The United Nations will commemorate
International Women’s Day on 5th March 2010 to highlight the
importance of equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women in Sri
Lanka and across the globe, through a joint event organized by the United
Nations inter-agency theme group for gender.
2010 marks the 100th
anniversary of International Women’s Day which commenced in 1910 with the
second International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen. It is a day
to the mark the real progress of women in their social, political and economic
achievements and to renew our commitment to achieve true equality.
The events held will seek to
promote the rights of women from all spheres of society in Sri Lanka and will include a theatrical performance, a discussion
by an imminent panel of speakers and songs which will highlight the global theme
as well as the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.
The panel
discussion will comprise of eminent speakers, Professor Savithri Goonesekere,
former Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Dr Vinya Ariyaratne, Former Executive
Director, Sarvodaya, Mrs Lalitha Dissanayaka, former Secretary to the Ministry
of Women’s Affairs and Ms. Ayomi Fernando, Head of Responsible Business Initiatives Unit of the
Employer’s Federation of Ceylon. The panel will focus on the
issues faced by women in the political, post conflict, plantation and private
sectors respectively and explore solutions to the problems they face.
Invitees for the event range
include Ministry and government officials, Foreign diplomats, I/NGOs, general
public and students.
When: 5th March,9.30 am to 12.00 noon Where: Atrium Lobby, Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo
The Secretary-General's message on UN Day - 24 October 2009
On this United Nations Day and every day throughout the year, the United Nations is at work -- for the planet, for jobs, for “we the peoples”.
We deliver more humanitarian aid than anyone – and to the toughest places.We vaccinate 40 per cent of the world’s children.We feed more than 100 million people and are helping more than 30 million refugees, most of them women and children fleeing war and persecution.We are deploying more peacekeepers than ever -- more than 115,000.In the last year alone, we provided electoral assistance to almost 50 countries.And the entire UN system has mobilized to face global economic turmoil and the social unrest it threatens.
People look to the United Nations to defeat poverty and hunger, to keep the peace, to expand education and stand up for human rights in every corner of the globe.They look to us to stop the spread of deadly weapons and disease, and to protect people and families hit by disasters. In December, they will look to us to seal a comprehensive, equitable and ambitious deal on climate change that will protect us all and pave the way toward a greener, more sustainable economy.
This is a unique moment in world affairs.Multiple crises – food, fuel, financial, flu – are hitting at once.Climate change looms larger every day.Each illustrates a 21st-century truth:we share one planet, one home.As people, as nations, as a species, we sink or swim together.
The United Nations is doing its utmost to respond – to address the big issues, to look at the big picture.We are forging a new multilateralism that can deliver real results for all people, especially those most in need. But I am also painfully aware of the distance to go and the gap between commitment and action. On this UN Day, let us resolve to redouble our efforts on behalf of the vulnerable, the powerless, the defenceless.Let us stand more united than ever – united in purpose and united in action to make the world a safer, better place.
Tripartite Meeting on 'Negotiating for Decent Work in the Age of Globalization in South Asia and China'
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of ILO Convention on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949 (No. 98), and in preparation of the High Level Tripartite Meeting on Collective Bargaining to be organised in the ILO in Geneva in November 2009, the ILO Office for South Asia is planning to hold the tripartite meeting on ‘Negotiating for Decent Work in the Age of Globalization in South Asia and China’, on 26-27 October in Ahungalla, Sri Lanka.
The Meeting aims at
having a better understanding of the current status and evolution of collective bargaining in South Asia and China and the way it has been affected by globalization;
to understand the capacity that collective bargaining has to adapt and evolve in the context of a rapidly changing industrial relations environment, responding to pressures arising from globalization;
to prepare the contributions for the ILO High-Level Tripartite meeting to be held in Geneva in November 2009; and
to promote collective bargaining as a fundamental right and discuss in what ways it can be promoted and further used to contribute to the Decent Work Agenda of the ILO in South Asia and China.
Participants will be representatives from the tripartite partners from Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as a number of industrial relations experts from the region and globally.
