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United Nations Association of Russia |
On
March 28, 2001, the United Nations Association of Russia celebrated its 45th
anniversary. To mark this important event Russian Federation Minister of Foreign
Affairs Igor Ivanov hosted a reception at the MFA residence on Spiridonovka
Street in Moscow.
Leading Russian politicians, members of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, prominent scientists and UNA-Russia veterans participated in the event.
The ceremony was opened by UNA-Russia Chairman, Rector of Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations (MGIMO) Professor Anatoly Torkunov. He noted that the very fact the Association has been working for 45 years testifies that it is really needed by society. It is interesting and attractive to many people, including diplomats and international relations’ professionals as well as people of all professions.
Anatoly Torkunov expressed his deep appreciation to the founders of the Association. These people have worked completely gratuitously, understanding the importance of such a public organization promoting the noble ideas formulated in the UN Charter and its basic documents. Among the founding fathers of the Association, who contributed greatly to its development, were Grigory Morozov, Sergey Romanovsky and Georgy Arbatov – who headed the Association for many years. The warmest words were addressed to prominent diplomat Oleg Troyanovsky, the Association’s Honourable President.
The UNA-Russia Chairman noted that the Association maintains excellent relations with the UN agencies in Moscow. For several years now the UN Development Programme in the RF has been publishing with UNA-Russia’s support, the newsletter "UN in Russia" in Russian and English.
In his statement, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov appreciated the contribution of UNA-Russia’s «civil diplomacy" to searching for effective responses to the most urgent and diverse challenges of present-day world problems. He emphasized in particular the Association’s growing role in developing and intensifying an extensive dialogue on how to build a multipolar world on the time-proven basis of the UN Charter and international law standards. The Minister stressed that last years’ experience teaches that any attempt to circumvent the UN’s political and legal frameworks not only undermines the foundations of world order, but also ends in failure for those who initiate it.
Now we are faced, continued Igor Ivanov, with exerting major joint efforts to achieve one of priority goals stated in Russia’s foreign policy concept. This goal is to increase the UN participation in global affairs. The status of permanent member of the UN Security Council and active participation in practically all agencies and establishments of the UN system allow the Russian state to effectively assert its national interests and take direct part in major international processes. In this context, the Minister noted the UN’s constructive role in providing wide international support of Russia’s efforts to retain and reinforce the 1972 ABM Treaty, which has been a cornerstone of strategic stability and still remains so.
Among the honourable visitors was President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), Speaker of the West Bengali Legislative Assembly Hashim Abdul Halim, who specially visited Moscow to take part in the UNA-Russia 45th anniversary celebrations. He briefly told the participants about the WFUNA’s history and its successful cooperation with the United Nations Association of the Soviet Union, and then of Russia. President Hashim Abdul Halim confirmed that the United Nations Organization understands the immense importance and necessity of the WFUNA’s work, as well as of the activities of about 100 National UN Associations, and provides them with every possible assistance.
Frederick Lyons, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, emphasized the importance of cooperation between the UN system in Russia and NGOs such as the UN Association of Russia. The Association is not only an excellent public awareness partner for promoting the UN’s goals and helping us to achieve the targets set by the Global Conferences on children, health, food security and social development, among others; it is also an excellent source of high-level national expertise, and technical and political advice. This organization can be an important and effective tool in involving the whole of society in the country’s development. In short, it can be one of the cornerstones of democratic governance and a focus area for UN organizations in Russia, said Frederick Lyons.
After completion of the official ceremonies, a concert was held in which the young winners of international competitions took part.
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United Nations Development Programme |
Blanche de Bonneval, UNDP Resident Representative a.i., and
Semyon Zubakin, Governor of the Altai Republic, signed a new
project entitled "Promotion and Development of Local Agenda 21 in the Altai
Republic of Russia". This capacity-building project will be implemented in the
Altai Republic and is designed as a complementary component of the larger UNDP/GEF
initiative aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of the Altai-Sayan
Region’s globally significant biodiversity. The UNDP/GEF project will work in
the Altai and Tyva Republics, and the Khakasia and Altai territories.
The Altai Republic is a rural region, one of the most remote and poorest Russian provinces. In general, people in the Altai-Sayan eco-region rely heavily on local natural resources for their livelihood. Due to poverty and lack of alternative economic activities, exploitation and pressure on available natural resources are increasing in the eco-region.
This UNDP/Capacity 21 project will seek to develop a balanced approach to economic and ecological development, based on the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and obtaining revenue primarily from the modernized local processing industry and services. The project will build institutional and human resource capacity so that local administrations can develop and implement Local Agenda 21action plans in selected districts of the Altai Republic. A series of awareness-raising and training programs will be organized for local governmental authorities, private sector partners, NGOs, and community organizations to create awareness concerning Global Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21 at the local level in the Republic.
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Presentation
of the 2000 National Human Development Report was held in the Moscow State Central
Museum of Modern History on March 12.
