6 by United Nations

Issue #6, April 2009

The global economic crisis

EXTRAS

OPINION

ARTICLES

| CONTENTS |

Editorial

Who’s been hit the hardest? Women & the global economic crisis

The end of the tax haven honeymoon

Keep the doors open! Migrants as agents for development through the global economic crisis

The Financial and Economic Crisis: A European Response

U.S. perspective: Who is to blame?

Belgium: A poisoned legacy

MDGs: Time for Plan B?

Careers in the UN system

Resolving the economic crisis: A political challenge for the European Union

Keeping Business Honest: Corporate Social Responsibility & the UN global compact

Travel: Nairobi—The preps before check-in

Email: Mai pen rai! Report on life in Bangkok

Tips: Searching for a masters’ thesis topic

Profiles: Interns in Bangkok, Rio de Janiero & Brussels

2325

In focus: UNAs: The UN’s ‘fan club’

Diversions

Campaign: CoolPlanet corner, saving money & the planet

Shaking Ban’s hand

| EDITORIAL |

"While recently we have heard much in [the United States] about how problems on Wall Street are affecting innocent people on Main Street, we need to think more about those people around the world with no streets. Wall Street, Main Street, no street ‐ the solutions devised must be for all."

e all recognize that we are in the midst of a global economic crisis and are all feeling its effects. Stocks have plummeted; large financial institutions have either been bought out or gone bankrupt; and even the richest countries in the world have resorted to creating rescue packages to save their economies. Major businesses (from GM to AIG) are near collapse. Unemployment is hitting record highs in this Alexandra Basha, intern at century. People have UNRIC, UK & Ireland desk, in seen their life savings evaporate in just a few Brussels short months. Foreclosures are leaving entire neighborhoods like ghost towns. What started in the United States in mid 2008 has rapidly crept to all corners of the world. This crisis is far from over and we still have a lot of work to do. As Ban Ki-moon said above, one should not focus only on the richest countries -- there is a need to find solutions for everyone. Due to the overwhelming negative effects this crisis has had globally, we decided to dedicate this 6th issue of Internal Voices to the global economic meltdown. We wanted to hear the opinions and suggestions that UN interns around the world have on this topic. Articles range from the effects of the crisis on their countries to how one can save money and the environment (written by interns working on UNRIC’s latest campaign: CoolPlanet). After reading this issue, we hope that you will have a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the global economic crisis that has struck the world and, instead of casting blame, we can work together to find effective solutions to end this crisis as rapidly as possible. ■

Editor ALEXANDRA BASHA Deputy Editor JAMES MORRIS Layout Team ALEXANDRA BASHA, JAMES MORRIS, IGNACIO PUENTE, DIANA MUCCIO Contributors RAPHAËLLE DELMOTTE, IGANCIO PUENTE, TANYA KOCH, SIMONA DONINI, MANON MALHERE, ANA TERESA SANTOS, IAN DEAN, JONAS DE MEYER, LANA OH, MARIA ERDAL ASKIM, SIDSEL

THORSTEINSSON, VIIVI ERKKILÄ, FLAMINIA FABIANO, DIANA MUCCIO, MADS HELBO LAURSEN, ANNEMIEK VERDUIN, JAMES MORRIS, ALEXANDRA BASHA Photos TIM WIAME Drawings CHAROULA BROKALAKI Special thanks to RAPHAËLLE DELMOTTE, TANYA KOCH, MARIANA BORGERTH, CAMBRIDGE FORECAST GROUP BLOG (for the cover image)

Our pick...

...from UN photos. World Water Day, Sudanese volunteer

Got something to say?

Say it to us! Starting in the next issue of Internal Voices we will feature a Letters section where you can give us your comments on issues or topics from this issue, or comment on or provide constructive criticism on the magazine itself. internalvoices@unric.org

Disclaimer: This publication is created by interns from UN agencies. The views and opinions presented in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations.