The Secretary General's Message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Today we recognize the daily struggles and contributions of those living in poverty and resolve to intensify efforts to eliminate the scourge once and for all.
At a time of multiple global crises, the poorest and most vulnerable have a special claim on our attention.We know that, in any recession, those hurt first—and worst—are the poor.According to recent estimates, the global economic crisis has claimed at least 50 million jobs this year.As many as 100 million more people are expected to fall below the poverty line in 2009.Climate change further compounds the problem.
The theme of this year’s observance, “Children and Families Speak Out Against Poverty”, coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.We recognize that investing in children and securing their rights is one of the surest ways to ending poverty.
Despite our world of plenty, children’s basic needs are still being sidelined. Millions of children continue to be deprived of an education, with many more at risk of dropping out of school. This is particularly true for girl children.
Yet we also know that common sense investments to meet the Millennium Development Goals can make a profound difference.In areas where global investments have been scaled up – such as AIDS, TB, malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases – we are seeing heartening progress.There has also been notable success in reducing under-five mortality.These gains suggest how we can accelerate progress toward those MDG targets where the world is still far behind – by investing in key areas such as primary education, basic infrastructure and maternal health.
The United Nations system is responding to the crisis on a number of fronts -- promoting food security, building a greener economy, ensuring stronger safety nets and putting forward a Global Jobs Pact.We are also developing a Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System—GIVAS—to create a networked capacity for real-time data collection and analysis.Policies must be driven by a solid picture of developments on the ground.
We are at a critical juncture in the fight against poverty.Now is the time to amplify the voices of the vulnerable and ensure that the world follows up on its pledges.With the right investments and concrete action, we can build upon the gains, fulfill our commitments, and ensure that every man, woman and child has the opportunity to make the most of their potential.
Food and nutritional security are the foundations of a decent life, a sound education and, indeed, the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals.Over the past two years, volatile food prices, the economic crisis, climate change and conflict have led to a dramatic and unacceptable rise in the number of people who cannot rely on getting the food they need to live, work and thrive.For the first time in history, more than one billion people are hungry.
Throughout the developing world, food prices remain stubbornly high.We must respond to the needs of the hungry, first by ensuring adequate political and financial support for emergency food assistance.“Achieving food security in times of crisis” is the theme for this year's World Food Day and for the TeleFood campaign of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.It emphasizes the need for even greater efforts to respect the dignity of those affected by poverty and hunger, and to support the committed women and men who often risk their lives to deliver help.
Second, we must invest in food production and distribution.Last year, I set up a High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis. Its Comprehensive Framework for Action outlines a strategy to provide safety nets and assistance for smallholder farmers and to support longer-term agricultural productivity and resilience, social protection schemes, market access and fair trade.
Nations are mobilizing for action.In July, 26 countries and 14 multilateral organizations agreed to work together under the umbrella of the L'Aquila initiative on food security.Next month's World Summit on Food Security in Rome is a further opportunity to focus on country-led and regional strategies, country-level partnerships and increased levels of assistance.
The challenges of food security demand multilateral commitment, creativity and leadership.At this time of crisis, I encourage all nations to pursue coordinated and comprehensive strategies for agricultural development and effective social protection so that vulnerable people – women and children in particular – can get the food they need for nutritional security and well-being.
Over 80 countries celebrate the second annual Global Handwashing Day
Everyone can make a difference in the “Clean hands saves lives” campaign
Washington DC, 15 October 2009 – Each year, diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections are responsible for the deaths of more than 3.5 million children under the age of five. The second annual Global Handwashing Day, being celebrated today, shines a spotlight on the importance of handwashing with soap and water as one of the most effective and affordable health interventions.
Water alone is not enough. Washing hands with soap and water especially at the critical times -- after using the toilet and before handling food -- helps reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal disease by more than 40 per cent and respiratory infections by nearly 25 per cent. Furthermore, washing hands with soap is also being recommended as a critical action to prevent the spread of influenza H1N1.
Yet, despite its life-saving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and not always easy to promote.
