Every year, for the past 46 years, the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva has organized a three-week programme for post-graduate students from all over the world who come to Geneva to learn about the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. This programme constitutes a major public outreach of the Service.

The 46th UN Graduate Study Programme took place on 7-25 July at the Palais des Nations in Geneva under the theme: "The United Nations: the inseparable link between peace and security, human rights and sustainable development". The UNIS welcomed 77 participants from 39 different countries, including a diplomat. The group was made up of 49 women and 28 men.

Through film screenings and lectures by leading experts from the UN system, the participants were exposed to the various activities undertaken by the United Nations to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security, development and environmental sustainability.

The participants wrote a report at the end of the programme, which will be distributed to member states through the Permanent Missions based in Geneva, to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices throughout the world as well as to the participants themselves.

The UNIS Director-General delivered remarks at a closing ceremony held on 25 July during which he distributed certificates to the participants.

For more information on the United Nations Graduate Programme please visit our website.

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Yaounde, together with the non-governmental organization (NGO) Local Youth Corner, organized a youth leadership workshop on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 14 July to 25 July 2008. 21 young people between the ages of 15 and 20 years attended the workshop, which covered the following subjects:

• What is the United Nations: its work and association with youth
• UNIC’s mission and library services
• What is leadership and leadership skills
• World Programme of Action for Youth
• World Youth Report by the United Nations 
• Youth issues
• National youth policy and programmes
• Communication skills for leadership
• Moral education and leadership
• Millennium Development Goals

UNIC’s National Information Officer facilitated the workshop which was held at the UNIC.  The participants were given exercises to stimulate discussion and group work focused on the themes of youth issues and strategies for solutions.

An official of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, spoke to the workshop participants about the actions taken by the government in support of youth and about the National Youth Policy adopted early this year with the assistance of UNFPA, UNESCO and UNICEF. He encouraged the participants to be active in national development and to aspire to be members of the National Youth Council, which will be created sometime in 2008.

UNIC arranged visits to UN agencies working with young people. The agencies visited included the UN sub-regional Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (UNCHRD), UNESCO, UNFPA and UNICEF.  At each agency the participants were briefed on issues and actions for youth and also responded to questions.

A live radio programme about the workshop was organized on 24 July and a debate held during the workshop was recorded for TV and will be broadcast on the national radio/TV network on International Youth Day (12 August 2008).

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Representative distributed certificates to all the participants at the end of the workshop.  She told the 21 trained youth leaders that they are the “light of hope” for the nation and everyone hopes that their energy, passion and compassion will be channeled into action for development, especially for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
 
A candle lighting ceremony was held for the youth leaders as a symbolic gesture to remind them of the task ahead and to encourage them to keep the flame burning for development and peace.

The workshop was held in advance of International Youth Day to be commemorated on 12 August 2008.

No último domingo 20 de julho foi lançado em São Paulo o Troféu Especial de Imprensa “ONU: 60 Anos de Direitos Humanos”, que será realizado no âmbito do prêmio Vladimir Herzog, o mais tradicional e prestigioso prêmio jornalístico dedicado aos direitos humanos no Brasil.

O Troféu ONU faz parte das atividades das Nações Unidas no Brasil em comemoração ao 60º aniversário da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos e vai escolher os cinco jornalistas que mais se destacaram na cobertura de assuntos ligados aos direitos humanos no País nos últimas três décadas. Serão os 800 jornalistas, fotógrafos, cinegrafistas e artistas gráficos que ganharam o Vladimir Herzog desde sua primeira edição em 1978 que vão escolher entre si os nomes dos cinco premiados. 

Os cinco vencedores do Troféu Especial de Imprensa “ONU: 60 Anos de Direitos Humanos” serão anunciados durante a cerimônia de premiação do 30º Prêmio Vladimir Herzog de Direitos Humanos, que acontecerá no dia 27 de outubro, no Teatro Tuca, na capital paulista.

Em seguida, em 10 de dezembro, 60º aniversário da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, será lançada uma página na Internet onde estarão disponíveis, pela primeira vez, todas as matérias – textos de jornais e revistas, fotografias, reportagens de rádio e televisão - que desde 1978 receberam o Prêmio Vladimir Herzog – prêmio criado para lembrar o jornalista brasileiro assassinado pela ditadura militar em 1975.

O prêmio “ONU: 60 Anos de Direitos Humanos” é uma iniciativa do Centro de Informação das Nações Unidas para o Brasil (UNIC Rio de Janeiro), junto com a Secretaria Especial dos Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República e de mais uma dúzia de entidades e associações, entra as quais a Comissão de Justiça e Paz da Arquidiocese de São Paulo. Durante o lançamento, que aconteceu na Cúria Metropolitana, o cardeal arcebispo de São Paulo, dom Odilo Scherer, lembro a importância da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos e a contribuição dada pelos jornalistas nos “tempos difíceis” da luta para a redemocratização do Brasil

Logo após o lançamento do Prêmio foi realizado o Concerto Justitiae, oferecido pela Comunidade Coral Luther King, com a regência do Maestro Martinho Lutero e com a participação especial da atriz Eva Wilma,que leu artigos da Declaração. O público presente – quase 400 pessoas, escutou músicas sacras e modernas, e trechos de poesias que remetiam ao tema do respeito dos direitos básicos dos seres humanos—da “Prisão de Critsto” de Bach à musica “Angélica”, de Chico Buarque e Miltinho.

Este prêmio é uma parceria do Centro de Informação das Nações Unidas para o Brasil (UNIC Rio de Janeiro) com a Secretaria Especial dos Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República (SEDH/PR), a OBORÉ Projetos Especiais em Comunicações e Artes, a Maxpress, o Núcleo de Computação Eletrônica da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (NCE/UFRJ), o Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS), a Fundação Padre Anchieta (FPA), a Comunidade Coral Luther King (CCLK), em conjunto com a Comissão Organizadora do Prêmio Vladimir Herzog (Sindicato dos Jornalistas Profissionais do Estado de de São Paulo; Associação Brasileira de Imprensa (ABI); Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil – Seccional de São Paulo (OAB-SP); Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas (Fenaj); Ouvidoria das Polícias de São Paulo; Comissão de Justiça e Paz da Arquidiocese de São Paulo; Fórum dos ex-Presos e Perseguidos Políticos; Família Herzog).

The Friends of the UN Club from Chiclayo, 763 kilometers north of Lima, Peru, celebrated International Year of the Potato with a gastronomic festival, which took place on 18 July. The event was organized by participants from numerous schools and the Señor de Sipan University.  The activity was led by the Friends of the UN Club coordinator in the north of Peru, Mag. Susana Toso.

During the festival, the participants demonstrated their skills by creating typical Peruvian dishes using the potato as a basic ingredient. Some dishes were presented in the form of the UN logo, others used figures from the pre-Columbian Moche Culture to showcase the culinary skills and creativity of the participants.

The Friends of the UN Club is a network of voluntary associations created by UNIC Lima, Peru, for students interested in the work of the United Nations, global problems, and development issues.