Internal Voices—On 1 August 2007, the United Nations' Interns adopted and proclaimed The Internal Voices Magazine, the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act, the Interns called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of The Magazine and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

I.V. is a 100% UN interns' magazine giving all UN interns the opportunity to network, express opinions and share knowledge, points of view and experiences. Everything from articles and crosswords to layout and editing is done by UN interns. If you want to get involved, the intern team at UNRIC in Brussels would love to hear from you! internalvoices@unric.org

| GENDER |

Simona Donini

Who’s been hit the hardest? Women & the global economic crisis

Simona Donini, intern at UNRIC, Italy, San Marino, Malta and the Holy See desk, in Brussels

he impact of the current credit crunch is still unknown. Amidst the emphasis on finding solutions, the crisis continues to cripple women and their families without abatement. In previous recessions men felt the burden of job

losses, but this time, with more women being employed in the hardest hit areas – retail and services – will women suffer the most from the global economic crisis? To what extent will the downturn compromise the relevant economic gains made in past decades? It is expected that women and girls in both developed and developing countries will be mostly affected by job cuts and loss of livelihood(s). According to the ILO annual Global Employment Trends for Women report (GET) issued in March 2009, the number of unemployed women will rise to 22 million in 2009. Simultaneously, the global economic crisis will create new obstacles to sustainable and socially equitable growth, making respectable work for women more 4

and more difficult to obtain. The GET report points out that of the 3 billion people employed around the world in 2008, 1.2 billion were women (40.4 percent). It said that in 2009, the rate of unemployment for women could reach 7.4 percent, compared to 7.0 percent for men, and specifically that the gender impact of the economic crisis is expected to be more negative for females in Latin America and the Caribbean. As stated in another report, the Economic Crisis, Its Gender Implications and Policy Responses presented by the UN in March 2009, in some developed economies such as the US, men have been hit the hardest by the fall in demand, but women will be more severely affected in coming months by public sector budget cuts, given that women workers are employed

| GENDER |

mainly in education, health and social services. In the UK, there is also evidence that unemployment of women has been increasing since the beginning of 2008 at twice the rate for males: 2.3 percent for women and 1.2 percent for men. Similarly, women in developing countries will be severely affected by job losses, especially in areas where women are employed in export manufacturing industries (i.e. Latin America and Asia) or in tourism (i.e. the Caribbean).

In order to prevent women from becoming the victims of such a recession it is essential that they are better represented at policy tables to promote women’s interests as well as long-term economic stability. ILO DirectorGeneral Juan Somavia, for instance, mentioned some measures that could help alleviate the impact of the crisis on women such as opening quality jobs to both men and women, introducing broader social protection that recognises the vulnerable position of women in the labour market

(including unemployment benefits and insurance schemes) as well as facilitating the role of women in decision-making processes. Iceland has already appointed two women, Elin Sigfusdottir and Birna Einarsdottir, to run the two largest nationalised banks after the collapse of the financial system, which both feminist and mainstream economists have agreed is a man-made catastrophe. This is certainly a first step. Will this male failure open new opportunities for women? Could the recession have been avoided if more women had been decision makers? ■

Simona Donini

Whichever sector is hit the hardest, in some countries women will be laid off first because of gender norms and ideas that men are perceived as legitimate jobholders when jobs

are limited. This tendency was confirmed during the Asian financial crisis, with women being fired at 7 times the rate of men in South Korea.

Photos from Simona Donini’s 2007 trip to Nepal and 2008 trip to India: Opposite page woman selling candles used as an offer to the Ganga River in Varanasi; this page on left Indian woman with child near Ganga River in Varanasi, India; this page top right women from village in Kavre District, Nepal; and, this page bottom right women queuing on the night of Shiva to enter Pashupatinath Hindu temple on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu.

| TAX HAVENS |

The end of the tax haven

honeymoon? Raphaëlle Delmotte, intern at UNESCAP in Bangkok

“T

here is a building in the Cayman Islands that houses supposedly 12,000 US-based corporations. That’s either the biggest building in the world or the biggest tax scam in the world, and we know which one it is.” President Obama gives us an idea of the ridiculous proportions that tax evasion has reached in this quote. Major companies and rich individuals evade home taxes by transferring massive amounts of revenues to offshore centres and tax havens where little or no tax is levied (this is often accompanied by a banking secrecy principle). Bleak growth forecasts, angry taxpayers and skyrocketing unemployment have broken the governments’ silence on tax evasion. Additionally, poor economic growth forecasts, investment fraud and Ponzi schemes have further channelled public anger and outrage towards doubtful banking practices. The opacity and secrecy of the Cayman Islands, Andorra or the Virgin Islands banking systems – renowned tax havens – provide ideal sheltered banking environments allowing tax fraud and Ponzi schemes to take place, out of the reach of European and US fiscal authorities and regulators.

