2015 03 newsletter

UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015

ISSUE No. 1

UNANZ NEWS Hon Amy Adams opens the Human Rights Day seminar in Parliament House.

UNANZ Special Officer for Human Rights, John Morgan speaks about the outcomes of the second round of New Zealand’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Human Rights and a possible way forward.

ISSN 1179-8009 (print)

Chief Human Rights Commissioner, David Rutherford, addresses the audience.

Charlotte Darlow, Unit Manager, UN, Human Rights & Commonwealth Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, speaks on the Government’s plans on addressing the issues raised during the 2nd UPR.

ISSN 1179-0817 (online)

UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015

ISSUE No 1

UNANZ News Contents In this issue: 3.

2015 UNANZ Conference UN Public Education Series Special Officer: UN Security Council ___appointed Vanuatu Emergency appeal

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World Without War conference—call ___for papers

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Min McCully thanks departing (UN) ___Permanent Representative UN Update UN Family meeting UNANZ 2015 Calendar

15 Reports from other National Council ___Members SO Humanitarian Affairs SO Human Rights SO Peace & Security SO Sustainable Development

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President’s Column

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Members News

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News from around the country Northern Branch UN Youth Branch Wanganui Branch Canterbury Branch

19 New UNANZ Intern Simon Joxe News from our Affiliates 20

Campaign Watch

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ISSUE No. 1

“New Zealand at the United Nations: Fulfilling Nationhood through global citizenship” Wellington, June 5-6 UNANZ National Conference for 2015 will be held at the Parliament Buildings and Victoria University, June 5 and 6.

The conference theme is “New Zealand at the United Nations: Fulfilling Nationhood through global citizenship”.

Plans are underway to invite key speakers, and for a conference dinner, the Secondary Schools Speech Awards, the UNANZ AGM, and a UNANZ national council meeting to follow on June 7th.

The Public Education Series on the United Nations that commenced in 2014 has continued into 2015.

On 25th February UNANZ President Graham Hassall introduced the United Nations system to an audience of 50 through Victoria University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning (this session was so popular an additional one will be held on May 28th – check online at http://www.victoria.ac.nz/cceshortcourses to book).

Additional presentations include 18th March at Wellington High School by Dr Rod Alley, and 27th March 5:30pm at the WEA, Christchurch, by VicePresident Joy Dunsheath.

Dr Negar Partow, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies at Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies, has accepted a position as Special Officer – UNSC. In this role Dr Partow will assist UNANZ keep abreast of New Zealand’s role in the Security Council over the next two years.

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Today our Pacific neighbours in Vanuatu are in crisis. Cyclone Pam has torn a path of destruction through the island community.

The category 5 tropical cyclone made landfall last night with 265Km/h winds and torrential rains placing 260,000 people at risk. Flooding, landslides and storm surges are all very real dangers.

3 ways you can take action for Vanuatu: 1. Donate to help children who need protection and comfort 2.

Hold a fundraising event - email aaron@unicef.org.nz for info 3.

Share our live updates from our blog, Twitter and Facebook Power is down and communications are patchy but initial reports from our colleagues on the ground describe buildings in ruins and debris everywhere.

As I write, UNICEF teams are assessing the damage and the needs of families, but they say the people of Vanuatu have never experienced a storm like this. It really is a catastrophe.

While we hope for the best, UNICEF has also prepared for the worst. Before the storm hit, we prepositioned the water, sanitation and medical supplies that communities will desperately need in the coming hours and days.

Our biggest concerns right now are for children, who will be worst affected, and for families in the remote communities of Vanuatu’s 83 islands. We fear that homes with weaker structures have stood little chance against the fury of this cyclone.

The situation is changing with every minute, but one thing is clear, the children of Vanuatu have endured a terrifying ordeal. Today many of them are grappling with the loss of their homes and we fear, their loved ones. But UNICEF is there to help.

If you’re able to lend a hand, your donation today will help UNICEF to reach these vulnerable children

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ISSUE No 1

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Foreign Minister Murray McCully has paid tribute to the outstanding performance of New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jim McLay, who concludes his second term in May. “Ambassador McLay can take considerable credit for New Zealand’s successful campaign for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council,” Mr McCully says.

“It is clear that his efforts, as our lead representative in New York, have contributed substantially to the high regard New Zealand is held in internationally.

On behalf of the government I want to place on record our strong appreciation for his work.

“I am pleased to announce that Mr McLay will be succeeded by Mr Gerard van Bohemen, who is currently a Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, responsible for multilateral and legal affairs.

“Mr van Bohemen was the Deputy Permanent Representative in New York when New Zealand last served on the Security Council.

“The government will continue to call on Mr McLay’s services and he has agreed to take up a role as a Special Advisor to me, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, on his return to New Zealand.

“In this capacity he will serve as a Special Envoy for the Prime Minister at appropriate regional meetings and undertake a range of other duties which will utilise his network of contacts and special knowledge of UN matters. I also intend to appoint Ambassador McLay as New Zealand’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority,” Mr McCully says.

The UN General Assembly met in October 2014 to consider a range of peace and disarmament proposals and resolutions.

Amongst these was the Report of the UN Secretary-General on ‘Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations’, following up the UN Open Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament (OEWG), and a resolution by the same title that was adopted by the overwhelming majority of 152 in favour, 4 against and 22 abstentions.

Proposals discussed in the OEWG included a nuclear weapons convention and a ‘building blocks’

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ISSUE No. 1 approach. UNFOLD ZERO partners PNND and the Global Security Institute held a session on the building blocks approach. See Using “Building Blocks” To Construct a World Free of Nuclear Weapons. (compiled from updates provided by Alyn Ware)

The first meeting of the UN family took place on March 17th.

UNANZ

2015 Calendar

31 March

All Branch AGMs to be completed

June 2015

UNANZ National Conference: New Zealand at the United Nations: Fulfilling Nationhood through Global Citizenship AGM National Council Meeting

June

UNANZ Newsletter

September

UNANZ Newsletter

Sun 21 September

International Day of Peace

September

National Council Meeting in Auckland (tbc)

24 October

UN Day reception at Government House United Nations Day

December

UNANZ Newsletter

10 December

Human Rights Day

20 October

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ISSUE No 1

UNANZ President’s Column Graham Hassall UNANZ public profile has expanded in the weeks and months since the National Council meeting of October 2014, through the collective endeavours of members at National and Branch levels.

Shortly after that meeting we were hosted at Government House by the Governor General to mark United Nations Day. Approximately 200 guests participated, a figure almost double the number of participants at the UN Day celebration at Premier House in 2013, with most paying their way through registration fee.

The relevance of the event was reinforced for many by that fact that New Zealand was elected to a twoyear term as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council the previous day. The success of the event was not in the numbers present, but in the positive tone set in the speech of Governor General Mateparae (subsequently printed in our October 2014 Newsletter), and in the quality of UN-related conversations that pervaded the hall following the evening’s formalities. We have already been in contact with Government House about the observance of UN Day in 2015, and October 20th has been pencilled in.

A second event that raised UNANZ profile nationally was the observance of Human Rights Day through a seminar at the Beehive Theatrette, hosted by Justice Minister Amy Adams, and planned in collaboration with Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford and our colleagues in the “UN family” – UN Women, UNICEF, UN Youth, and UNESECO. Special Office for Human Rights John Morgan has reported this event to the National Council in more detail below.

The seminar contributed to public understanding of the current human rights mechanism (the Universal Periodic Review), and it brought together leading government officials with human rights activists and

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practitioners, and other members of the public wanting to know more about these issues. My hope is that more UN Days can be observed in this way, and at Branch level as well as in the nation’s capital.

September 21st, International Day of Peace, is one obvious candidate, but there are numerous others on the UN Calendar.

UNANZ profile was further enhanced by the success of the “Diplomats’ Seminar Series, organised by Vice -President Joy Dunsheath, and the Public lectures on the UN System, organised by Grace Ghizzi-Hall (presentations at the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill on 24th October and in Wanganui on 1st December; with other presentations scheduled for Wellington and Christchurch in February and March 2015).

2015 National Conference At national level, some of our energy will be focussed in the coming months on planning the 2015 National Conference in Wellington on the theme: “New Zealand at the United Nations: Fulfilling Nationhood through global citizenship”.