Although soap is available in most households around the world, observed rates of handwashing with soap at critical moments range from zero to 34 per cent. For successful, and sustained behavioural change to occur, it is vital to incorporate community-based and community-sensitive approaches that understand what motivates people to change.
Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation are often major causes of lost work and missed school days, perpetuating the cycle of economic and social stagnation in many countries. Investments in health, child survival, education, water supply, and sanitation are all jeopardized if there is a lack of emphasis on handwashing with soap.
Under the slogan of “Clean hands save lives,” the second annual Global Handwashing Day campaign aims to engage schoolchildren as effective agents for change. The introduction of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in schools, including handwashing with soap, is an entry point for children to understand and then take these good hygiene practices back into their homes and communities.
Improved sanitation and hygiene programmes combined with handwashing education directly impact the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2: universal primary education and MDG 3: gender equality via higher enrolment, attendance and retention rates in schools for both girls and boys. Additionally, higher rates of handwashing with soap would significantly contribute towards meeting the MDG 4 of reducing deaths of children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015. Handwashing with soap represents a cornerstone of public health and can be considered an affordable, accessible “do-it-yourself” vaccine. A
pproximately 200 million children lathered up for last year’s inaugural Global Handwashing Day in 86 countries across five continents. From Colombia to Bangladesh, from Kenya to the Philippines, from the United Kingdom to Ethiopia, schools and communities worldwide organized and participated in celebrations and handwashing campaigns.
This year millions more, including, children, teachers, parents, celebrities, and government officials in over 80 countries, plan to join the celebrations. Global Handwashing Day is an initiative of the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, and is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies and individuals worldwide.
Well over 700 school children and their teachers took part in a peace march in the city of Anuradhapura, and later attended a seminar organized to mark the International Day of Peace 2009 last Tuesday, 22 September.
Students, both girls and boys dressed in white uniforms commenced their march from Nivaththaka Chetiya Maha Vidyalaya around eight in the morning and returned to the starting point after trekking four kilo meters through busy streets of the city.
They carried three big banners with the humanity’s eternal wish “let there be peace forever in the world” written on them in Sinhala, Tamil and English. The seminar was held in the auditorium of the school with the participation of all those who took part in the peace march.
Provincial Director of Education, North Central Province, UN National Information Officer and a representative of the UN Association of Sri Lanka addressed the gathering dealing with different issues and aspects relating to peace and UN’s contribution towards maintaining peace in the present day world. Several cultural items presented by students of Nivaththaka Chethiya added colour to the seminar.
The peace march and seminar were organized by the UN Information Centre, Colombo ,with the support of Provincial Department of Education and UN Association of SRI Lanka. September 21every year has been designated as the International Day of Peace by the UN General Assembly.
Message from the Secretary-General
Today is the first World Humanitarian Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.
It is, above all, a day on which we renew our commitment to help vulnerable, voiceless and marginalized people wherever they may be. That is the abiding mission of the humanitarian community.
This is also a day on which we pay tribute to the legions of heroic humanitarian personnel. These men and women come from many backgrounds. But they share a conviction that one person’s suffering is everyone’s responsibility. The date of this observance marks the anniversary of the attack on UN Headquarters in Baghdad which killed 22 dedicated men and women, including the great humanitarian Sergio Vieira de Mello.
We continue to draw inspiration from their legacy, and remain determined to carry it forward. The Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation is doing just that by establishing an annual prize in his name that will recognize outstanding achievements in the peaceful reconciliation of conflict.
Like Sergio and the other brave colleagues who lost their lives that terrible day, humanitarian personnel venture to troubled regions to help others. For them, there can be no such thing as a forgotten conflict.
But to do that noble work -- to face down threats amid disaster and war -- they need our help. They need us to work tirelessly for their safety, security and independence.
World Humanitarian Day is meant to shine a spotlight on people in need, to ensure they receive the assistance they deserve. Let us redouble our efforts toward this goal. Let us fulfill our humanitarian imperative.
Responding to the Global economic crisis... investing in women is a smart choice !
