As part of United Nations Associations annual reception, a networking opportunity for young professionals was held at theForeign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). This prestigious event was aimed to give Young Professional Network (YPN)members the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas from peers, find out more about the Network, and gain valuable advice on careers at the United Nations, in the civil service, and in other sectors.
Anwar Choudhury, Director of International Institutionsat the FCO opened up the reception with a warm welcome followed by an introduction on the kind of work the FCO does.Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, the FCO Minister who has just taken over responsibility for the United Nations delivered remarks on behalf of the FCO, encouraging young people like us to take lead positions and push forward issues on the political agendas. She underscored the importance of young people engaging with international affairs, and praised UNA-UK for its “crucial role in helping the FCO to connect with views and thinking on the UN”.
According to the UNA, approximately 300 YPN members participated and I managed to network with at least 15 people, including the Head of UN and Politics, who works for the FCO. It was a great honour to hear praise and how he could see me working for the FCO. I was also pleased to have managed to encourage a few peers to follow after their passions and link their interests to their current work. It was an invigorating event, and as usual I was one of the last people to leave the Locarno Room, filled with inspiration and new achievements.
Networking is one of my greatest strengths and in order to do it successfully, you need confidence, the ability to break the ice with ease and interest in what the recipient is doing. While it looks professional, business cards are extremely handy, and an easy tool in remembering names/professions. I find that people remember you when you give them an insight in your life in which they can take on board or reflect on. Smile, and jump into a cosy group or pick on someone who is looking nervous so you can put them at ease and become friends.
‘Lobby for the UN’ is an annual campaign run by the United Nations Association throughout the parliamentary session. The campaign aims to promote dialogue between voters and parliamentarians about the UK’s contribution to the UN’s work. This year UNA are focusing its efforts in climate change and nuclear disarmament with COP15 and the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review looming close. The event featured presentations from UNA-UK Chair, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, Ashok Sinha, Director of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, and Dr Nick Ritchieof the Bradford Disarmament Research Centre.
In his speech, Lord Hannayexplained why UNA had to prioritise itself in dealing with two issues in representing its policies. Climate change is critical. The developed world are too slow to help developing countries to teach techniques on mitigation and diplomatic failure at COP15 means that the consequences of climate change will be far more costly. Thanks to President Obama, the issue of nuclear disarmament has taken a major policy shift, recognising that the 5 nuclear weapons states and the 3 who have not signed up to the NPT will need to act on an agreement.
Coming to a diplomatic agreement on either issue will not be easy. Iran and Korea, for example, are major road blocks in the nuclear agreement with Iran becoming a potential problem. However the UK has the willingness to move in the right direction with its nuclear tactics, especially with NGO and civil society movements made against the renewal of its Trident missiles.
Ashok Sinhastated that “if we do not tackle growth of carbon, we will be looking at a dark world”, with millions of species under threat, creation of a new economic crisis, overflow of fleeing refugees, violent conflict over water... Climate change is not only affecting developing nations, but is much closer to home. 30,000 people died in European heat wave in 2003 as a contribution to climate change, and people are still dying now because of it. If the rate of carbon is not slowed down by 2015, the list of consequences will be far greater.
The Kyoto Protocol will expire in 2012, therefore whatever decision made at COP15 will determine the factors of climate change in 2015. At the negotiations, the British government must show leadership in terms of example and be bold with its targets and ambition by protecting the poor, and acting fast and fairly. Financial commitment is necessary in pursuing a low carbon development and the issue must be put at the top of the Overseas Development Agencies (ODA) projects to help build a pathway for poor nations.
Dr Nick Ritchiereminded us that successive UN Secretary-General like Kofi Anan called for a world free of nuclear weapons, therefore what is stopping countries from disarming? According to the British government, there are 2 options available with nuclear weapons:
1/ “Business as usual” – going ahead with improving the technology unless disarmament is truly underway, or;
2/ Unilateral nuclear disarmament – an idea highlighted in the government White Paper but is thought to be ‘highly unacceptable’.
For the UK to re-think its nuclear policy, a new thinking of nuclear weapons need to be addressed, whereby politicians refrain from using phrases like “minimum nuclear deterrent” as a safety measure. Four American businessmen including Henry Kissinger called for the urgency of nuclear disarmament, which after thirty years has been taken up by President Obama in Prague. The UK have ended nuclear testing, ended production of fissile material, produced historical accounts on the use of these materials and reduced the single system in Trident, but this is where the UK stops. We have potential to take Obama’s comments forward and becoming the most progressive country out of all the other nuclear weapons states. It would be incredibly democratic for the UK to not go ahead with its Trident Renewal, giving scope for future disarming capability of deploying nuclear its nuclear.
The challenge now is to hold the government into account to what is appropriate and possible. The next logical step is for the British government to end sea deterrence position (which holds bombs more powerful than those thrown in Hiroshima) and reduce readiness regimes that are permanent alert to attack.
What is stopping the government from committing to both these issues is the lack of political will and ambition. Although civil society may not be a number contributor to change, do not forget that the government survives to serve and protect the interest of its people. However we must also persuade the public that dealing with these issues is also in our best interest for both short and long term.