We are applying to Jetstar for a community grant to enable us to bring the members of Branch executives to capacity-building workshops as part of the conference.

A “people’s movement” We have to constantly recall that UNANZ is a “people’s movement”, fuelled by the enthusiasm and concerns of volunteers who contribute their time and energy in the context of many other legitimate demands on their resources – particularly professional responsibilities and family, but also engagement with many other organizations and affiliated causes. In such a context all contributions are valued, and together provide continuity between the UNANZ of the past and the UNANZ of the future.

These contributions are by members of the National Council, the National Executive, Branch Executives, Special Officers, Interns, and other volunteers.

(UNANZ continues to get expressions of interest from individuals willing to assist with projects). In recent months the National Executive has lacked in numbers, and we have invited Wellington Branch member Paul Oliver to serve as an ordinary member. Our work has been boosted by the contributions of interns Katrina Novotna, Mark

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Stewart and Grace Ghizzi-Hall. In February 2015 our most recent intern, Simon Joxe, has commenced a study of New Zealand’s engagement with UN Habitat, and Julia McEnteer, Victoria University will assist with planning the 2015 National Conference.

At UN Youth, we thank Sally Wu for her work as President in 2014, and welcome Jason Armishaw, who was elected to the position for 2015.

New Zealand at the Security Council New Zealand’s successful bid for a seat on the UN Security Council augurs well for public interest in the United Nations. For sure, it also signals the extent of the government’s commitment to international and global engagement through the UN. Our role as members of UNANZ is to increase our attentiveness accordingly, in an effort to continually update our understanding of how the UN’s ideals are being advanced in this country and elsewhere, and what additional measures may be required to promote peace, development, and global cooperation.

UNANZ cooperation with other members of the UN Family as well as the Human Rights Commission to hold such a successful seminar on Human Rights Day, December 10th 2014, exemplifies what is possible.

Public Education Seminars Forty members of the public attended a session in Wanganui, and fifty in Wellington. The sessions in Invercargill and Wanganui were both covered in the local press.

Getting the message about the role and benefit to New Zealand of the United Nations (UN) to a wider audience was a key objective for the UN Association of New Zealand, president Graham Hassall says.

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Invercargill The following appeared in the Southern Institute of Technology’s Institute News , November 6th 2014: Visit Promotes UN Education Getting the message about the role and benefit to New Zealand of the United Nations (UN) to a wider audience was a key objective for the UN Association of New Zealand, president Graham Hassall says.

At a talk held at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) president Dr Hassall said the organisation wanted to reach a wider audience outside of the capital where they are based.

We want to inform as many people around the country as possible about the role and different functions of the UN as it relates to New Zealand, he said.

“It is all about having a discussion about the UN, what it means, and the benefits that exist to New Zealand.”

Dr Hassall said the desire for increased public engagement was more timely and relevant due to New Zealand’s recent success in gaining a seat on the UN Security Council. The Security Council seat, held for two years, would give New Zealand unique opportunities to be more centrally involved in international security related issues, he said.

New Zealand lobbied for its Security Council seat on the mandate of changing the current structure of the Security Council. The current form of the Security Council gave too much power to the permanent members (the P5) of the United Kingdom, France, United States, Russia and China, Dr Hassall said.

Particular concern for New Zealand was the power of veto the permanent member states used when making security decisions, he said.

“There is structural weakness to the P5 which needed to be addressed from the use of veto.”

The use of veto meant the permanent member states could vote against anything they did not agree with. This included voting against issues which centred on their own “geo-political” and national interests, and not on the issue itself. With Syria, as an example, Russia used its veto power stopping UN action because of its national interests and its relationship with the Syrian regime, he said.

Dr Hassall said more accountability and

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consensus was required with the decisions made from the P5 members. Questions had to be asked about whether permanent membership was necessary or whether the UN could “expand the amount of permanent members on the Security Council,” he said.

Wanganui On 3 December Liz Wylie reported in the Wanganui Chronicle: What is the greatest threat to achieving world peace and stability? The question was put to Professor Graham Hassall, president of the United Nations Association of New Zealand, when he spoke at the Davis lecture theatre in Wanganui on Monday night. The professor's considered response was that people need to think as global citizens and feel universal compassion for people in other parts of the world.

"The days of nation-building are over and we need to develop fellow feeling for the

Wanganui Branch President Dr Kate Smith introducing the session

suffering of people in other parts of the world.

"At the moment, we are seeing a lot of news reports of hostages beheaded in Iraq.

"The reports will say that an American or a British hostage was beheaded and that

ISSUE No 1

is tragic, of course; but the report will then go on to say that 12 Syrians were beheaded and we are not told their names or anything about them, and somehow their deaths are not as tragic."

Professor Hassall is delivering education seminars around New Zealand to inform people about the work of the UN and helping people to understand what sort of questions they should be asking the Government. The seminar, entitled "Understanding the UN system", is being delivered at journalism schools and adult education facilities to assist students to ask informed questions about the work of the UN and all its subsidiary bodies.

The professor referred to the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

New Zealand was one of four countries to initially vote against the adoption of the declaration but the Government reversed its position and supported the Declaration in 2010. "Those are the kind of decisions we should be aware of and question because one would think that a country like New Zealand, that has a treaty with its indigenous people, would support those rights on a global scale."

Currently Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Government at Victoria University, Professor Hassall has worked in Switzerland, Japan, Fiji and, most recently, Papua New Guinea.

Professor Hassall said there were not enough people working for the UN in New Zealand and invited the audience to visit the UN website which he says is easy to follow and all the information is "totally transparent."

The professor said that UN work in New Zealand was limited "because we simply don't have enough

PEACE PROMOTION: Professor Graham Hassall with UN branch Secretary Gita Brooke, Melissa Greenwood of CES and UN branch president Kate Smith. PHOTO/ LIZ WYLIE 021214WCLWLIZ01

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people" and urged audience members to get involved. He spoke of the history of the UN and its formation during WWII with the aim of ensuring that "this won't happen again." The professor's visit to Wanganui was hosted by the Wanganui UN branch and CES Community Education Services.

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SO for Sustainable Development Dr Gray Southon SO for Peace & Security Helena McMullin SO for Human Rights John Morgan SO for WFUNA Liaison Mary McGiven SO for Model UN Jonathan Gee SO for UN Renewal Kennedy Graham SO for Humanitarian Affairs Jean-Paul Bizoza

Working with affiliates UNANZ is co-sponsoring a presentation in Wellington by Prof Ramesh Thakur initiated by the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies, and with promotional support also from the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs, and the Centre for Security Studies.

National Council meeting National Council members for 2014-15 President Graham Hassall Vice President Joy Dunsheath Treasurer Izolda Kazemzadeh Secretary Robert Mackay NC Rep Emma Holloway, Development & Communications officer Affiliated Societies (1) Bradley McDonald (Esperanto) Affiliated Societies (2) Joycelyn Foo (Soka Gakkai) Affiliated Societies (3) Maxine Chan Baha’I Community) Ordinary Members (1) Martin Dransfield Ordinary Members (2) Paul Oliver Ordinary Members (3) Vicki Soanes

Col Martin Dransfield , "United Nations Peacekeeping Challenge: The Importance of the Integrated Approach", will be published by Ashgate in July 2015. The book will be part of Ashgate's 'Global Security in a Changing World' series.

Edited by Dr Anna Powles, Dr Negar Partow, and Mr Nick Nelson of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University http://www.ashgate.com/default.aspx? page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=20420&edition_id=1 209351411

Laurie Ross

Laurie Ross has completed editing a new 10 minute film of the ‘UN Nuclear Abolition Day’ event coordinated in Titirangi on 27th September in conjunction with the Whau and Waitakere Ranges Local Boards which also honoured Auckland Peace City and Nuclear Free New Zealand. But it is the first year to celebrate the United Nations International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons throughout the world. Here is the video link is: http://youtu.be/UL4EX39dChA

Final National Executive meeting for 2014

Our final meeting for 2014 was held in the very interesting place called “The Library” It is not what the name would imply. It is actually a bar attached to Chow restaurant where we had end-of-year nibbles whilst we planned for 2015 and beyond! Cheers.