Although it would be farfetched to hold tax havens responsible for the financial crisis, it is the morality and sustainability of opaque banking systems that come into question here. These small states that have found a niche market in offshore banking, shrouded in secrecy, are the embodiments of financial practices that are part of what went wrong on Wall Street. Perhaps you could call this the ‘Madoff effect’. As the world faces a recession, questions about financial practices abound. In the face of populist outrage and the noncooperation of tax havens, governments are taking action to ensure that integrated financial markets and banking do not translate into immoral tax evasion. Furthermore, those lost tax dollars are needed more than ever – and no one knows that better than the new US administration, whose budget deficit will set new records. As Senator Dorgan puts it: “Americans were told you have to pony up some money to help these companies. And it’s rather infuriating for them to find out now that those companies, when they were profitable, didn’t want to pay taxes and found clever ways to hide their money overseas.” The US government attacked UBS, the Swiss bank, accusing it of having deliberately attracted rich taxpayers from the US to deposit funds within its bank and thus evade taxes. France and Germany have also put pressure on Switzerland and other European tax havens to cooperate when researching tax evaders. If no improvement was observed during the G20 Summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy

had threatened to quit his position as Andorra’s co-Prince, shaking a tradition that dates back to 1278. As much as the financial crisis is doing immense harm to our economies, it has at least served one good purpose: revealing and perhaps putting an end to these shameful practices, that are nothing less than outright theft from our nations’ budgets. To believe that this is the end of tax heavens would be naïve. National sovereignty remains; states are free to set their tax policies. What can be done is preventing them from turning their low levels of taxation into lucrative businesses. Further progress was a topic at G20. But even if some give in, others remain and will keep attracting companies and individuals who want to avoid paying tax. Should tax havens agree to cooperate significantly with the U.S. and European countries, and it seems that most will, outrageous statistics might decrease, with a reasonable amount of money either recovered or prevented from flowing offshore in the future. ■

Ponzi scheme? Madoff? U.S. Citizen Bernard Madoff is a former businessperson who was convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme (fraudulent investment) that has been called the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single person. Source: wikipedia.org

| MIGRANTS |

Keep the doors open! Migrants as agents for development through the global economic crisis

UN Photo/Tim McKulka

times of economic crisis. The decline in remittances is likely to be felt in three areas: asset building (e.g. acquiring a home, a business, an education, or savings for retirement), poverty reduction and the multiplier effect (an economic effect whereby spending and consumption produces income and money flow through the local community) of local purchases by recipients. Reduced remittances from migrants to their home communities induce more risk and possibility of hardship in communities dependent on such income sources.

Above: United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan. Members of the Ambororo nomadic tribe in south Darfur waiting for transport and resettlement coordinated by the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to the Blue Nile State. The International Organization for Migration is arranging transport for vulnerable members of the group and the World Food Programme is distributing medicines and food. Location: Juba, Sudan.

workers are usually the first to lose their jobs in times of economic downturn. For migrants already residing abroad and for newcomers, it will be more difficult to secure employment, even on a casual basis.

Lana Oh, intern at UNDP in Brussels, EC‐UN Joint Migration for Development Initiative

he global economic crisis may possibly have a dramatic impact on the lives of migrant workers and developing countries. There are several aspects of the economic downturn that are likely to impact migration and development. First, the crisis is deep and synchronised around the world. There is a marked contraction in advanced and emerging economies, and migrant

A direct result of migrants’ increasingly precarious situation is the expected decline in remittance flows (i.e. the money that migrant workers send back to their families in their countries of origin). The World Bank recently lowered their remittances forecast for 2009 “to $290 billion in 2009, from last year's high of $305 billion.” Remittances are critical to varying degrees in different developing countries. For example, World Bank data indicates that remittances contribute around 45% of GDP in Tajikistan, 38% in Moldova, 11.6% in the Philippines and 9% for Morocco and Senegal. They are also an important source of income for families in the developing world and especially vital in their ability to enable consumption during

Secondly, demand for exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and overseas development aid (ODA) are expected to decrease, or at least come under pressure. According to the Overseas Development Institute, many developing countries' economies are still growing but forecasts have been lowered recently. For countries that are heavily dependent on FDI and aid, there is the potential for a reverse of growth that occurred over the last decades. From a rights-based perspective, there is concern that migrants residing abroad may face increased hostility with the potential to lead to conflicts. Migrants abroad may face fewer employment opportunities and may encounter greater discrimination and stigmatization. Additionally, as countries tighten their regulations and as anti-immigration sentiment and xenophobia rise, more migrants may be forced to shift to the grey economy. As a result, this will lead to more undocumented migrants, unsafe migration and an increased possibility that migrants would find themselves in situations that either put them at risk or make them more vulnerable. The global economic crisis presents risks and challenges but it also presents the opportunity for a

Above: Internally Displaced Families in Timor‐Leste Return Home. Some of the hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons return to their pre‐conflict homes throughout Timor‐Leste with the assistance of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the International Organization for Migration; and the Formed Police Unit of the United Nations Mission in Timor‐Leste, and the National Police of Timor‐Leste providing security on the road. Location: Dili, Timor‐Leste. Below: AIDS. Construction workers in Thailand are mostly seasonal migrants from poor rural areas who spend months each year away from home. This unsettled lifestyle encourages risky sexual behaviour and sometimes drug‐taking, making migrant workers especially vulnerable to HIV. They account for a high proportion of Thailand's AIDS cases to date. Location: Thailand.