On 11 July 2009, people around the world will be observing the 20th World Population Day in different ways. This year's theme is chance to build awareness of the importance of educating girls to a wide range of development issues, including poverty, human rights and gender equality.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers". On World Press Freedom Day, we reiterate the central importance of this right -- and the need to protect the journalists and media outlets on the frontlines of exercising it.
Attacks on journalists remain shockingly high in number. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 11 journalists have been killed in the line of duty so far this year.Among them was Lasantha Wickrematunge, a prominent Sri Lankan journalist assassinated in January on his way to work. I call on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible for his murder are found and prosecuted. UNESCO has honored Mr. Wickrematunge posthumously with its World Press Freedom Prize for 2009, to be presented in a Press Freedom Day ceremony in Doha.
The CPJ also reports that as of 1 December 2008, 125 journalists were in prison.Some have been incarcerated for years – and some for more than a decade.Three countries – China, Cuba and Eritrea – account for half of those cases.I urge all Governments that have detained journalists to ensure that their rights are fully respected, including the right to appeal and defend themselves against charges.
Murder and detention are only the most blatant ways that journalists are silenced.Often, fear leads journalists to censor themselves.This, too, is unacceptable; journalists must be able to do their job free of intimidation and harassment.
I am also concerned that some Governments are suppressing Internet access and the work of Internet-based journalists and others using the “new media”.Not surprisingly, blogging has flourished in countries where restrictions on media are toughest. Now, according to the CPJ, some 45 percent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers.I urge all governments to respect the rights of these citizen journalists, who may lack the legal resources or political connections that might assist them in gaining their freedom.
The annual observance of World Press Freedom Day is also an opportunity to reflect on the important role of the media in addressing global problems. This year the focus is on the media’s potential to foster dialogue, reconciliation and mutual understanding.Indeed, the press plays a vital role in challenging entrenched attitudes about religious, political or other differences among people. Media can also give voice to minorities and marginalized groups, thereby enlarging and even reframing debate within a community or across communities.In societies struggling to rebuild after conflict, free and responsible news media are essential for good governance and to promote confidence and trust between leaders and the public.Governments that stifle or otherwise obstruct this work are acting against their own best interests and that of their societies.
On World Press Freedom Day, I pay tribute to all those who work in difficult conditions to ensure that the rest of the world can have access to free and unbiased information. Let us renew our resolve to protect their freedom and safety, and let us proclaim again our commitment to free and independent media as an essential agent of human rights, development and peace.
The Secretary-General's message on World Malaria Day, 25 April 2009
Last year on World Malaria Day, I issued a call to action to put a stop to malaria deaths by ensuring universal coverage by the end of 2010.The response has been tremendous.To date, we have been able to provide mosquito nets to more than 40 percent of people at risk of dying from this disease.In many countries, malaria deaths have decreased by two-thirds.
These achievements reflect the efforts of malaria endemic countries and the strength of the partnerships to support them.Government, international institutions, donor nations, foundations, civil society, the private sector, and faith-based groups have demonstrated what we can achieve if we come together to defeat a common enemy. Together with my Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, these efforts will continue to save lives.
However, we still have much more work to do in providing access to key malaria prevention tools and treatment to those suffering from the disease.We must redouble our efforts to ensure that every person has access to a mosquito net -- and that they will use them.If we can maintain current levels of progress, by 2015 there could be nearly zero preventable deaths from malaria.That would provide significant momentum to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
In this time of economic crisis, we must protect investments in global health and not allow this disease to resurge. What has been done with malaria can be achieved with other development goals as well.As we look to the future, we need to build and expand our partnerships to deliver the solutions we know work today.We also need to innovate so we can prevent disease, save lives and enable communities to thrive.
World Malaria Day is more than a commemoration – it is a time to rally our forces to stop this disease. Together, we can ensure universal coverage, end malaria deaths and provide hope for overcoming many other development challenges facing our world.Let’s count malaria out.
Photo: "Nothing but nets" mosquito makes an appearance at a press conference on the launch of the United Nations-National Basketball Association "Nothing but Nets" campaign to eradicate Malaria in Africa, last year.