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Northern Branch World without war peace foundation conference – UNA Northern is looking to cooperate with Peace Foundation – also using a play and film.

But clash of dates as this is when the Rugby World Cup opens – we are trying to reschedule the dates but having trouble with a venue.

Maybe disarmament week in November would be a possibility.

Membership very low, 12 now from 30 two years ago. We are looking to align closer to the Peace Foundation and have joint membership. How does the NC feel about this?

Cultural festival always very popular in Auckland and UNA Northern always has a presence but may need to consider other ways of doing things.

Artists for peace received some funding from PADET – was helped by Auckland Heritage Society AGM on March 6 – will see what numbers they will have.

Tauranga Branch We have basically concentrated on youth activities and schools and this has been somewhat successful. Adults program was laid aside. Helen Clarke’s visit was a magnificent event but despite trying to transfer interest to two other talks we had a very poor attendance.

AGM scheduled for 31 March. Membership is about 12-15 people.

Kia Ora! My name is Jason Armishaw, former National Education Officer on the UN Youth National Executive and now National President. I am currently

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ISSUE No 1 a 4th year Law/Commerce Student with a specialization in negotiation and mediation, as well as Economics. I have interned twice at the New Zealand Treasury. All of this puts me in a unique position to be National President of UN Youth, and I see the role increasingly becoming one analogous to a diplomat. I do very little work outside continually meeting with individuals both inside the organization, and representatives of those outside the organization. I’m always up for a chat from anyone in UNANZ, and my email address is Jason.armishaw@unyouth.org.nz I can also be contacted at 0210476134 The members of incoming UN Youth National Executive are : National Operations Officer (Vice President) – Bhen Goodsir – Bhen.goodsir@unyouth.org.nz National Education Officer – Matt Schep – Matthew.Schep@unyouth.org.nz National Finances Officer – Imogene Gibson – Imogene.gibson@unyouth.org.nz National Relationships Officer – Michele Angerbaur – Michele.Angerbaur@unyouth.org.nz National Communication Officer – Anu Kaw – Anu.kaw@unyouth.org.nz National Volunteers Officer – Vacant, a new member will be elected at an SGM in April The entire National Executive can be collectively contacted at nx@unyouth.org.nz STRATEGIC VISION UN Youth has faced unprecedented growth over recent years, and is now a sizable organization with over 3000 members and 120 Volunteers. We have been a Semi-Finalist for Community of the Year in both 2013 and 2014. This means that processes and structures that have been developed ad hoc no longer suit the organisations increased size. This year I would like to create strategic reform in the structures of UN Youth, specifically changing the focus of our AGMs and facilitating greater organizational participation in them. I would also like to reassess the purpose of the UN Youth corporate governance structure, in an attempt to make the organization more fast-paced, dynamic, and more aware of a common purpose. Finally, I would like to make UN Youth more strategic in its thinking. UN Youth can no longer allocate our scarce resources, volunteer time, effort and money, on projects or expansions ad hoc, and must critically analyse the business case for an allocated trance of

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 resources based on the impact those resources would have in achieving UN Youth goals.

I really look forward to the year ahead working with all of you. I will hopefully meet every single one of you at a National Council meeting soon.

Wanganui Branch On Sunday 15 February 2015 the Wanganui Branch held its annual “New Year’s Brunch”. In recognition of the International Year of Light and Light-based technologies, Guest Speaker was Michael Webber, MNZM, who spoke about his voluntary eye care work in Cambodia through the last ten years.

Michael has performed voluntary eye care work in the Pacific Islands, Kenya and Cambodia over the past forty five years.

The Cook Islands government awarded him Honorary Residency of the Cook Islands in 2012 in recognition of his services there since 1970.

For the last ten years Michael has worked in Cambodia on behalf of Rose Charities International and is a trustee of the New Zealand branch.

In 2007 Michael received the MNZM for his services to International optometry.

ISSUE No. 1 In recognition of Mike’s contribution to the Brunch, a donation was given to the Rose Charity to assist in its work. Planning is under way for the next events on the calendar – the Senior MUN-GA and the Speech Awards regional finals.

Looking forward to further events during the year in conjunction with other local organizations including OPTU and the Ethnic Council.

Proposed activity to promote a Culture of Peace.

The following proposal is put forward for discussion

by National Council: Following on from two High Level Panel discussions at the UN in 2013 and 2014, a Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace was drawn up and passed without a vote at the UN General Assembly on 15 December 2014.

I have attached a copy of the draft resolution and will refer to specific sections, near the end of the document.

The original 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace can be found at www.un.org/Docs/asp/ws.asp?m=A/RES/53/243 and is listed below:

1. Our proposal is to hold a MUN in each region dedicated to develop a resolution on the meaning of a culture of peace along with specific actions which could be taken on a local basis.

2. A special session MUN-GA or MUN-SC would seem to fit in with several of the later clauses:

a. OP9 – arrange press coverage before, during and after the event:

b. OP 10 – we would be encouraging young people to raise awareness of a culture of peace:

c. OP 11 – we are a civil society NGO which complements the activities of the UN:

d. OP 12 – already happens in Whanganui, other branches and nationally.

e. OP 13 and OP 14 would not specifically apply except that we can make use of IT to circulate our message, the event, the actions proposed and the outcomes.

f. The general outline is for a simple draft resolution to stimulate discussion and debate to identify what a culture of peace means to the delegates.

g. By means of the amendment procedure of Our guest speaker Michael Webber, MNZM, (seated to the right of Graham) In 2007 Michael received the MNZM for his services to International optometry.

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drafting, proposing and securing seconders, to add specific clauses to the resolution to give more detail, especially on how a culture of peace might be implemented.

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 h. Some of this work could be prepared ahead of

the MUN, to give students time to carry out some background research.

i.

The outcome of the MUN would be a resolution with a few clauses, some being actions to be taken within a given time period.

j.

The resolution from each region would then be circulated to other Branches for discussion at their special MUNs, depending on timing.

k. Possibly a final, joint resolution could be put before the UN Youth National MUN in the middle of the year.

l. It would be useful to have 2/3 guest speakers to

provide some background for the delegates – military, refugees, restorative justice.

In keeping with a Culture of Peace theme, there could be a celebration of the outcomes as part of the 21 September events both locally and nationally.

Vigilance urged on human rights On December 10 2014 the Wanganui Chronicle carried an article by Liz Wylie, “Vigilance urged on human rights”, Today is Human Rights Day, an annual observation to mark the anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations Wanganui branch president Kate Smith said the universal declaration - adopted and proclaimed by the UN on December 10 in 1948 - was an anniversary we could all observe.

"We cannot sit back and dismiss what is happening elsewhere with the attitude of, 'I can't do anything to change what is going on in other countries'. "We all have a part to play from being aware of the abuses of human rights to supporting agencies that are trying to assist, and by developing possible solutions to the problems."

Ms Smith said the branch has not organised any event to mark the anniversary this year because people were so busy in the lead-up to Christmas.

"People can do a lot to observe the day by being mindful of human rights in their own situations treating their families, friends, colleagues and neighbours with respect for their rights and freedoms is a very good start."

Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlines the guidelines ... "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth

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ISSUE No 1 in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status ... " She said human rights abuse happened everywhere, even in New Zealand. (online at

Wellington Branch The Wellington branch continues to offer its members a varied programme.

This includes the national programme – eg UN Day reception and the Human Rights Day Seminar and sister organisations events like Women’s day breakfast and some NZIIA addresses In early November we hosted 10 young African diplomats from 9 different countries to lunch at our oldest Hotel The Thistle Inn. They were here to improve their English. This was essentially for the Branch Committee and those with an interest in Africa. We were given an excellent report on Ebola from a Guinean perspective – my young son is always reminding me to wash my hands – an awakening to the scale of the refugee movements within Africa as well as to Europe. Youth unemployment is a major cause, and the African component of the Small Island Developing agenda from Mauritius and Sao Tome and Principe (Madagascar was too big to qualify) Islamist extremists didn’t feature to any extent. I had left it for them to bring up. It is something they live with everyday.

