Recent Events
2 March 2010
Launch of AGORA
The Portal for Parliamentary Development, known as AGORA, will be launched in Paris on 2 March 2010 during a very special event hosted by the French National Assembly, the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, UNDP and DFID. The launch marks the start of the first global Knowledge Web Hub on parliamentary development. A second launch will take place in Dar-es-Salaam at the end of March 2010.
AGORA is a multi-lateral and global initiative, implemented by UNDP, the World Bank Institute (WBI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). It is intended to provide the most accessible and globally inclusive information resource on parliamentary development to a broad-based, world-wide audience of parliaments, parliamentarians and parliamentary development donors and practitioners. AGORA has three main objectives: to centralize and share expertise, knowledge and know-how, to promote parliamentary development global leadership and advocacy and to create a lively, active community of actors.Read
more.
22 January 2010
The SG met with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy
On 22 January 2010, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, Ms. Ashton, met for the first time in her new function with the UN
Secretary-General to discuss the UN-coordinated relief efforts in Haiti. During
the meeting, she underlined the commitment to effective multilateralism.
19-20 January 2010
Special Advisor to the DSP on System-Wide Coherence addressing CONUN
On 19 and 20 January 2010, Ms. Sally Fegan-Wyles, UN Special Advisor in the
office of the Deputy Secretary-General, visited Brussels to attend a meeting of
the Council Working Party of the UN (CONUN). Ms. Fegan-Wyles also briefed the UN
Brussels Team on the upcoming new gender architecture of the UN system.
30 November-2 December 2009
EC-UNDP-IDEA Joint Thematic Workshop on The Use of Information and
Communication Technologies in Electoral Processes
The first 3 day EC-UNDP-IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance) Joint Thematic Workshop on The Use of Information and
Communication Technologies in Electoral Processes was organized in Brussels
between 30 November and 2 December 2009.The workshop was organized in
collaboration with International Organization of Migration (IOM), the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), the Organization of American States
(OAS), Government of Spain, SADC Electoral Commission Forum and the Brazilian
National Council of Justice. Altogether 100 people working in the field of
electoral assistance in 40 different countries took part in the Workshop. The
participants represented a variety of stakeholders such as UNDP Country Offices
and EC Delegations, other donor agencies, regional and international
organizations as well as members of electoral management bodies. The overarching
goal of the workshop was to discuss the options and models available for the
introduction of technology in an electoral process and to present and obtain
feedback on the upcoming operational paper on “Procurement Aspects of
Introducing ICT solutions in Electoral Processes: The Specific Case of Voter
Registration”.
2-5 November 2009
Migration and Development Virtual Fair
The UN-EC Joint Migration and Development Initiative played a significant role
at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Athens from 2 to 5 November
2009. An online ‘Virtual Fair’ was held in parallel with the Civil Society Days,
with more than 2,000 visitors logging in for live blogs from Athens, video
interviews and a virtual exhibition of good practices. The Fair launched the
revamped M4D global ‘community of practice’ where almost 1,200 members from 60
countries are now active. The new Facebook-style features enable members to
create their own profiles and to interact directly with each other. The 55
projects funded by the JMDI are now underway, linking civil society groups and
local authorities in 16 target countries in the developing world with their
counterparts in the EU. The projects range from micro-credit schemes funded
through remittances from Malian migrants in France to tackling the impact of
migration on multi-generational households in Moldova and Jamaica, fostering
female entrepreneurship in Morocco through circular migration to Spain and
preventing discrimination against Filipino migrants working abroad. For further
information, see
www.migration4development.org
22-24 October 2009
European Development Days, Stockholm
The fourth edition of the European Development Days (EDDs) took place in
Stockholm, Sweden, co-organised by the European Commission and the Swedish EU
Presidency. The 2009 EDDs proved to be the largest of the EDDs so far, with over
5,000 people attending. The overarching themes were Citizenship and Development,
Global Economic Situation and Climate Change. The UN was represented and
organized a One UN stand. High-level UN participants in the plenaries and
roundtables included the UNDP Administrator, Ms. Helen Clark, UNHABITAT
Executive Director, Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr. Michel
Sidibe and UNFPA Executive Director, Mr. Thoraya Obaid. For further information,
see www.eudevdays.eu
22 October 2009
Launch of the European Development Report 2009
The European Development Report “Development in a Context of Fragility – Focus
on Africa” was launched on 22 October during the European Development Days. The
report, the first of its kind, aims to help shape a Europe-wide perspective and
policy on development. The report can also be downloaded at:
http://erd.eui.eu/media/2009-10-20ERD-Report-advancedCopy.pdf
12 October 2009
Visit of the Deputy Secretary-General and launch of UN/EC partnership
report
The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, visited Brussels on 12
October 2009 to launch the fourth annual UN-EC partnership report – “Renewing
Hope, Rebuilding Lives”, on results of the UN-EC partnership in post-crisis
recovery. She presented the report to European Commissioners Ms. Ferrero-Waldner
(External Relations) and Mr. De Gucht (Development), and to the new President of
the European Parliament, Mr. Buzek. The UN Deputy Secretary-General also
addressed a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees of
the European Parliament where she presented the report. The report is available
under the Publications section of the website.
