(L to R) Mridula Mukherjee, Soli J. Sorabjee and Shalini Dewan

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in New Delhi, in partnership with the Government of India’s Central Secretariat Library, organized a one-day workshop on promoting human rights: "Need for an Information Resources Network" on 3 November 2009, in the UN Conference Hall in New Delhi.
 
At the inaugural session, UNIC Director Shalini Dewan welcomed the participating 35 librarians and information officers from ministries, government departments, universities, NGOs and UN depository libraries.  She also spoke on the concept of human rights learning and how library networking can be used to promote human rights awareness.
 
Chief Guest Soli J. Sorabjee, former Attorney-General of India, focused on the important role of every individual in ensuring that achievement of human rights becomes a global reality. 
 
The Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Mridula Mukherjee provided a historical perspective of the practice and implementation of human rights in India and the relevant information resources.

The two working sessions, led by experts in the field covered the significance of human rights documentation, best practices followed in India and how library information resources network could be used for further facilitating and sharing knowledge with the user communities and how librarians could empower citizens by creating information tools through content management.

Addressing the gathering, the representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Population Fund spoke, respectively, on the right to food, the human rights of refugees and gender sensitive information networks.

Each session was followed by a lively discussion and a question and answer session. The workshop helped participants gain a better understanding of the diverse perspectives of human rights and came up with recommendations on the role librarians could play to make human rights information accessible to all. 

Madame Najat Maalla M’jid, Rapporteur Spécial des Nations Unies sur la vente d’enfants (centre)

Si les phénomènes d’abus et d’exploitation sexuelles des enfants dans la mendicité constituent un sujet qui préoccupent fortement tous les acteurs  rencontrés, leur ampleur réelle reste méconnue, du fait de l’absence d’un système d’information centralisé; de la connaissance insuffisante des droits et lois qui protègent les enfants ; de la non dénonciation par peur  de représailles et de stigmatisation et des différences de perception des concepts traite ; de la vente ; de la migration ; de l’exploitation économique et de l’apprentissage.

Ces remarques sont celles de Madame Najat Maalla M’jid,  Rapporteur Spécial des Nations Unies sur la vente d’enfants, la prostitution enfantine et la pornographie mettant en scène des enfants qui, devant la presse, le 30 octobre 2009, a partagé avec les journalistes, ses premières impressions, à l’issue d’une mission d’une dizaine de jours au Sénégal. Mission qui a été pilotée par le Bureau Régional pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest du Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies aux Droits de l’Homme HCDH/BRAO).

La rencontre avec les journalistes a été organisée par le Centre d’Information des Nations Unies (CINU) au Dakar et ce, dans le cadre de sa mission d’appui aux agences du Système des Nations Unies au Sénégal. Elle s’est déroulée dans la salle de conférence du CINU. 

A l’issue de la conférence de presse, avec l’appui du CINU, Madame Najat Maalla a été l’invitée de la West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) qui émet depuis Dakar, au Sénégal, à l’intention des pays de la Mano River notamment le Libéria, la Sierra Léone, la Guinée et la Côte d’Ivoire. En sa qualité de «L’Invité de la Semaine», Madame Najat Maalla a animé deux émissions (une en Français et une en Anglais) au cours desquelles, elle est revenue sur sa mission au Sénégal et a donné des éclairages sur le rôle du Rapporteur Spécial et de l’intérêt que porte la Commission des Droits de l’Homme des Nations Unies sur les enfants en situations difficiles : dans les conflits ou exposés à la vente, à la prostitution ou à la pornographie mettant en scène des enfants.

Mme Najat  M’jid (Maroc) a été désignée Rapporteur Spécial, en 2008, pour une durée de 3 ans.

L to R: Loren Landau, Malusi Gigaba, Tegegnework Gettu, Agostinho Zacarias speak to the press regarding the Human Development Report 2009

The UNDP Human Development Report 2009 was launched in Johannesburg, South Africa at a ceremony held at the historic Constitutional Hill. The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Pretoria assisted with securing the venue, devising the programme, liaising with the event management company, editing and disseminating the press releases and inviting some of the guests.

The launch of the report in Johannesburg was one of several launches taking place throughout the world with the main event taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. This year’s report is titled “Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development” and looks at multiple pathways of and barriers to, human movement.

The programme was divided into two parts with the UNIC Director chairing the formal opening. Welcome remarks were provided by the incoming Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Dr. Agostinho Zacarias.

The address was delivered by the UNDP Regional Director, Dr. Tegegnework Gettu who highlighted the report’s message that the ability to decide where to live is a fundamental element of human freedom. Dr. Gettu also stressed that migration in sub-Saharan African should be part of a human development strategy and that government policies should make migration a positive tool for development. Professor Loren Landau, a migration specialist from the University of the Witwatersrand, provided a succinct presentation highlighting the main issues raised in the report.

The keynote address was delivered by the South African Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Malusi Gigaba. In his address, the Deputy Minister recognized that governments need to find ways to making mobility regular, less risky and that the rights of migrants must be recognized. He acknowledged the significance of this report as well as its timing during the global economic recession.
 
During the tea-break, the Deputy Minister, Dr. Gettu, Professor Landau and Dr. Zacarias participated in a briefing with the print and broadcasting journalists present who posed a range of questions to all the panellists. The launch was reported on SABC radio news bulletins during the day and Dr. Gettu also conducted a live interview with SABC International that evening. The national Business Day newspaper carried two feature articles on the report and further press coverage is expected in the coming days. The briefing was held in an adjacent room that used to be the original Fort of Johannesburg in the early 1900s and has been preserved in its original state. Indeed, the whole Constitution Hill area is home to the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land and the site of a former jail for political prisoners.

The second session, chaired by Professor Landau, consisted of a panel discussion with representatives of civil society, government, and a research institution. The lively discussion focused on the highlights of the report and brought in different perspectives. This was followed by a discussion period where a wide and diverse range of questions were posed to the panelists.

Durante la Feria de Derechos Humanos se dio a conocer la labor que desarrolla el CINU en el Perú y el mundo

El Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas (CINU) en Lima participó entre el 7 y el 11 de setiembre en la Feria de Organizaciones de Derechos Humanos organizada por el Instituto de Democracia y Derechos Humanos de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. En dicha feria participaron además diversas ONGs y otras organizaciones internacionales.

El evento fue inaugurado por el Dr. Salomón Lerner, Director del Instituto. Durante todo la semana, estudiantes y profesores asistieron a la feria para buscar más información sobre las diversas instituciones que estaban representadas y su labor en defensa de los derechos humanos. 

El CINU participó distribuyendo publicaciones de la ONU y explicando cual es la labor de la Organización en la defensa de los derechos humanos.