It was proposed that we hold a lunch/dinner with the next group coming in April In December for our end of year function we held a small seminar – around 45 - to focus on the Vienna Conference on Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons. Dell Higgie was overseas but her assistant Katy Donnelly spoke well giving a background to the first Committee resolution and the report it had received. Matt Robson who was going to Vienna spoke as did Emily Watson the student who went to Mexico and Marnie Lloydd gave the Red Cross position. Sir Geoffrey Palmer had written an OP ED on the New Zealand support received at First Committee and he came and reiterated it but talked about the possibility of revisiting the ICJ Advisory decision. We had five Embassies present including three at Ambassadorial level and Colin and Catherine Keating.

From this it was proposed that we hold a post Vienna Pre NPTRC Seminar in March/April 2015 and we have

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 now received PADET funding for this It is planned to follow on from the visit of Ramesh Thakur March 30th From our Branch Committee meeting 1st February it was proposed that The 2015 AGM will be held with Colin Keating as our speaker on a Security Council issue and our Speech Award in late May. We will hold a shared meal in the early evening with the next group of young diplomats in mid to late April and the theme for the Winter lunch hour series as been proposed as the Sustainable development Goals The World We want This will involve the various skills of our affiliates.eg CTU UN Women UNESCO and UNICEF along with Baha'i and SGI who are holding joint programmes overseas. The Conference we understand will be in June.

Branch AGM and talk on the Security Council and the Veto Just recently we held our AGM and this was followed by a talk by Colin Keating, former NZ permanent representative to the United Nations, at the time of the Rwanda Crisis 1994, on “The Security Council—the question of the Veto”

ISSUE No. 1 New Zealand on the Security Council in 1993-94.

In 1997, he was appointed as the Secretary of Justice. Subsequently he was a partner in private legal practice in New Zealand. From 2005 -2011 he was the founding Executive Director of Security Council Report in New York. He was at that time concurrently a Senior Research Fellow at Columbia University.

Canterbury Branch The 2014 AGM, which Graham Hassall attended, was followed by 2 or 3 committee meetings. The main focus was to grow the membership base. A UNANZ collaboration with Canterbury Women's Club on a breakfast meeting for Women researchers was held.

This targeted the professional development dollar. 100 people turned out.

Canterbury had developed a questionnaire at the meeting to gather information for future events and development.

Next event will have international speaker, Christine Winterbourne, who is well known.

In December we had a call from an engineer who helped us re-evaluate the old office building, asking us how he could support our organisation. We are thinking about bringing

Colin Keating is an independent adviser on international affairs. He currently advises the New Zealand Government and various international clients. From 2013- 2014 he was a Special Envoy of the New Zealand Prime Minister advising and lobbying in support of the successful New Zealand campaign for election to the United Nations Security Council.

For much of his career, Mr. Keating was a New Zealand diplomat. From 1993 to 1996, he was the NZ Ambassador to the UN and represented

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out the two Nobel Peace prize winners (Malala Yousafzai & Kailash Satyarthi).

On March 9th 2015, acknowledging International Women’s Day, the Canterbury Branch hosted a second “Canterbury Women Researchers” breakfast in collaboration with the Canterbury Women’s Club. Professor Christine Winterbourn, an international speaker and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Free Radical Research, addressed the gathering to which both women and men were invited. During the Breakfast the Greater Christchurch’s Postgraduates Network was launched. Postgrads living in Canterbury have decided to meet 5pm – 7pm on the third Thursday of each month at the Staff/Faculty Club, Ilam Homestead, the University of Canterbury. The Branch hopes that the simple 2015 format, low cost, easy parking and pleasant venue will provide a strong structure for researchers from all of Canterbury’s tertiary institutions. Various Mentors are also being invited to assist this group.

Using the information gathered from a 2 page UNA/CWC Questionnaire four smaller networks for Canterbury Women Researchers are now being contacted to discuss the formation and leadership of FOUR further groups as well as the meeting venues- Kate Sheppard White Camellia Room, Canterbury Women’s House, 190 Worcester Street, Central City or Ilam Homestead are some possible options.

The four new research networks for Canterbury Women Researchers will probably evolve with a similar structure to the Postgrads Network. The four new research networks will focus around – Global Community

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Social Science Health & Well-being The Canterbury Earthquakes have been particularly devastating for community organisations including the UNANZ Canterbury.

We hope that this attempt to encourage new life through small groups with lively networks sees new leadership emerge in our City. A City that has already contributed much nationally women’s suffrage and Peace Initiatives. The Canterbury Rebuild includes rebuilding our UNANZ Canterbury Base so our local UNANZ Future has new visions which will emanate nationally.

Waikato Group The Waikato Times 31st December 2014, listed amongst 7 Waikato people named on the New Year honours list, Margaret Knight, a UNANZ life member, who received the Queen's Service Medal for Services to music: Te Awamutu woman Margaret Knight received the Queen's Service Medal for her services to music and the community. Knight, now in her golden years, said the accolade had been a lifetime in the making. The journey began in the 1930s in Woodville, where she paid for her own piano lessons from age 14, and led to the Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital, south of Te Awamutu, in 1972, where she worked for 17 years as a music therapist. "Music was part of the programme, and part of it was to help people get well, to help them recover." Knight said although Tokanui "was not a fun place", she loved her job. "We've all been born with a gift of rhythm and it's just a case of bringing it out of people." In 1979, she finally earned her Diploma of Music Therapy from the World Council of Service. She stayed at Tokanui until 1989. Knight said Tokanui was the only hospital in the country to have a paid, full-time position for a music therapist.

Knight has served as branch secretary for the UN Association of New Zealand's Waikato branch and been elected to the national office and earned the Bolger Shield for her commitment to the National Party's TaranakiKing Country electorate. Knight said she was

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 "thrilled to bits" find out she'd earned a New Year honour to add to her collection of accolades.

Reports from Other Members of National Council Humanitarian Affairs – Jean-Paul Bizoza Helen Clark, the UNDP administrator to lead the Organization’ system-wide Ebola-related recovery effort.

The UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response also known by the acronym UNMEER is as part of the response the international community established the first ever-emergency health mission the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. The mission has a five-point strategy, which aims to (a) stop the outbreak, (b) treat the infected (c) ensure essential services (d) preserve stability and (e) prevent further outbreaks.

In effort to fight EBOLA, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark to lead the Organization system-wide Ebola-related recovery effort. In the meanwhile, WHO reported that the number of new cases of Ebola in West Africa rose for the second straight week.

According to WHO, some western African countries have now declared Ebola free although the fatality rate among EBOLA hospitalized cases remains relatively high (53 - 60 %). However, the report goes to suggest that “The spike in cases in Guinea and continued widespread transmission in Sierra Leone underline the considerable challenges that must still be overcome to get to zero cases,” WHO said.

According to WHO, EBOLA outbreak has negatively affected West African nations, leaving many people in the extreme poverty. It is also reported that Mali and Liberia, which continued to report a low number of new cases, announced that schools would be reopened on 2 March, according to the latest update from the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). According to UNMEER , there are 23, 000 reported Ebola cases with almost 9,000 reported deaths. It is reported that Helen Clark UN Development Programme

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ISSUE No. 1 (UNDP) Administrator will mainly Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with the objective of affirming the continued commitment of the UN to addressing the ongoing crisis, and support for the recovery process.

While UNMEER aims to stop the Ebola outbreak, the UNDP suggests that there is a need of smart and comprehensive approach to deal with the outbreak. Essentially, UNMEER suggests that the international community should consider the economic opportunities and jobs; recovery of the health system; resilient governance for recovery, peace and stability; and risk management to deal with any future outbreaks.

The UNDP will also focus on the women empowerment simply because “women have been disproportionately affected by the Ebola virus because they serve as family caregivers and health workers, take part in traditional practices and rituals, and trade across borders where they come into contact with many people. The disparities are most visible in Guinea’s most affected areas. In Guéckédou, for instance, women represent 62 percent of the infected, and in Télémilé, 74 percent,” according to the UNDP study cited by the UN mission report. The study finds large numbers of women have lost their livelihoods due to reduced productivity in agriculture, slowing down of trade and small business activity,” Helen Clark, who is the Special Envoy on The UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response will establish the Global Response Coalition - a committed group of organizations to collectively provide strategic coordination and play a concerted role in the Ebola response.