UN Photo/Diez

number of mitigation actions to be taken by host and origin societies and governments. In countries of origin, approaches to alleviate economic hardship as a result of the crisis can focus on financial literacy. For example, The Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C. implemented a financial literacy project using USD$80,000 to reach 25,000 people, convincing 5000 people to mobilize USD$1000 deposits into microfinance institutions. The crisis may be an opportunity for migrants to re-examine their remittances and ensure that recipients use them wisely. For host societies, communities and civic groups can challenge the stigmatization of migrant workers. If migrant return programmes are implemented by governments, these should ensure that migrants are given proper and adequate assistance to return to their countries of origin and that migrants are treated with dignity throughout the process. In developing countries, where the impacts of the crisis are felt the hardest, governments and NGOs should aim to provide migrants with adequate social protection and provide unemployed migrants with access to services and skills training to improve their chances of finding employment. Ultimately, the impact of the crisis on migrants will likely depend on how severely it affects the sectors in which migrants work and how long it lasts. Governments can play an important role in minimising the effects of the crisis by not shutting their doors to migrants and refraining from initiating migrant return programmes. Such measures risk making the crisis even worse, depleting economies of productive workers. ■

UN Photo/Martine Perret

| MIGRANTS |

To learn more about migration, development and remittances see: • The EC-UN Joint Migration for Development Initiative. www.migration4development.org • UNDP. “The Potential Role of Remittances in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals – An Exploration” Downloadable here. • United Nations Development Program site on Migration and Development. • The World Bank site on Migration & Remittances.

| EUROPE |

The Financial and Economic Crisis: A European Response

Ian Dean, intern at the ILO in Brussels

n summer 2007, a crisis began in the financial sector. Beginning with Bear Stearns in the US, banks began to fail. Lending dried up. Governments intervened. Now the crisis has spread to the real economy, evolving into a decline with very immediate and serious consequences for the people of Europe. The European Commission predicts that overall employment in the EU will contract by 1.6% this year – that’s a loss of some 3.5 million jobs – and unemployment in the EU could reach 10% in 2010 for the first time since the 1990s. The UN agencies are working with the EU to try to find effective policy responses to the crisis. Through their representations in Brussels, the UN, including the ILO, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNEP and more, is engaging with policy actors in the European Commission and other European institutions to ensure that, in particular, the social and developmental dimensions of the crisis are not overlooked. Why are the social and developmental dimensions so important? Already we have seen that as the crisis broadens and

deepens, the effects on individuals through job losses, financial difficulties, inflation or deflation, are beginning to be felt. In such economic circumstances, risks of rising unemployment, poverty and violation of decent working practices are heightened. This is why the ILO is seeking a global response to the crisis that accords with the Decent Work Agenda , and one that supports a fairer globalization. Responses to the crisis must not be piecemeal in nature and rolled out temporarily, only to revert back to “business as usual”. The challenge now is to respond to the current crisis by putting in place measures that pave the way for a sustainable pattern of growth and development for the future.

Responses to the crisis must not be piecemeal in nature and rolled out temporarily, only to revert back to “business as usual.”

as quickly as possible. There is also talk of revision of regulatory practices, with the European Commission pushing for harmonised regulation across all member states, following the recommendations of the De Laroisière report. The European Commission’s European Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) released in November 2008, details policy responses, at both the EU and Member State level, to ensure both short-term recovery and long-term sustainability. The ERP recognises the challenges inherent in the current crisis, particularly the pressure for businesses to make redundancies in response to shortterm falls in demand or access to credit, and advises that greater flexibility in working time arrangements and enhanced employment services could help. The plan also details a “European employment support initiative,” including simplified European Social Fund (ESF) criteria, in order to help support those who have lost their jobs, particularly the low-skilled, through retraining, counselling, apprenticeships, and subsidised employment. In the longer-term, the plan looks to the emerging Green Economy in its investment plans for sustainable growth – which is in line with ILO and UNEP joint proposals on Green Jobs . However, the EU’s own contribution to the plan represents only 1% of total EU GDP. If the plan is to yield results, a coordinated, integrated and coherent approach from all the individual member states will be essential.

