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"Let it remind you of Russia", said Moscow artist Larisa Makhova,
presenting her painting to
Mr and Mrs Kofi Annan on May 16 in the UN Information Centre in Moscow. The
UN Secretary-General visited UNIC to greet the UN personnel after meetings with
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
In his address, Frederick Lyons, the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNDP Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, recalled how the UN country team welcomed the UN Secretary General in Nairobi, Kenya two years ago. Taking part were approximately fifteen hundred United Nations staff. The Moscow Offices are much smaller. "But I assure you, Mr Secretary-General, that you have here the team whose youth, whose experience, and whose enthusiasm is as great as the team in Kenya or any other country", said Frederick Lyons.
"I think this is becoming a tradition, that I do not come to Moscow without coming to see my large family", noted Kofi Annan, smiling. "My Russian counterparts are extremely happy with your cooperation and with the work you are doing here. I was very proud to hear this opinion about the work of my colleagues, and I think what you are doing here is important.
It is you that the people see; you are the ones in contact with the public. And for them, you are the UN".
The
UN Secretary-General then encouraged the Moscow UN personnel’s efforts to cooperate
with the corporate sector. "Today we are living in the age of partnerships -
partnerships that should embrace all sectors of society, from government to
private sector, to civil society, to foundations and individuals. And we are
dealing with issues that require almost complete social mobilization".
Kofi Annan noted that he himself was engaged with private companies very actively. "They work across borders; they have lots of money, lots of technology and good management. This is why I have launched the Global Compact, which I am happy to say, a lot of companies have joined, particularly in Western Europe.
The Compact basically demands that companies be socially responsible, that they embrace nine principles covering the areas of environment, human rights and labor standards, very simple basic values. I am really happy that so many companies are engaged in these cooperative practices".
The UN Secretary-General concluded that he was quite satisfied with the results of his visit, and promised to come back to Russia again as soon as his schedule allows.
One of the first visits of Mrs Nane Annan in Moscow was to the Association of the Crisis Centers in Russia, where she was told about the Association’s work in dealing with the problems of domestic violence. Recently, Ms Natalia Abubikirova, Executive Director of the Association, received a letter of appreciation and a photo from Mrs Annan, which we publish here with her kind consent:
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United Nations Development Programme |
The
2000 Human Development Report for the Russian Federation, prepared by
a team of independent Russian specialists, is published in Russian and English.
This Report features data, analyses and forecast on the status of human development; political and economic conditions; the healthcare system; education; distribution of the population earnings; labor market. The central theme of this year's Report is globalization. The authors also looked into some specific issues affecting human development in Russia, such as the drug abuse and crime prevention; migration; and the role of the mass media. The Report contains a comparative analysis of the conditions in the Russian regions, and a human development index for each of the 89 regions of the Federation.
UNDP offers you this unique publication for only US$ 15.00 per copy (US$ 19.95 with mailing costs) or equivalent in rubles, from 10 to 50 copies – US$ 10.00 per copy, and for more than 50 copies – US$ 7.00 per copy.
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Reports – USD 5.00 per copy.
Now, when you order 3 or more copies of the 2000 issue, you can choose a complimentary copy of 1995–1999 Report.
Please refer all inquiries to UNDP, United Nations Office, 28 Ostozhenka St. 119034 Moscow, Russia, tel. (095) 787 21 53 (Ms. Olga Bogdanova, Public Relations Officer) or by e-mail at olga.bogdanova@undp.org
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UNDP and UNESCO conducted a joint mission to the Republic of Altai the first week of June, 2001, to discuss ongoing and future projects. Frederick Lyons, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, and Wolfgang Reuther, Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office, met with Governor of the Republic, Mr Semyon Zubakin, along with several Ministers and heads of local municipalities, authorities of nature preserves, and NGOs.
A series of fruitful discussions on local environmental and
economic development were also held during many of the on-site visits to nature
reserves, rural settlements, tourist centers and schools. However, the most
striking impressions were gained after visiting two components of the UNESCO
World Natural Heritage Site "The Golden Mountains of Altai": the Altaisky Nature
Preserve and the Ukok Plateau. This site was included in the 1998 World 
Heritage
List, as it contains important natural habitats for the conservation of biological
diversity, including endangered species such as the snow leopard and Argali
mountain sheep.
To ensure the long-term protection of these and other globally important places in the Altai-Sayan region, UNDP is preparing to launch a new UNDP/GEF project aimed at biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources in Russia’s Altai-Sayan region. UNDP is working with the Federal and Regional governments as well as WWF, to develop the project. In addition, UNDP, UNESCO and the Altai Government are already working together within the framework of a UNDP/Capacity 21 project to develop and implement local sustainable development action plans.
In the course of the visit, the Governor reaffirmed the regional government’s strong commitment for the UNDP/UNESCO activities in the Altai Republic. He re-emphasized his commitment to sustainable development strategies that balance socio-economic and environmental issues.