Such studies by independent national experts are published in many countries under the auspices of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). This Report is the sixth in the series. It focuses on human development in the context of the global processes intensively underway throughout the world. Researchers, politicians, representatives of international organizations, diplomatic corps, and the mass media took part in this event.
In her opening statement Blanche de Bonneval, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in Russia noted that human development is a people-centred concept that evaluates the level of development of a country by the well-being of its citizens. The Human Development Index is used to compare countries. It is based on three indicators: income, longevity and education. During the last few years, Russia has moved from 57 to 62 place in this global rating.
Blanche
de Bonneval described the specifics of the Russian Report. In addition to regular
chapters on labour, income, public health and education a wide range of issues
has been covered – local governance, the status of women, social exclusion,
the housing situation, crime and drug abuse, and migration. Since 1998 the Report
includes a regional chapter with HD index for each of the 89 regions.
"Today more and more people look at the human development concept, because there is a general understanding in society that no reform can be successful if the Government does not take into account its social consequences", – Blanche de Bonneval said.
Yuri Fedotov, Director of Department of International Organizations
of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the «alarming» character of
many of the Report’s conclusions – on 
the
demographic situation, ecology, drug abuse, huge gap in the conditions for human
development between urban and rural areas. It only confirms the need for constructive
dialogue in society in order to better assess the situation and develop the
most adequate measures to overcome the disturbing tendencies. In this regard,
the authors attained the main objective of preparing a study that promotes national
dialogue.
The importance of the Report for the Russian Federation regions lies in the comprehensive indexes that reflect the living conditions of the population, said Konstantin Titov, Governor of the Samara area. Samara is among the five leading regions in Russia’s H.D. rating. It holds the fourth position after Moscow, Tyumen and Tatarstan in terms of per capita income, which is one of the three components of the Human Development Index. These achievements also became possible thanks to the analysis and recommendations contained in the national reports, stressed Konstantin Titov.
Jean-Victor Gruat, UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Director of the ILO Office in Moscow, underlined the independent character of the Report. This independence and resulting objectivity is based on a thorough, broad consultation process. During 2000, we could witness, during the round of regional presentations, how close the National Human Development Report was to the realities and difficulties facing the people of Russia, noted Jean-Victor Gruat.
After the statement by the Chief Author Professor Serguei Bobylev, a press conference was held.
In March 2001 UNDP participated in the humanitarian campaign "Children of the North – Children of the World". The campaign is linked to the annual indigenous people dog sled race BERENGIA that is organized in the Kamchatka Region within the framework of the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples of the World under UN auspices.
Representatives of the local administration, residents of Esso and Anavgai, and numerous guests from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Elizovo and the Koryak Autonomous District participated in the opening ceremony on March 17. UNDP’s regional officer based in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuri Karmadonov, noted the importance of the event and informed all that the future UNDP/GEF projects will support socio-economic development in the local communities. These ceremonies were followed by a concert and a one kilometre dog sled race for children. The main 500 km race started on 18 March at Esso village and ended 1 April in the settlement of Ossora, Koryak Autonomous District.
UNDP started its activities in Kamchatka in 1998. The main focus of the UNDP/GEF projects is the conservation of Kamchatka’s globally important biodiversity. However, UNDP/GEF projects also address socio-economic issues such as alternative livelihoods and preservation of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge. The first full-fledged UNDP/GEF project in Kamchatka is expected to start in the fall of 2001.
UNDP supported the campaign "Children of the North – Children of the World" by making a small contribution of vitamins, school supplies and stationery, textbooks, books, sportswear and clothing that were distributed in 10 boarding schools in communities along the race course.
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UNDP/GEF and the Ministry of Education have initiated a new energy efficiency project entitled "Low Cost Energy Efficiency Measures in the Russian Educational Sector". The objective of the project is to implement economically viable and replicable energy efficiency measures in municipal schools, reducing their GHG emissions. The project sites will be located in the Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Tver regions, and the Republic of Karelia.
The energy efficiency education programme for secondary schools will be introduced on a pilot basis for further replication in other regions. Other key stakeholders in the project include the Ministry of Energy; the Ministry of Natural Resources; the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation; regional and local authorities, universities, the Norwegian Society for Conservation of Nature, the Norwegian Energy Efficiency Group, regional energy efficiency centres, and regional environmental NGOs. The project team is also working closely with the Finnish Education Board.
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In
March 2001 Mr. Frederick Lyons was appointed UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident
Representative in the Russian Federation after a short term as Deputy Director,
UNDP Africa, in New York.
From 1995-2000, Mr. Lyons was UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya. From 1991-1995 he worked in Mexico as UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative.
Mr. Lyons has worked for UNDP for twenty-nine years in a wide range of countries, in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. Mr. Lyons has extensive experience of UN system programme coordination as well as of humanitarian and emergency relief work.
Mr. Lyons is fully fluent in English, French and Spanish and is currently studying Russian. He has an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (P.P.E.). He is married, with two children.
