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United Nations Association of Russia |
UNAR Participates in the Millennium Forum
Important topics of international politics were touched on at the Millennium Forum held in New York on May 22-26. Representatives of more than a thousand non-governmental organizations took part in the meeting, including the UNAR delegation.
The central theme of the discussions was eradication of poverty that, as was noted at the Forum, represents the main cause of all basic social problems. The participants in the Forum spoke out for a writing-off of the debts of underdeveloped countries and strengthening of control over the operations of transnational companies. Issues of peace, security and continued disarmament were discussed at the meeting. The participants put forward proposals for further disarmament, prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, for a strengthening of international humanitarian law, for punishment of persons who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The globalization
problem sparked off a lively debate. The Forum participants paid much attention to the
negative consequences of this problem because it affects the interests of entire nations,
in particular, the indigenous peoples. During discussions of human rights the participants
rejected the concept of priority of citizenship and political rights over socio-economic
rights and stressed the necessity of observance of all human rights. The Forum
participants called on all governments to ratify the existing human rights agreements, to
enforce their implementation and to stop the policy of sanctions against disagreeable
regimes so as not to infringe on people’s economic rights.
The issues of sustainable development and environmental protection, and the strengthening and democratization of the UN were at the center of the participants’ attention. They proposed measures aimed at strengthening the efficiency of the International Court of Justice. The Forum adopted appropriate decisions that were reflected in its final declaration. (The text of the Declaration can be found on the UNAR web-site: www.una.ru).
Congratulations to the Winners
On May 18, 2000, the nationwide competition, the Culture of Peace, ended in Russia. It was arranged by the UNAR together with the UN USA and was dedicated to the Year of the Culture of Peace announced by the UN General Assembly and UNESCO for the year of 2000. Its winners were Julia Medvedeva, an 11th grade student from Kaliningrad (1st prize), Olga Konstantinova, a student of St. Petersburg State University (2nd prize), and Daria Petrova, a student of the Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (3rd prize). The winners also were rewarded with a trip to Washington, where they will meet the winners of a similar American competition in the middle of July.
Mr. William Lewers, Chairman and President of the UN Association of the USA, and Mr. Anatoly Torkunov, Chairman of the UNAR, met in Moscow in the middle of May.
The relations between these two Associations have a long history. They organized regular consultations of leading national experts on global problems and on bilateral relations, and carried out youth competitions on preparation of the reports regarding the urgent problems which are discussed at the United Nations and other important issues. It was decided at the meeting to continue cooperation between the UN Associations in several priority areas.