The UNMEER hopes that the outbreak in West Africa will end when we get to zero cases. However, it cautions that in order to achieve this goal, the communities must be at the heart of the response. “If people with Ebola are to come forward and transmission is to be interrupted, communities must be fully involved in, and owning, the outbreak” More about The UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response and updates can access from this link: http://ebolaresponse.un.org

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Human Rights - John Morgan 1. The key development was the holding of a seminar at the Beehive Theatrette on 10 December 2014, hosted by Justice Minister Amy Adams, to whom we're most grateful, 'Universal Periodic Review One Year On', to mark 2014 UN Day, the 66th anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris on 10 December 1948.

2. The seminar was organised by UNANZ in cooperation with the Human Rights Commission.

3. Speakers were; Justice Minister Amy Adams introductory comments; John Morgan, UNANZ SO human rights - introduction of the theme 'UPR - One Year On'; Adam Dubas - Ministry of Justice, reporting on the presentation of Aotearoa New Zealand's UPR report in Geneva in January 2014, by a delegation headed by then Justice Minister Judith Collins, of which Adam was a member; Charlotte Darlow, MFAT - similarly, but from an MFAT perspective; David Rutherford, Chief Human Rights Commissioner - the National Plan of Action; Sarah Morris - International Advocacy Manager, UNICEF NZ; Victoria Manning Disabled Persons Assembly, and roundup comments from Graham Hassall, UNANZ President.

4. The attendance was a very respectable 50 to 60.

This was the first time in recent memory that UNANZ had organised a gathering to mark UN Human Rights Day. It's very desirable that New Zealanders understand what the Universal Periodic Review UPR is, and the seminar made some progress towards enhancing such understanding.

5. Thomas Hunecke and Rachel Opie, of the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, happened to be in Wellington on UN human rights business, and after attending the seminar made positive remarks about it.

6. Many thanks to intern Katerina Novotna for her assistance with organisation, and to Emma Holloway.

7. On 11 November I called on the public relations manager of the Melbourne Human Rights Law Centre, at the Centre's Bourke St office. The HRLC is

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doing admirable work in organising major Melbourne law firms to handle major human rights cases on a pro bono basis, and is also doing outstanding advocacy work. The HRLC is perhaps the most active organisation in human rights law work in the world, outside thee realms of national human rights institutions.

SO Peace and Security Helena McMullin On May 7 2014 at the United Nations in New York, a coalition of international peace and disarmament organisations with the participation of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs launched UNFOLD ZERO, a UN-focused platform for advancing nuclear disarmament. The platform was established after considerable consultation with government representatives, UN officials and NGOs including various UN Associations and Bonian Golmohammadi, Secretary-General of WFUNA. UNFOLD ZERO was inspired by, and builds upon, the success of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations, along with recent developments such as the UN High Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament, and the establishment of September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

The Honourable Murray McCully Minister of Foreign Affairs Parliament Buildings Molesworth Street Wellington 6160 7 January 2015 Dear Minister, Marshall Islands and the Case for Nuclear Disarmament You may be aware Marshall Islands are taking a case for nuclear disarmament to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Specifically, they are suing nine countries for failure to negotiate nuclear disarmament. This particular obligation was set out by the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion “Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons” on 8 July 1996.

The Court stated “[t]here exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 control”. The obligation to negotiate in good faith is also set out in Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Arguably, 18 years since the ICJ’s clear statement about this obligation is reasonable time for countries that possess nuclear weapons to meet it.

Yet nuclear weapons remain stockpiled in uncontrolled numbers and continue to be a global peace risk. Here in New Zealand, we are nuclear free, aware of Marshall Islands’ tragic history, and supportive of their ongoing recovery from 67 nuclear explosive tests. We are fierce advocates for nuclear disarmament and known for this internationally.

Now a new legal course is chartered by a brave island state relying on an international treaty and an opinion by our foremost international Court. No public statement has yet been made by New Zealand. Do you envisage New Zealand will support Marshall Islands testing the ICJ’s opinion that there is a legal obligation to negotiate nuclear disarmament?

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely, Helena McMullin, SO Peace & Security

SO Sustainable Development Gray Southon

What on earth is sustainability about?

Well, in short, sustainability is about being able to continue to live here on this planet.

It is a global issue which requires global solutions. So our only truly global governance institution, the United Nations, is working to address it. In fact it has been working to address this issue for well over forty years. Is it succeeding? Well it is making progress, but it has a long way to go. It is a far bigger and more complex problem than it has ever attempted before. It has been an intensive effort with a multitude of meetings, to the extent that it seems to me a miracle that virtually all nations have been so involved for so long. It is a dramatic case of how nations can work together, as well as a demonstration of the limits of the system. In many ways this problem of sustainability stresses our global governance capabilities as well as the abilities of people and

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ISSUE No. 1 communities at all levels.

However, it is more about governance. It is also about the willingness of all of us to accept sustainability as an issue and to contribute to the solutions as much as possible.

There are two major arms to this effort: Climate Change: the management of the emission of Green-house-gases (GHGs) – mainly Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - into the atmosphere to limit global warming due to the retention of solar energy.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program which works alongside the Climate Change program addressing the overall environmental, economic and social dimensions of continuing sustainability.

This year, 2015, is a major year for both of these programs: Climate change has been working its way through a series of stages since 1992, establishing ever more clearly defined requirements for specifying and controlling GHG emissions and developing the institutions required. This program is supported by the collective findings of scientific work on the current impact of changes in GHG levels and the likely impact of various scenarios in the future. In December in Paris it is intended that there be an agreement made on legally binding emission requirements to come into effect in 2020. This Climate Change program is driven by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and is supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which integrates and reports on scientific research.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program is a more recent initiative which is taking over from the poverty focussed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which ran from 2000 to 2015. It is intended that the SDGs should be agreed to in the UN meeting in New York in September 2015. This program is headed by the UN Development Program (UNDP).

The Climate Change program has been the most prominent and contentious, partly because it addresses a more clearly defined issue and it makes more specific demands on the community. The SDG program has had little publicity, but is much broader and every bit as important for our civilization’s continued existence.

These programs place tremendous demands on the global governance system, and the UN in particular, for many reasons.

The

sheer

magnitude,

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complexity

and

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 importance is quite unprecedented.

The impact of the issues on virtually all communities, both in the threat that they are addressing and in the lifestyle changes required.

There is a considerable level of uncertainty, in both the science and in the interpretation of its meaning for specific communities some decades into the future.

There is considerable division between nations, e.g. those mainly responsible for the problem (traditional industrialised nations), those that are currently increasing their contribution (rapidly industrialising) and those that will suffer most from the problem (poor, with marginal agriculture and highly populated low-lying land) This level of community impact politicises negotiations. Politicians responsible need to be very conscious of the reactions of their constituents and a range of influential pressure groups and businesses.

The nature of the issues means that it is very challenging for the community to understand and engage with in any consistent way. Many people largely avoid the issues while others are easily influenced by mis-information. There are also many different perspectives and vested interests making it difficult to get a consistent, considered community response.

There are strong incentives to exploit the global commons. All but the very largest countries have only marginal impact on the solution, while all benefit by exploitation of the environment.

The prevalent process of “committees of the whole� developing agreements by consensus is at times very inefficient and time consuming.

Diplomats are in an extremely stressful position, trying to resolve issues of major global import within this highly political, compromised and inefficient process.

Urgency is an ever pressing issue. We are told about the need to rapidly drop GHG emissions to prevent the global temperature exceeding the commonly agreed maximum of 20C, others claim we should be keeping below 1.50C, while others consider that the deadline for saving the planet has long gone. We have been told for nearly a decade that there is just a few years window for us to act effectively, yet

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ISSUE No 1 every year the negotiated outcomes fall far below what is required. At the same time other boundaries are been breached, such as the loss of species which is advancing at an alarming rate and degrading the integrity of many ecological systems that we depend on.

