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Chairperson: Legal Counsel: S
H and C Committee Discussion Board
A. Follow-up to the outcome of the twenty-sixth special session: implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (46) Global awareness of the threat posed by HIV/AIDS to humanity is growing, thanks to the efforts of member states committed to the fight against the epidemic. While furthering education about the disease is crucial, coordinated efforts against HIV/AIDS need to grow exponentially in terms of political will, resources, and societal commitment if the global struggle is to produce any tangible results that can save millions of lives. The UN’s Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS is a good step in this direction, however member states must be willing to take further steps through the auspices of the United Nations that can achieve those results. Member states must realize what the UN can realistically achieve and thereby concentrate their efforts in order to make the most of the resources provided by the United Nations. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=253 http://www.un.org/ga/aids/coverage/FinalDeclarationHIVAIDS.html http://www.old.iom.int/en/archive/DDG_UNGenAss_260601_eng.shtml http://www.un.org/ga/aids/conference.html http://www.thebody.com/content/art27957.html B. Sport
for peace and development (47) The topic of Sport for
Peace and Development may have many people wondering what exactly sport
has to do with the United Nations. Sports are played all over the entire
world and the practice of sports is an important instrument for promoting
peace, as it disregards both geographical boarders and social causes. The
fact is that the principles of sports – respect for rules and opponents,
and fair play – are consistent with the United Nations charter. http://www.un.org/themes/sport/ http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=9534&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html C. Advancement
of Women (65) The
Advancement of Women is an incredibly broad subject that covers everything
from education and training, to economic and political liberty, to
violence against women, and the promotion of equality. Even from its
inception, the United Nations has focused on women and gender. Within the
UN system, there are three different branches that work specifically on
gender and women’s issues – The Division for the Advancement of Women
(DAW), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
(INSTRAW). The work of these branches has long-standing ties with outside
organizations, specifically NGOs and Human Rights groups. Additionally,
other branches or the UN (such as UNDP) do have programs that focus on
women and gender. The breadth of this topic has allowed for the evolution
of UN’s work and for the introduction of new areas of concern, but at
the same time has presented the challenge of finding an area of focus.
Varying political policies and cultures present challenges as the UN seeks
to promote women’s equality all the while respecting cultural and
political differences. United
Nations GA SHC: This
links you to a summary the work and references in the third committee
related to the Advancement of Women (ie. Reports of the committee,
resolutions passed letters of permanent representatives to the committee). http://www.un.org/ga/61/third/item61summary.shtml Women
Watch: Gives access to
information and resources on the promotion of gender equality and the
empowerment of women throughout the UN system, although the website can be
a bit overwhelming due to the amount of information. It is good resource
for understanding the various topics on the UN agenda in regard to this
subject, but is not as helpful for getting a broad overview the issues. The World
Bank, Gender and Development:
International
Centre for Research on Women:
ICRW’s mission is “to empower women, advance gender equality and fight
poverty in the developing world.” Their research, publications, and
projects are an excellent resource for current, up to date information
about the most prominent issues in the category of the advancement of
women. Frye,
Marilyn. The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory.
Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1983. This book is
a compilation of well-structured, articulate and clear essays for a basic
introduction to feminist theory. This provides a wonderful introduction to
understanding women’s issues and concerns, without being overwhelmed. http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/ If you
can’t find this film at your local video store, both Netflix and
Blockbuster Total Access carry the film. D. Elimination
of racism and racial discrimination (70a) Racism
is the belief
that members of a race, usually one’s own, are inherently superior to
members of another race. The
United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights maintains that
every person, regardless of their race, is entitled to the same
protections as any other person. While such a protection is expressly
given, the acceptance of it has been extraordinarily difficult to achieve.
Examples of racism plaguing world history include, but are not limited to,
World War II, slavery in the United States, South Africa’s apartheid
system, and the current conflict in the Middle East. It is the goal of the
United Nations to abolish racial discrimination so that every person can
have the same life opportunities and experiences as one another in a world
that is free from the hatred and disdain that racism causes.
How can the United Nations further work to eliminate racial
discrimination and continue to promote the protections of the Declaration? http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Racism.asp http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/ http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/racial/ http://www.ohchr.org/english/events/racism/ http://www.un.org/WCAR/e-kit/backgrounder1.htm
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