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.

Panel launches the 2009 MDG Report in Lagos

On 31 July 2009, the United Nations System in Nigeria launched the 2009 global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 

The event, which brought together five UN agencies, media and non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders and representatives, was held in Lagos. It was chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Albéric Kacou, with the Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President, Mrs. Amina Az-Zubbair, as special guest of honour. Other guests and participants included Ms. Yemisi Ransome-kuti, Executive Director of Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGO), Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), and Ambassador (Chief) Segun Olushola, Founder and President of Africa Refugees Foundation (AREF).

In his welcome address, the UN Resident Coordinator gave an overview of the programmes and activities of the UN System in Nigeria, highlighting the role and expectations of UN agencies in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the country.  He spoke on the implementation of the second phase of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Nigeria, which is the focal point for all UN inter-agency collaboration in the country.

In her review of the contents of the 2009 MDG Report, the Country Representative of UNFPA, Ms. Agathe Lawson, analysed the aspects of the document.  She explained that despite the impact of the global economic and financial crisis, the world economy had made major advances before the present critical challenges of recession.  She examined the way forward for the achievement of the MDGs, within the present realities, and concluded that progress on the Doha Trade Round, among other efforts, was key to stimulating the global economy.

Ms. Ransome-Kuti of NNNGO made a presentation entitled “The MDGs: Role of CSOs and the Way Forward.”  She said the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the implementation and achievement of the MDGs should include advocacy and mobilisation, education and promotion of MDGs at the community level as well as the training and capacity-building of communities.

The Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, focused in his statement on the role of the media in achieving the MDGs.  He covered the broad areas of the media’s role in the promotion of the MDGs based on the constitutional responsibilities of the press in Nigeria.  He explained what was required of the media to increase the coverage of MDGs and how the media could be effective in playing a role of increasing awareness of the MDGs in the country.

Mr. Ojo concluded that the media had a constitutional duty and a social responsibility to raise public awareness about the MDGs, enable citizen participation in the debates and to hold the government accountable.

The special guest of honour, Mrs. Az-Zubbair, spoke on the government's position on the implementation of MDGs in Nigeria and responded to several questions on the role and responsibility of the State in achieving the goals and the role the media and CSOs could play in the efforts to achieve the MDGs.

The Representative of the UN DPI Office in Azerbaijan, Ms. Envera Selimovic addressing the participants of the roundtable while presenting the MDG Report 2009, in Baku.

The UN Department of Public Information Office in Azerbaijan (UN DPI) and the Fund for Monitoring Ecological Standards of Azerbaijan (FMESA) conducted a roundtable on 9 July to present the newly released Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, along with the results of the FMESA survey assessing the degree of awareness and perception of environmental issues among the local population.

“Knowledge is the beginning,” said the DPI Representative, Envera Selimovic, as a starting point to the DPI team’s presentation of the individual eight millennium development goals (MDGs) in the Azerbaijani language as an effort to ensure enhanced understanding of the MDG Report. This was greatly appreciated by the representatives of the various governmental bodies, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations and mass media as collaborations such as this make it possible to ensure maximum benefit to the Azeri society.

Please visit the website of the UN DPI Office in Azerbaijan for a full report on this event.

UNIFEM's Executive Director, Ms. Inés Alberdi (second from right), at press conference

Ms. Inés Alberdi, the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), made a three day visit to Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, from 6 to 9 May 2009. The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura provided assistance with media coverage and communications for the visit.

Prior to the Executive Director's arrival, the National Information Officer of UNIC Bujumbura organized a press briefing at UNIC premises on 5 May to brief journalists about the upcoming visit and about the work of UNIFEM in Burundi and worldwide. Approximately 35 journalists representing local and international media attended the briefing and received press kits.

On 7 May, UNIC Bujumbura organized a media event to launch UNIFEM's flagship report "Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009", which was attended by the First Vice-President of the Republic and on 8 May a press conference was held at UNIC Bujumbura, during which Ms. Alberdi expressed her satisfaction with the steps taken by the Burundian Government towards empowering women and fighting against gender based violence. While Ms. Alberdi lauded this progress, she also highlighted the shortcomings of these efforts and emphasized there was still much work to be done before gender equality can be achieved. The Minister of Human Rights and Gender also participated in the press conference.