2 October 2009
MINURCAT Trust Fund Roundtable
A roundtable for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and
Chad (MINURCAT) Trust Fund was hosted jointly by the European Commission, the UN
and the Government of Chad on 2 October 2009. Mr. Victor Angelo, Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for MINURCAT, as well as Mr. López
Blanco, European Commission’s Director of West and Central Africa, Caribbean and
OCTs of the Development Directorate General attended the Round Table. Funds were
pledged by the European Commission, the United States, Norway, France and
Luxembourg and will be devoted to supporting the operations of the Détachement
Intégré de Sécurité, which assists in securing humanitarian activities and in
creating a safe environment in eastern Chad for eventual voluntary returns.
27-28 September 2009
EC-UN joint training on climate change in the Middle East and North
Africa region
A joint UN-EC pilot training course on the challenges of climate change for
North Africa and the Middle East region was held in Cairo on 27-28 September
2009. The workshop brought together UN Resident Coordinators and EC Heads of
Delegation from the 17 states of the region (Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt,
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Republic of
Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab
Emirates) plus the Palestinian Authority.
The origins of this initiative lie in the 2008 high level review of the UNDP-EC
Strategic Partnership Agreement, which highlighted the nexus between climate
change and development as a vital new issue for the partnership. Joint EC-UN
training on this topic was therefore seen as an important tool which would
contribute to building a common vision on this important topic and to fostering
a closer inter-institutional relationship at the country level, and which would
also strengthen the capacity of senior EC and UN country-based staff to engage
in this critical area. The North Africa and Middle East region has been chosen
for the pilot mainly because of its vulnerability in terms of climate change and
because of the potential within the region for increased cooperation between the
EC and UNDP at country level. The training course was jointly organized by five
EC Directorates (Administration, Environment, External Relations, Development
and Europe Aid) and two UN programmes, UNDP and UNEP. The Environmental Finance
Team of UNDP/Environment and Energy Group played a lead role in the substantive
preparation of the workshop, in coordination with EC and UNEP experts. Three
training modules have been developed which provide an overview of the current
challenges of climate change, the options to address climate change and the
EC/UN responses to climate change in the region.
19-29 September 2009
2009 Millennium Film Festival
The UN Team in Belgium partnered with the organizers of the first edition of the
Millennium Film Festival that took place in Brussels from 19 to 29 September
2009. During the festival, around 50 quality films and documentaries – dealing
with the issues and themes of the MDGs in one way or another – were screened. In
addition, debates around the themes of the MDGs took place. The UN also offered
prizes for films with the “best development message” and “best human rights
message”. Following the success of this first edition, a second Millennium Film
Festival will be organized in June 2010. For further information, see:
www.festivalmillenium.org/index_eng.html
22-23 April 2009
International Conference in support of the Somali Security Institutions
and the African Union Mission in Somalia
The International Conference in support of the Somali Security Institutions and
the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) took place in Brussels on 22-23
April 2009. The Conference was convened by the UN Secretary-General under the
joint auspices of the African Union and UN and hosted by the European Commission
and the European Union. The Conference was co-chaired by the UN
Secretary-General and the African Union Chairman, Mr. Jean Ping. The event was
attended by representatives from more than 60 countries and regional
organizations including Somalia’s president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, along
with Mr. Javier Solana, EU High Representative; Mr. Amr Moussa,
Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; and Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah,
UN Special Representative for Somalia. The UN Secretary-General welcomed the
pledges made by countries participating in the Conference, which totaled $213
million in support of the Somali Security Institutions and the African Union
Mission in Somalia.
21 April 2009
EC-UN Seminar “Reinforcing EU-UN Active Partnership Through
Administrative Cooperation”
In the framework of the Cooperation on Administrative Best Practices between the
European Commission and the UN, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Ms.
Angela Kane, was in Brussels to participate in the annual EC-UN Seminar on best
practice and experience gained in administration and accountability. Joint
workshops were organised to discuss harmonisation of administrative practices,
to improve and strengthen coordination in planning and budget, human resources,
procurement, internal controls, audit, investigations and ethics. The joint
seminar allowed further deepening the exchange between different departments of
the respective organizations to leverage each institution’s experience in
management reform to facilitate adaptation to evolving challenges. In this
context, Ms. Kane met also with the Commissioner in charge of administrative
affairs, audit and anti-fraud to extend the range of activities to include joint
training for UN and Commission country delegations.