There are very different approaches to solutions. For instance, in climate change, some take a broad approach and link climate change with problems with our economic system, (its need for continual growth, promotion of consumption, inequity etc.), as well as our corporate structures, social and political systems. With the apparent need for a simultaneous change in all of these systems the problems seems quite overwhelming. Others take a more technological approach, arguing that rapidly changing technologies and effective incentives will remove the emission intensity of our current economic activity, resulting in quite rapid reduction in emissions. All this is to be achieved with limited change in lifestyles.

The demands of the developing world with respect to the developed world is also controversial. The right of development is not disputed, and the responsibility of the developed world to support development is agreed, but how much money and in

what terms? Should that development follow that of the developed world, or should it learn from the mistakes of the developed world? Could this development, for instance, lead to a less materialistic society, based more on human than on economic values? Who prescribes this development, or is it largely defined by the western dominated marketing in much of the world? Can this be reformed?

Effective leadership is also critical in such a massive endeavour. UN Staff such as Ban ki Moon, the UN Secretary General, Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, and Helen Clark, Administrator of the UNDP have been working extensively to highlight the importance of the issues, bring stakeholders together in many ways to promote networking and cooperation and engage with publics around the world. Other leadership has come from a range of NGOs and some corporate heads. Unfortunately there has been very limited leadership from heads of state, presenting a great

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 weakness in the process. Fortunately, recent agreements between the US and China, as well as commitments by the EU, have presented leading initiatives. Progress in the production and implementation of renewable energies also show great promise.

The UN also provides an integrated set of information on their proceedings and related activities. The climate change site is unfccc.int, and the SDGs site is https:// sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015. The IISD (International Institute of Sustainable Development) provides an independent reporting on activities at iisd.org and iisd.ca.

New Zealand is participating in both these programs. The climate change team is headed by Jo Tyndall under Minister Tim Groser, and the SDG team is headed by John Eagan under Minister Murray McCully. They attend international conferences every month or so, and the climate change team gives occasional updates to meetings in Wellington and Auckland.

We need to know as much as possible about what is happening so we can contribute to planning our future.

The 3rd UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016) will bring together countries, cities, civil society, the private sector, education institutions and a wide range of interest groups to review urban and housing policies that affect the future cities with an overarching architecture of international governance and will generate a "New Urban Agenda".

In preparation for Habitat III, Habitat National Committees and National and Regional Urban Forums are being encouraged to discuss the challenges and opportunities linked to the Urban Future. At the fourth Pacific Urban Forum (PUF), to be held in Nadi, Fiji, 23-27 March 2015, Pacific Island nations, local governments, development partners, NGOs and other practitioners will discuss the region's urban challenges and identify sustainable solutions (in the form of legislative reforms, policy developments and local strategies), following on from PUFs held in 2007 and 2011.

Simon

Joxe,

a

French

student

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ISSUE No. 1 currently in Wellington whilst undertaking a Master’s degree in Territorial Politics of Sustainable Development with the University of Maine (Distance Learning, commenced with UNANZ as an intern on 10th February. During his internship Simon will conduct research and write a position paper on behalf of UNANZ that outlines current engagement between New Zealand government departments

with UN Habitat, and will present his findings at a public seminar – possibly as part of the 2015 National Conference.

2015... All rights, all children, all the time.

The team at UNICEF NZ kicked off the year with a Briefing for Incoming MPs which includes 15 recommendations for children. In May the NZ Government reports to the UN about how well New Zealand is doing implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Government recently undertook public consultation on New Zealand’s Fifth Periodic Report. Submissions are currently being analysed – check here for updates or go to http://tinyurl.com/15recommendations

National Council of Women of New Zealand – Making a difference for women

By Sue McCabe, Chief Executive The National Council of Women of New Zealand believes there are encouraging signs we are on the cusp of making further progress towards gender equality.

Over the past 12 months the profile of equality and feminism has risen significantly. One of the many examples is the UN’s HeForShe campaign. The council is delighted to hear that UN Women National Committee Aotearoa New Zealand is bringing this campaign to NZ and we encourage NZ men to get

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 involved so that we start to see positive changes in our gender culture.

Awareness continues to grow among the business community as well, and there are numerous corporates now paying attention to the issue of achieving pay equality and improving their systems and management training to enable more women to achieve senior roles. Often this is part of a greater focus on valuing diversity which the council wholeheartedly supports.

There are also various community organisations, many of them National Council of Women members, working tirelessly to make a positive difference for women.

The current situation for women in NZ is unacceptable – statistics show women earn an average of $18.02 to every $20 earned by men with the gender pay gap remaining at 9.9% (source: Ministry for Women). Women also remain underrepresented in leadership and governance roles – of the 121 seats in Parliament, only 36 (29%) are occupied by women. And one in three women in NZ will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime (source: New Zealand Violence Against Women study).

The building focus on gender issues is critical if we are to achieve change.

All of us can do more. This starts with the Government improving its leadership and governance of gender equality issues, and requires the business community, education system, men and women to take action.

The council believes we particularly need to do more for groups of women who have the greatest inequality, for example Maori, women with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA community and those on low incomes. We need to translate the current profile and focus on equality into actions that result in measurable gains for all.

NCWNZ is currently writing a strategy that gives a comprehensive picture of the current state of gender equality in New Zealand and recommends key elements that need to be present for us to substantively progress towards equality. A draft will go to members, including the UN National Committee Aotearoa, for feedback in April. The document will be produced in June.

If you would like to stay up to date on the council’s activities or help us you can: Become a member by visiting http:// www.ncwnz.org.nz/get-involved/join/, Follow us on Facebook at https://

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ISSUE No 1 www.facebook.com/ncwnz.org.nz and on our Twitter @NCWNZ, Sign up to receive our monthly gender equality enewsletter On Balance at http://eepurl.com/bf-Zzj. Donate via http://www.ncwnz.org.nz/donate/ or talk to us about sponsorship or contribution towards an area of your interest Information about the council: In 1893, New Zealand women led the world as they fought for and won the right to vote. We became the first country to endorse this right. In 1896 these suffragists established the National Council of Women of New Zealand. We work for a gender equal New Zealand through making a difference to women socially, economically and politically.

We have around 290 member organisations, 260 individual members and 21 branches around the country.

Climate Change The IPCC 5th Assessment Report was completed in November 2014 and is available online at www.ipcc.ch

Culture of Peace

PP3. Recognizing the importance Declaration and Programme of Action

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PP4. Recalling its previous resolutions on a culture of peace, in particular resolution 52/15 of 20 November 1997 proclaiming 2000 the International Year for the Culture of Peace, resolution 53/25 of 10 November 1998 proclaiming the period 2001–2010 the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, and resolutions 56/5 of 5 November 2001, 57/6 of 4 November 2002, 58/11 of 10 November 2003, 59/143 of 15 December 2004, 60/3 of 20 October 2005, 61/45 of 4 December 2006, 62/89 of 17 December 2007, 63/113 of 5 December 2008, 64/80 of 7 December 2009, 65/11 of 23 November 2010, 66/116 of 12 December 2011, 67/106 of 17 December 2012, 68/125 of 18 December 2013, adopted under its agenda item entitled “Culture of Peace”,

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Disarmament Alyn Ware has contributed this update on Abolition 2000 global activities and plans, especially as they relate to Abolition 2000 Aotearoa.

UNFOLD ZERO. UNFOLD ZERO was launched at the UN in May this year. It was established by Abolition 2000 member organisations building on the good work of the Abolition 2000 Taskforce on the UN Open Ended Working Group. UNFOLD ZERO coordinated global actions to commemorate the first International Day for the Total Elimination of

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Nuclear Weapons on September 26 this year.

UNFOLD ZERO organised events at the United Nations in Geneva and in New York to commemorate and report on the day. Abolition 2000 Aotearoa people featured in the wonderful video organised

by Laurie Ross of the Auckland event, which we presented to the UN in New York on October 28.

Other video clips submitted for the International Day can be seen at http://www.unfoldzero.org/ sep26#global-action.

Vienna Conference on Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons. Abolition 2000 is promoting the conference. Good news is that the US has now confirmed that they will attend. Hon Matt Robson, Abolition 2000 Global Council Member from Aotearoa, has been invited to speak on a panel to be held in the Austrian Parliament hosted by the Speaker of the Parliament. I am co-organising a workshop with ICAN and Mayors for Peace in the Civil Society Forum on engaging legislators. Is anyone else from Abolition 2000 Aotearoa going to Vienna?