Initial Response to the Crisis

Developments

Support to the banking sector has been the cornerstone of both national, and European, responses to the crisis. Whilst it may be tempting to criticise the supposed ‘reward for failure,’ it is essential that banks are supported and encouraged to resume normal lending programmes to ensure that the flow of credit, upon which so many businesses depend, resumes

The G20 summit in April, as predicted, saw more power and resources awarded to the IMF, to allow greater international monitoring of the global financial system, and swift and flexible action should member states experience balance of payments difficulties. The impact of the crisis on developing countries was also examined, with the European Council (in its Presidency Conclusions, 19/20

| EUROPE |

March 2009) calling for the G20 to honour commitments to increase development assistance, and reaffirm their commitment to deliver on the Millennium Development Goals and work towards a Global Charter for sustained economic activity. The European Commission has also proposed an Employment Summit, to be held in May 2009 involving European institutions, the troika and social partners, to establish a new consensus on how to modernise social policies to the mutual benefit of employees and employers. The ILO will continue to engage with the Commission to ensure that the forthcoming Summit is productive, as well as other internal and external EU initiatives, in line with the Decent Work Agenda. It is still too early to predict the effects of these responses to the economic crisis, and it seems certain that the worst effects for individuals are yet to be felt. What is clear is that tackling the social effects of the financial crisis is an integral part of the European response, and that UN agencies will continue to ensure that it remains so, even after the ‘green shoots of recovery’ have been seen. ■

The crisis in the UN news recently IRAQ: In few nations around the globe are the consequences of the financial crisis as potentially sobering as they are in Iraq. Both oil revenues and American financial support have plummeted just as the country has the chance to take advantage of its increasing stability to improve basic services and upgrade its ruined infrastructure. UNESCO: A new UNESCO analysis highlights the potential impact of the economic downturn on internationally agreed human development targets. The document estimates that reduced growth in 2009 will represent 20 per cent of the per capita income of Africa’s poor -- a figure that dwarfs the losses sustained in the developed world. The findings also highlight wider human-development impacts, including the prospect of an increase in infant mortality. SIERRA LEONE: The UN Special Court for Sierra Leone, which leads the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, is in dire need of money. From May next, the court risks facing a financial deficit. Prosecutor Stéphane Rapp expects the verdict in the beginning of next year and estimates the court still needs $69 million for the period 2009-2010.

Interns’ personal observations on the crisis in their countries New Zealand: “One good thing about the financial crisis in New Zealand is the decrease in reality TV shows about house renovations and investment.” Norway: “Shops are always having sales, and I’m taking advantage of that.” Finland: “There’s less traffic on the roads in Finland – down 2% and there have been less traffic-related fatalities.” England: “Charity shops aren’t getting as many second-hand clothing items to re-sell.” U.S.A.: “People are actually starting to ride bikes in Washington D.C.”

Right: Secretary‐ General Meets EU Ministerial Troika Ban Ki‐moon (fifth from left, left side of table) holds a meeting with the Euro‐ pean Union Ministerial Troika.

UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Location: United Nations, New York

| U.S.A. |

Alexandra Basha, intern at the UNRIC, UK & Ireland desk, in The second culprit is Wall Street. Reckless borrowing, complex Brussels

very day we are bombarded with grim headlines splashed on the front page of every newspaper; the crisis is impossible to ignore because everyone is affected. Understanding its root causes is essential to solving the crisis and preventing a recession of this sort from reoccurring. The effects of the crisis began to emerge in the United States in September 2008 with failed mergers and conservatorship of major American financial institutions. It has become apparent over the last year that this crisis is not the result of a natural economic process, but a combination of lax rules, bad judgment, greed, and incompetence. Who is to blame for the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? The number one villain is probably Alan Greenspan, the US Federal Reserve Chairman until 2006, who was once called the “maestro” by one of America’s most preeminent reporters, Bob Woodward. Greenspan earned this nickname during his tenure at the U.S. central bank, when he was praised for having contributed to a long period of strong economic growth. Despite Greenspan’s role in preventing the 1987 stock market crash from intensifying and presiding over a lengthy economic and financial market boom, his recent actions contributed to the current economic crisis. His opposition to financial

