not simply to arrest degradation but to develop technologies that build up the soil quality to levels never before attained, the 48 African nations and territories south of the Sahara -- home today to more than 550 million people -- will produce enough food for just 40% of the projected one billion inhabitants in 2025.
Among ongoing efforts to contribute to solutions, UNU’s Ghana-based Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (INRA) and other concerned bodies have forged a new strategic partnership-- the International Facilitation Group (IFG) -- under the Soil Fertility Initiative for Africa (SFI), to propose the technology, policy and institutional changes needed to address Africa’s soil fertility problem. The SFI was agreed by nations at the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996. At recent meetings in Conakry, Guinea, the IFG reaffirmed the initial concepts of the Soil Fertility Initiative for Africa and called for completion of National Soil Fertility Action Plans to:
UNU/INRA also works to ensure that well-trained, motivated scientists and technologists are available to formulate national action plans and carry them out. Based in Ghana, UNU/INRA is a catalyst in development of needed human capital in science and technology for effective conservation and management of Africa’s natural resources. For more information on the problem of soil infertility, please click here to see detailed UNU/INRA news release. Contact: New study from UN University: Human Rights and Foreign Policy The place of human rights in the contemporary foreign policies of 10 states and regions is the focus of a new book from UN University Press.
In Human Rights and Comparative Foreign Policy, leading world experts use a unique common framework to analyze the foreign policies of 10 subject countries and regions as they relate to human rights. The authors note increasing attention is being paid to human rights in foreign policy. Most states, however, including those most concerned about human rights, are reluctant to elevate the issue to a level equal to traditional security and economic concerns. As well, states that do seek to integrate human rights with other concerns often develop great foreign policy inconsistencies. Editor David P. Forsythe is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a consultant to the International Red Cross, and serves on the Human Rights Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ISBN 92-808-1033-2 / April 2000 / 365 pages / Paper / US$29.95 New book examines international A new book from UN University Press examines the role played by different actors in formulating international and national environmental policy.
According to The Global Environment in the 21st Century: Prospects for International Cooperation, the growing interaction between national and international actors and levels of governance is an increasingly important aspect of international environmental policy. The UN is often seen as an arena for states to cooperate. In reality, there are many non-state actors that also participate in UN politics, including non-governmental, regional and other international organizations. In addition, the private sector has become increasingly engaged in UN activities as global markets and multinational corporations exercise tremendous influence. The authors examine the respective roles of five key players in safeguarding the environment and advancing sustainable development: states, civil society, market forces, regional organizations and international organizations. The effectiveness of each actor and its relationship with the other – both within and outside of the UN system – is analyzed. Editor Pamela S. Chasek founded and edits the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a reporting service on UN environment and development negotiations. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and Manhattan College. ISBN 92-808-1029-4 / March 2000 / 465 pages / Paper / US$34.95 n Globalization, foreign investment
"great Delegates
to an OAU Day Seminar held at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo called for the
mulltilateral trading system to be more responsive to the development
aspirations of Africa. n UNU/INRA backs new computer The UN Coordinator and
UNDP Representative in Cameroon, Patricia de Mowbray, represented the
Rector of UNU at a June 9 ceremony to present software and equipment worth
US$15,000 to Prof. Jean Tabi Manga, Rector of the University of Yaounde 1 in
Cameroon. The materials will facilitate teaching and practical
work in new postgraduate courses on computer applications to natural resources
initiated by the university's Department of Computer Science with the support of
UNU/INRA. |
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2000 United Nations University. All rights
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