Abolition 2000 Call to Action: Spring/Autumn 2015 Mobilisation. You have probably all seen this Call to Action. At the Abolition 2000 Annual Meeting in New York a coordinating group for the mobilisation was established. The group, in which I am a member, holds regular meetings (physical and by skype) to plan the mobilisation. The next call will be on November 25. We are also planning an organising meeting in Vienna during the conference on humanitarian consequences. Let me know if you want to be involved in the organising group for this 2015 mobilisation.

Abolition 2000 membership database and newsletter; These are maintained by the Abolition 2000 contact office in PAX (formerly IKV Pax Christi) in the Netherlands. The Abolition 2000 fiscal office is hosted by Western States Legal Foundation in the US. Abolition 2000 website and facebook pages. These are maintained by the Abolition 2000 Coordinating Committee with Susi (PAX) and I taking primary responsibility. Let me know if you have any items you want posted.

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More Than 100 Former Leaders Offer Agenda & Support for Humanitarian Impact Conference Dec. 5, 2014 His Excellency Sebastian Kurz Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Minoritenplatz 8 1010 Vienna Austria Dear Minister Kurz: We are writing to commend publicly the Austrian government for convening the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. As members of global leadership networks developed in cooperation with the U.S.-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), we believe it is essential for governments and interested parties to state emphatically that the use of a nuclear weapon, by a state or non-state actor, anywhere on the planet would have catastrophic human consequences.

Our global networks–comprised of former senior political, military and diplomatic leaders from across five continents–share many of the concerns represented on the conference agenda. In Vienna and beyond, in addition, we see an opportunity for all states, whether they possess nuclear weapons or not, to work together in a joint enterprise to identify, understand, prevent, manage and eliminate the risks associated with these indiscriminate and inhumane weapons.

Specifically, we have agreed to collaborate across regions on the following four-point agenda for action and to work to shine a light on the risks posed by nuclear weapons. As we approach the 70th anniversary of the detonations over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we pledge our support and partnership to all governments and members of civil society who wish to join our effort.

Identifying Risk: We believe the risks posed by nuclear weapons and the international dynamics that could lead to nuclear weapons being used are under-estimated or insufficiently understood by

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 world leaders. Tensions between nuclear-armed states and alliances in the Euro-Atlantic area and in both South and East Asia remain ripe with the potential for military miscalculation and escalation.

In a vestige of the Cold War, too many nuclear weapons in the world remain ready to launch on short notice, greatly increasing the chances of an accident. This fact gives leaders faced with an imminent potential threat an insufficient amount of time to communicate with each other and act with prudence. Stockpiles of the world’s nuclear weapons and materials to produce them are insufficiently secure, making them possible targets for terrorism.

And while multilateral non-proliferation efforts are underway, none are adequate to growing proliferation dangers.

Given this context, we urge international leaders to use the Vienna Conference to launch a global discussion that would more accurately assess steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of intentional or unintentional use of nuclear weapons. The findings should be shared for the benefit of policymakers and wider public understanding. We commit to support and engage fully in this endeavor by working together through our global networks and other interested parties.

Reducing Risk: We believe insufficient action is being taken to prevent nuclear weapons use, and we urge conference delegates to consider how best to develop a comprehensive package of measures to reduce the risk of nuclear weapons use. Such a package could include:



Improved crisis-management arrangements in conflict hotspots and regions of tension around the world;  Urgent action to lower the prompt-launch status of existing nuclear stockpiles;  New measures to improve the security of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons-related materials; and Renewed efforts to tackle the increasing threat of proliferation from state and non-state actors.

All nuclear-armed states should attend the Vienna Conference and engage in the Humanitarian Impacts Initiative, without exception, and while doing so, should acknowledge their special responsibility on this set of issues.

At the same time, all states should re-double efforts to work toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Raising Public Awareness: We believe the world needs to know more about the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons use. It is therefore imperative that the Vienna discussions and findings are not limited to Conference delegations. A

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ISSUE No 1 sustained effort should be made to engage and educate a global audience of policymakers and civil society on the catastrophic consequences of the use—intentional or accidental—of a nuclear weapon. We commend the Conference organizers for taking a broad approach to addressing the effects of a detonation, including the wider environmental impacts. The latest climate modeling suggests major and global environmental, health and food security consequences from even a relatively small scale regional exchange of nuclear weapons. Given the potential global impact, the use of a nuclear weapon anywhere is the legitimate concern of people everywhere.

Improving Readiness: The Conference and the ongoing Humanitarian Impacts Initiative must ask what more the world can do to be prepared for the worst. Time and again, the international community has been found wanting when it comes to preparedness for major international humanitarian crises, most recently in the shamefully slow response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Preparedness must include a focus on the resilience of domestic infrastructure in major population centers to reduce the death tolls. Since no state is capable of responding to a nuclear weapon detonation sufficiently by relying solely on its own resources, preparedness also must include generating plans for a coordinated international response to an incident. This could save tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of lives.

We wish all those engaged in the Vienna Conference well, and pledge our ongoing support and partnership for all those involved in its important work.

Signed: 1. Nobuyasu Abe, former United Nations UnderSecretary-General for Disarmament, Japan.

2. Sergio Abreu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Senator of Uruguay.

3. Hasmy Agam, Chair, National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and former Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations.

4. Steve Andreasen, former Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control on the White House National Security Council; National Security Consultant, NTI. 5. Irma Arguello, Chair, NPSGlobal Foundation; LALN Secretariat, Argentina.

6. Margaret Beckett MP, former Foreign Secretary, UK. 7. Álvaro Bermúdez, former Director of Energy and Nuclear Technology of Uruguay.

8. Fatmir Besimi, Deputy Prime Minister and

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 former Minister of Defense, Macedonia.

9. Hans Blix, former Director General of the IAEA; Former Foreign Minister, Sweden.

10. Jaakko Blomberg, former Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland.

11. James Bolger, former Prime Minister of New Zealand.

12. Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister, Norway.

13. Davor Božinović, former Minister of Defence, Croatia.

14. Des Browne, NTI Vice Chairman; ELN and UK Top Level Group (TLG) Convener; Member of the House of Lords; former Secretary of State for Defence.

15. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, former Deputy Foreign Minister, Netherlands.

16. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister, Norway.

17. Alistair Burt MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK. 18. Francesco Calogero, former Secretary General of Pugwash, Italy.

19. Sir Menzies Campbell MP, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, UK. 20. General James Cartwright (Ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. 21. Hikmet Çetin, former Foreign Minister, Turkey.

22. Padmanabha Chari, former Additional Secretary of Defence, India.

23. Joe Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund, U.S. 24. Charles Clarke, former Home Secretary, UK. 25. Chun Yungwoo, former National Security Advisor, Republic of Korea.

26. Tarja Cronberg, former Member of the European Parliament; former Chair of the European Parliament Iran delegation, Finland.

27. Cui Liru, former President, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

28. Sérgio de Queiroz Duarte, former United Nations Under Secretary for Disarmament Affairs and member of Brazil's diplomatic service.

29. Jayantha Dhanapala, President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs; former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament, Sri Lanka.

30. Aiko Doden, Senior Commentator with NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation.

31. Sidney D. Drell, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, U.S. 32. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark.

THE PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

ISSUE No. 1 33. Vahit Erdem, former Member of the Turkish

Grand National Assembly, Chief Adviser to President Süleyman Demirel, Turkey.

34. Gernot Erler, former German Minister of State; Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries.

35. Gareth Evans, APLN Convener; Chancellor of the Australian National University; former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.

36. Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia.

37. Sergio González Gálvez, former Deputy Secretary of External Relations and member of Mexico's diplomatic service.

38. Sir Nick Harvey MP, former Minister of State for the Armed Forces, UK. 39. Robert Hill, former Defence Minister of Australia.

40. Jim Hoagland, journalist, U.S. 41. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Professor of Nuclear Physics, Pakistan.