financial instruments and an unregulated market worth trillions of dollars contributed to the crash. Wall Street leaders sold risky mortgage securities to banks, pension funds and other institutional investors worldwide. The riskiest mortgages turned into moneymaking investments for the leaders of investment banks. They were making tens of millions of dollars a year while the poorest, left in the dark about what was actually happening, were falling deeper and deeper into debt. The credit default swap (CDS) is the centerpiece of the crash of the banking sector. This is a risk saving device that acts as insurance, but even though it was insurance and should have been regulated, it was, in fact, unregulated because of the wording. Instead of using the word “insurance,” which would have meant the government would have to regulate the instrument by law, they used the word “swap.” The leaders of investment banks like AIG, Lehman Brothers, City Group, etc. were supposed to be the most knowledgeable in their field and they were the ones who ended up creating the problem. They chose to benefit by taking on more risk; they made decisions based on pure greed. The third culprit is Bill Clinton. His tenure was characterized by economic prosperity and financial deregulation. During Bill Clinton’s presidency, he repealed the GlassSteagall Act, which was the basis of Depression-era regulation. The Guardian writes “In 1999 Clinton

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

supervision, his decision to keep interest rates very low, and his support for sub-prime lending vehicles caused the housing bubble to form then burst. He even admitted during a congressional hearing in October 2008 that his intuition that financial firms could regulate themselves was flawed.

wikipedia,org

Who is to blame?

repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, which ensured a complete separation between commercial banks, which accept deposits, and investment banks, which invest and take risks. The move prompted the era of the superbank and primed the sub-prime pump. The year before the repeal sub-prime loans were just 5% of all mortgage lending. By the time the credit crunch blew up it was approaching 30%.” He also signed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which freed credit default swaps from regulation. In addition, he rewrote the Community Reinvestment Act, which repealed previous housing laws and added pressure on banks to lend to low-income neighborhoods. In short, the economic deterioration is due to human errors and misdeeds. Alan Greenspan allowed the housing bubble to develop and then burst; leaders on Wall Street were greedy and incompetent; and Bill Clinton loosened regulation. No matter who you personally think is to blame, it is time for the entire world to react, make things right and ensure it doesn't happen again. ■

| BELGIUM |

A poisoned legacy Belgian system is constructed in such a way that the State pays for the pensions of retired workers entirely by taxing the active workforce.

Jonas De Meyer, intern at UNRIC, Benelux countries & EU institutions desk, in Brussels

hereas six months ago the economic prospects were gloomy but hope was still alive, today it is clear that the economic crisis has struck Belgium as well. Luckily, Belgium may benefit from the shelter the Euro one offers and it is surely not the hardest hit among the countries in the Eurozone. Ireland, Spain and the UK are in a much worse state with the first two struggling with the consequences of their inflated property bubbles and the latter kicking the habit of the cheap credit it lived on. In Eastern Europe, countries such as Latvia, Bulgaria and Hungary are due for a bumpy road to recovery.

under the principle ‘last in-first out’ or find it extremely hard to compete for the few jobs that are still left on the market. The Flemish employment service VDAB announced an increase of 31.2 percent more young people without a job in February compared to the year before. It is especially the speed at which this phenomenon is striking that is scary; only five months ago no increase was reported. A strange observation is the significant difference between high and low skilled young graduates; whereas the number of young unemployed with only a high school certificate increased by 13.1 percent, the number of young unemployed people with a university degree climbed by more than 21 percent.

The economic crisis has made Belgian companies use a system of ‘temporary unemployment’ en masse, as the 86.1 percent increase of ‘temporary unemployed’ people reported by De Standard illustrates. The negative economic climate is mostly felt in the north of the country, Flanders, where total unemployment is up by a startling 7.1 percent and job offers are down by 23.6 percent. Brussels and the south of the country have not reported any increase in their unemployment figures, which were already high. But this may change. Among the unemployed are a lot of young people – they are probably those most affected victims by the crisis so far. Recent graduates or young people with little experience are laid off first

Recent estimates from the Belgian High Council for Finances, an advisory board for the finances of the Belgian government, announced that due to the economic crisis the national debt is about to rise from the already high 85 percent to 100 percent of Belgium’s GDP. This not only means that a large part of the future budgets of the state will be dedicated to debt relief, it also means that, once again, this is extremely bad news for young people as the burden of the repayments, the so-called ‘interest snowball,’ will fall on their shoulders for many years to come. This adds to the other burdens that young people were already supposed to shoulder, such as paying the pensions for the huge amount of people that are about to retire. The