As part of a book launch, authors and co-directors of theUN Intellectual History Project, Louis Emmerij and Sir Richard Jolly discussed their book “UN Ideas that Changed the World”, summarising the UN’s influence, content of the UN’s economic ideas, and negative and positive impacts the UN has had on the world. As part of a 17 series project, this book is the final volume, ideally written as a summary of the other titles. Sir Richard Jolly (Honorary Professor of the Institute of Development Studies)started the debate by asking, “Are we overstating the title of the book or marginalising the role of the UN?” Very rarely do analysts and academics look at the economic and social progress developed and implemented by the UN, and this is something the book highlights. Sir Jolly stated that “ideas are the big battalion of the UN” which is not an abstract concept that has no active steering power. Instead, UN ideas have been central to peace, human rights, social justice, rising living standards that acts as operational guidelines to leading action. At least 9 ideas have indeed changed the world for greater good. These include:
• Human Rights for all as highlighted by the UN Charter • Gender equality and women’s rights implemented through CEDAW • The Millennium Development Goals • Fairer International and Economic Rights • Strategy for accelerating the development of poorer countries • Priorities for social development • Environmental Sustainability • Peace and Human Security • Human Development
Louis Emmerij (Special Adviser to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank) looks at the UN slightly more critical however supported the claim of the UN changing the world. While there is less economic success in the UN, Mr. Emmerij shared a few examples to portray its impact. Without the implementation of an economic report written in 1950 by two Nobel Prize winners, the world would have handled employment, national development strategies and the international framework differently. The banks of today would not have survived with government help, while in the past leaning on government for subsidy was almost a taboo.
How can ideas gain global influence and traction? Sir Jolly stated that instead viewing the UN as ‘a dream managed by bureaucrats’, due to its hub of ideas, the UN has become ‘a bureaucracy managed by dreamers’, and that “working for the UN is like working for a government where all the political parties are in power at the same time”. Therefore there are bound to be pitfalls. Ideas can change the perception of issues, as with the case of climate change, and redefine state and non-state. When goals and interests are similar, it is easy for ideas to gain momentum with the shared responsibility of implementing and monitoring the concept. Ideas cannot be successful without the backing of civil society, organisations, and civil servant interaction. There needs to be a shifting focus from state to individuals incorporating culture and common rights into development. There also needs to be a balance in supporting fragile states versus globalisation by strengthening global governance.
The UN leads the way with many fundamental ideas in humanitarian cases and economic brainstorming, ahead of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, therefore the UN must not be overlooked as a “talking shop”, but an innovative hub that has secured safety and development in many fields.
After discussions with younger WILPF members in Spring, as the Y-WILPF Project Coordinator, I have finally managed to form the first Y-WILPF Committee. Through advertising posts on Facebook and through personal connections, I have managed to recruit 7 young and ambitious women into my committee, as part of a growing commitment to encourage and empower young women into political campaigning. I strongly believe that young people need to be given the chance to earn and develop skills through in a role they will enjoy, therefore forming this committee is one of the best ways to not fulfil this, but also a useful path in learning about global issues that affect women directly and indirectly. I hope that this committee will allow the chosen Officers to excel and develop a team which they will eventual manage, giving them the skills they need for their chosen employment in the future.
The committee was set-up in October 2009 and within weeks, the chosen officers have already become extremely active in engaging themselves with organising a public fundraising dubbed the "Talent Show: Peace and Women Globally" for Saturday 24th April 2010, to celebrate WILPF's 95th birthday, as well as participating in events and demonstrations by other organisations.
The committee is made of 7 young women currently between the ages of 20-30, who are mentored by experienced WILPF members in the UK. Each of these women have received training about WILPF at the annual "Connect Day" and have been educated on WILPF's long history. The number of participants in Y-WILPF will soon increase once logistics of events have been fully developed. Each Y-WILPF Officer will be in charge of managing their own team in 2010 to support the work of WILPF UK and make the organisation grow.
I am really excited to lead these women and many more in the future, and hope to report on our development soon. Also check out the WILPF blog for inside details: http://ukwilpf.blogspot.com
I am an avid fan of the Java Chip Frappuccino, returning to Starbucks at least 3-4 times a week. With my political work in civil society, I am increasingly aware that I am one individual who is not ‘doing my bit’ for the environment. While volunteering at the office of “Friends of the Earth”, I was impressed with how little rubbish is thrown out; ignoring the plastic cups I used accumulating in the recycling bin.
Recently, I had purchased a self-design tumbler from Starbucks to encourage the ‘re-use’ philosophy. I asked the clerk to put the Java Chip in the tumbler and I was amazed with the reaction, as if I had asked the clerk to lick my arm. When I returned to the same store a second, a third and a fourth time that week, I received the same look, while receiving comments on how amazing my tumbler looked. I had customised it with my Street Fighter character, Ryu, my unusual inspiration. Passers-by would stop to ask where I had bought my tumbler and what a good idea it was once lecturing them on the gravity of climate change.
I take a strong stance in wanting coffee houses to discard plastic cups, especially when there are no facilities to recycle them. I am even more determined in making these unique tumblers fashionable and an environmental trend setter, which inadvertently will make individuals aware of how every action has a consequence. Above is a photo of me with my unique tumbler, and I hope I can encourage others to be as creative as I am trying be.
Diplomatic consultant with a special focus on corporate social responsibility, climate change, UN reform, gender justice and nuclear disarmament. My vision is to one day close the gap between civil society and key decision makers for a common cause. I am also in the process of publishing my fiction novel, based on the popular video-game, Street Fighter. With any luck, Capcom will take this on next year.
"Smile and let the world smile with you"!
opened up the reception with a warm welcome followed by an introduction on the kind of work the FCO does. Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, the FCO Minister who has just taken over responsibility for the United Nations delivered remarks on behalf of the FCO, encouraging young people like us to take lead positions and push forward issues on the political agendas. She underscored the importance of young people engaging with international affairs, and praised UNA-UK for its “crucial role in helping the FCO to connect with views and thinking on the UN”. 