42. José Horacio Jaunarena, former Minister of Defense of Argentina.

43. Jaakko Iloniemi, former Minister of State, Finland.

44. Wolfgang Ischinger, current Chair of the Munich Security Conference; former Deputy Foreign Minister, Germany.

45. Igor Ivanov, former Foreign Minister, Russia.

46. Tedo Japaridze, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georgia.

47. Oswaldo Jarrin, former Minister of Defense of Ecuador.

48. General Jehangir Karamat (Ret.), former chief of Pakistan’s Army.

49. Admiral Juhani Kaskeala (Ret.), former Commander of the Defence Forces, Finland.

50. Yoriko Kawaguchi, former Foreign Minister of Japan.

51. Ian Kearns, Co-Founder and Director of the ELN, UK. 52. John Kerr (Lord Kerr of Kinlochard), former UK Ambassador to the US and the EU. 53. Lord King of Bridgwater (Tom King), former Defence Secretary, UK. 54. Walter Kolbow, former Deputy Federal Minister of Defence, Germany.

55. Ricardo Baptista Leite, MD, Member of Parliament, Portugal.

56. Pierre Lellouche, former President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, France.

57. Ricardo López Murphy, former Minister of Defense of Argentina.

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 58. Richard G. Lugar, Board Member, NTI; former

U.S. Senator.

59. Mogens Lykketoft, former Foreign Minister, Denmark.

60. Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School, National University of Singapore; former Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations.

61. Giorgio La Malfa, former Minister of European Affairs, Italy.

62. Lalit Mansingh, former Foreign Secretary of India.

63. Miguel Marín Bosch, former Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations and member of Mexico's diplomatic service.

64. János Martonyi, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hungary.

65. John McColl, former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, UK. 66. Fatmir Mediu, former Defence Minister, Albania.

67. C. Raja Mohan, senior journalist, India.

68. Chung-in Moon, former Ambassador for International Security Affairs, Republic of Korea.

69. Hervé Morin, former Defence Minister, France.

70. General Klaus Naumann (Ret.), former Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr, Germany.

71. Bernard Norlain, former Air Defense Commander and Air Combat Commander of the Air Force, France.

72. To Nu Thi Ninh, former Ambassador to the European Union, Vietnam.

73. Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman and CEO, NTI; former U.S. Senator 74. Volodymyr Ogrysko, former Foreign Minister, Ukraine.

75. David Owen (Lord Owen), former Foreign Secretary, UK. 76. Sir Geoffrey Palmer, former Prime Minister of New Zealand.

77. José Pampuro, former Minister of Defense of Argentina.

78. Maj.Gen Pan Zennqiang (Ret.), Senior Adviser to the China Reform Forum, China.

79. Solomon Passy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria.

80. Wolfgang Petritsch, former EU Special Envoy to Kosovo; former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria.

81. Paul Quilès, former Defence Minister, France.

82. R. Rajaraman, Professor of Theoretical Physics, India.

83. Lord David Ramsbotham, ADC General (retired) in the British Army, UK.

THE PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

ISSUE No 1 84. Jaime Ravinet de la Fuente, former Minister

of Defense of Chile.

85. Elisabeth Rehn, former Defence Minister, Finland.

86. Lord Richards of Herstmonceux (David Richards), former Chief of the Defence Staff, UK. 87. Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister, France.

88. Camilo Reyes Rodríguez, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Colombia.

89. Sergey Rogov, Director of Institute for US and Canadian Studies, Russia.

90. Joan Rohlfing, President and Chief Operating Officer, NTI; former Senior Advisor for National Security to the U.S. Secretary of Energy.

91. Adam Rotfeld, former Foreign Minister, Poland.

92. Volker Rühe, former Defence Minister, Germany.

93. Henrik Salander, former Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Secretary-General of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, Sweden.

94. Özdem Sanberk, former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey.

95. Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, former Minister of Science and Technology and member of Brazil's diplomatic service.

96. Stefano Silvestri, former Under Secretary of State for Defence; consultant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministries of Defence and Industry, Italy.

97. Noel Sinclair, Permanent Observer of the Caribbean Community - CARICOM to the United Nations and member of Guyana's diplomatic service.

98. Ivo Šlaus, former member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Croatia.

99. Javier Solana, former Foreign Minister; former Secretary-General of NATO; former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Spain.

100.Minsoon Song, former Foreign Minister of Republic of Korea.

101.Rakesh Sood, former Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Disarmament and NonProliferation, India.

102.Christopher Stubbs, Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, Harvard University, U.S. 103.Goran Svilanovic, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia.

104.Eka Tkeshelashvili, former Foreign Minister, Georgia.

105.Carlo Trezza, Member of the Advisory Board of the UN Secretary General for Disarmament

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015 Matters and Chairman of the Missile Technology Control Regime, Italy.

106.David Triesman (Lord Triesman), Foreign Affairs spokesperson for the Labour Party in the House of Lords, former Foreign Office Minister, UK. 107.Ted Turner, Co-Chairman, NTI. 108.Nyamosor Tuya, former Foreign Minister of Mongolia.

109.Air Chief Marshal Shashi Tyagi (Ret.), former Chief of the Indian Air Force.

110.Alan West (Admiral the Lord West of Spithead), former First Sea Lord of the British Navy.

111.Wiryono Sastrohandoyo, former Ambassador to Australia, Indonesia.

112.Raimo Väyrynen, former Director at Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

113.Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, Chair, Global Task Force on Nuclear Weapons, World Evangelical Alliance, U.S. 114.Isabelle Williams, NTI. 115.Baroness Williams of Crosby (Shirley Williams), former Advisor on Non-Proliferation issues to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, UK. 116.Hide Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

117.Uta Zapf, former Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation in the Bundestag, Germany.

118.Ma Zhengzang, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom, President of China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, and President of the China Institute of International Studies.

Asia Pacific Leadership Network (APLN): A network of more than 40 current and former political, military, and diplomatic leaders in the Asia Pacific region—including from nuclear weaponspossessing states of China, India and Pakistan— working to improve public understanding, shape public opinion, and influence political decisionmaking and diplomatic activity on issues concerning nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. The APLN is convened by former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans. www.a-pln.org European Leadership Network (ELN): A network of more than 130 senior European political, military and diplomatic figures working to build a more coordinated European policy community, define strategic objectives and feed analysis and viewpoints into the policy-making process for nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament issues. Former UK Defense Secretary and NTI Vice Chairman Des Browne is Chair of the Executive Board of ELN. www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/

THE PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

ISSUE No. 1

Latin American Leadership Network (LALN): A network of 16 senior political, military, and diplomatic leaders across Latin America and the Caribbean working to promote constructive engagement on nuclear issues and to create an enhanced security environment to help reduce global nuclear risks. The LALN is led by Irma Arguello, founder and chair of Argentina-based NPSGlobal. http://npsglobal.org/ Nuclear Security Leadership Council (NSLC): A newly formed Council, based in the United States, brings together approximately 20 influential leaders with diverse backgrounds from North America.

Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to reduce threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. NTI is governed by a prestigious, international board of directors and is co-chaired by founders Sam Nunn and Ted Turner. NTI’s activities are directed by Nunn and President Joan Rohlfing. For more information, visit www.nti.org. For more information about the Nuclear Security Project, visit www.NuclearSecurityProject.org.

Human Rights A draft report on New Zealand’s performance under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has been released for public comment, and can be found at: http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy/ constitutional-law-and-human-rights/humanrights/consultation The New Zealand Government’s fifth periodic report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child New Zealand must provide its fifth periodic report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in May 2015. The Ministry of Social Development has prepared the draft report and undertook public consultation between December 2014 and February 2015. Details can be found on the Ministry of Social Development's website.

Peace and Security

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UNANZ NEWS MARCH 2015

ISSUE No 1

2014 Calendar

Back row: Henry Thompson (UN Youth Wellington President), Gary Russell (Northern President), Pete Cowley (National Administrator), Gray Southon (Tauranga President), John Morgan (SO Human Rights), Graham Hassall (National President), Lynette Hardie Wills (Canterbury President), Paul Oliver (NX member), Martin Dransfield (NC Member), Front row: Izolda Kazenzedah (National Treasurer), Joy Dunsheath (National Vice-President) , Mary Gray (Life member), Kate Smith (Wanganui President), Kate Dews (Life member), Rima Shenoy (Observer)

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