Many people believe society now finds itself at a crucial turning point: going on as we have been, preserving the status quo and trying to tackle problems with old-fashioned and outdated responses, or thinking ahead and outside-of-the-box so that today’s and tomorrow’s problems are addressed by durable solutions that take long-term perspective and forecasts into account. A good example of such a solution for today’s economic crisis can be found in the ‘Green New Deal,’ an answer to several crises at the same time, advocated by the United Nations and its SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon since 2008. It entails focusing investments on green innovative technologies, which serve many purposes. A significant expansion of the renewable energy industry (windmills, water and tidal, and solar power) would not only create a lot of durable new jobs, but would also make us less reliant on fossil fuels and thus help combat climate change and provide more energy security. Another effective ad hoc measure of the ‘Green New Deal’ that tackles the financial and climate crises at the same time is investing heavily in the insulation of houses. Once again, it creates new employment and lowers energy consumption that results in gains for the climate as well as the household budget. Green answers are not oldfashioned but innovative, durable and efficient and much needed for the future of our world. That is why Ban Ki-moon advocated the ‘Green New Deal’ during the recent G-20 summit in London. At the end of 2008, former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme had to admit that he had never heard of a ‘Green New Deal’ before. Therefore, it seems that Ban Ki-moon still has some work to do… ■

| DEVELOPMENT |

MDGs: Time for a Plan B?

Ana Teresa Santos, intern at UNRIC, Portugal Desk, in Brussels

he Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are still achievable if we act now. This will require inclusive sound governance, increased public investment, economic growth, enhanced productive capacity, and the creation of decent work." Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General. At the beginning of the new millennium, 192 heads of state gathered at the UN headquarters in New York to sign the Millennium Declaration. For the first time in human history, world leaders of committed countries united to try to end poverty, achieve universal peace and promote human dignity, equality and environmental sustainability. Also, for the first time, eight goals were established and a deadline was set for achieving them. The international community promised to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, but with the world being affected by the global financial and economic crisis, we must ask ourselves if this target is still realistic? In the past eight years some progress has been made: the number of people living in extreme poverty is down by 320 million; there were less than 3 million child deaths from preventable causes, more than 28 million children attending school; and the gender disparity has decreased. Furthermore, access to clean water has improved and the value of international aid has grown from USD$70 billion to USD$104 billion. However, given the current crisis, the scenario is changing for all mankind – and not in a positive way. In developed countries, fiscal pressure and rising unemployment will probably erode public and political support for aid. The international crisis that is affecting markets worldwide, with no end in sight, is affecting the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), strongly dependent on aid, more severely. Moreover, as the economies of developed countries are facing a slowdown, the amount of money available to aid LDCs

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty Target 1.A : Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day Target 1.B : Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people Target 1.C : Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education Target 2.A: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Target 3.A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015 Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality Target 4.A: Reduce by two‐thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under‐five mortality rate Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases Target 6.A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS Target 6.B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it Target 6.C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability Target 7.A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources Target 7.B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss Target 7.C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation Target 7.D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule‐based, predictable, non‐discriminatory trading and financial system Target 8.B: Address the special needs of the least developed countries Target 8.C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States (through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty‐second special session of the General Assembly) Target 8.D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term Target 8.E: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries Target 8.F: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

UN Photo/Mark Garten

| DEVELOPMENT |

Above: Secretary‐General Opens High‐Level MDG Event. High‐level event of world leaders, private sector representatives and civil society partners to discuss specific ways to energize collaboration to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), convened by Secretary‐General Ban Ki‐moon and Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, President of the sixty‐third session of the General Assembly. Location: United Nations, New York.

is expected to decline. The already scarce income of the poor will become scarcer because they are strongly dependent on foreign direct investment and on the strength of more advanced economies. Some early figures produced by the World Bank, predict that more than 53 million people will be trapped in poverty and that there will be between 200 000 to 400 000 more child deaths annually. This year is the first year, since the MDGs were launched, in which poverty at the global level will not be reduced, but will increase instead. This crisis that started in the financial markets of developed countries has a direct impact not only on the economies of the poor, but also on their social structures. International trade is declining and the countries that are strongly dependent on exports are suffering the most. Protectionism seems to have returned, and some countries in the least developed regions just do not seem to be prepared for that. The worst part is that the governments of LDCs are not able to respond to the crisis with fiscal intervention, as other governments are doing in the west. With little money to spend and

to avoid more impact on the economy, governments in the LDCs are starting to make cuts in what they think are the least vital sectors. Education is one of the first sectors to suffer. At a public level, governments stop investing in infrastructure. At a private level, families start to experience more economic hardship and children are forced to drop out of school and start working, which affects the attainment of the MDGs by 2015. Furthermore, these actions have a long-term effect as uneducated children will become adults with decreased prospects, ambition and lacking enough knowledge to raise educated and healthy children. To avoid this contagious effect and to find an alternative plan of action for the MDGs the international community should consider creating a continuous transfer of funds to developing countries, and the fiscal stimulus packages should be implemented at a global level rather than a national level. Furthermore, as it was recently argued at the G20 summit, it is urgent to implement a reform of the International Monetary Fund, and developing countries should have a say in the construction of the new economic framework.

It is also urgent to analyze the progress and setbacks made in the context of the implementation of the MDGs. The international community should examine which actions and tools worked in the implementation of the goals and which didn’t. Only by doing this, will the UN be able to define a plan B to achieve the goals, if not by 2015 then by 2025. What is truly important is that these goals are achieved no matter how long it takes. They should be seen by countries as a way to solve this crisis and not as a burden. Investments in poverty reduction, healthcare and education are tools to achieve economic recovery: a more developed nation is a nation with more capability and know-how to struggle for economic health and to overcome a crisis like the present one. Donors should honour their promises, not just as a matter of principle but because reductions in aid will magnify the negative impacts of the crisis. This crisis is the right time for the international community to show its commitment and determination to change the status quo and create a better world free from poverty; the MDGs are the right instrument to create that world. ■

| CAREERS |

Careers in the UN system

stablishing your UN career is not easy. Having researched this article, it’s absolutely clear to me that there’s no one-stop shop for getting in, but I’m hoping that this article might give you a few quick pointers. If you’re aiming for the very top of the UN hierarchy, start amassing higher degrees and good experience anywhere you can find them. These are political posts, so it wouldn’t hurt to have prime minister as a line on your CV either. Looking at the profiles of the top UN officials on the next page, you’ll see most of them have been senior government officials or diplomats, have doctorates and have achieved something truly impressive in their professional careers. But political posts aren’t the only option, as we all know. UN staff are categorised as G, P and D levels: (G)eneral, (P)rofessional and (D)irector. Because G level positions are locally recruited for clerical tasks and D-level are for older, more experienced professionals, this article focuses on the P-level which is the career level most of us are aiming for – for now. P-level positions cover various job types and a wide range of levels of experience, though advanced university degrees are required in all but the P1 level.

Which category are you? P5: Advance Uni Degree with 13 to 17 years experience • P4: AUD with 8 to 12 years experience • P3: AUD with 4 to 8 years ex perience, under 40 years old • P2: AUD with 2 to 3 years ex perience, under 33 years old • P1: Recent grads that have passed the UN exam, under 33 years old •

Part 1—The Basics

James Morris, intern at UNRIC for the Director in Brussels You can apply for P2 through to P5 positions directly via the UN’s online recruitment system called Galaxy, where jobs are also posted every day. Although I couldn’t find any figures on the number of people that apply for these positions, it seems that hundreds of people apply using this system. Jobs on Galaxy are usually online for 2 months. You’ll also see that there are ‘non-specific duty station’ jobs. These are jobs advertised for a roster of candidates, rather than for a specific job. Don’t put all your hopes in the roster basket, though. It certainly happens that being on the roster actually leads to jobs, but it doesn’t happen often. In terms of applying for jobs generally, it is a good idea to do a test application first (i.e. start the application on Galaxy but don’t click ‘submit application’) to work out the logistics of making your application. Check the job advertisement carefully and thoroughly, and in your cover letter make sure you give evidence of how you meet each quality, skill or competence that is required. In Galaxy you’re restricted to a certain number of characters (including spaces) so find out what this is before you write the perfect letter that’s 150 characters too many. Don’t bother with complex formatting, this just disappears in Galaxy, but try simple text formatting texts such as using asterisks or dashes as bullet points, for example. You’ll be asked to fill out a comprehensive ‘personal history profile,’ requiring you to state exact start and end dates and your salary 15

for each position, so have your CV nearby so you don’t forget anything. You also need contact details for someone in each of your previous positions as well as three additional and overall referees that you haven’t already included. In general, it is advisable to write the core texts ‘outside’ of Galaxy in for example Word and then cut and paste the text into the form. Some positions are advertised only on a specific UN agency’s website, and the recruitment process may be through their Human Resources department rather than through Galaxy. However, the process used is usually very similar to Galaxy, using Word document-based versions of the ‘personal history profile.’

Where to look for UN jobs? • www.reliefweb.org • jobs.un.org • icsc.un.org • The website for each UN body Applying for a P1 position is done exclusively through the UN National Competitive, which is aimed at attracting people from countries under-represented among the UN secretariat staff. The exam can also apply to P2 and P3 positions. The exam takes eight hours in total, split into two equal parts, and includes tests to determine your analytical and drafting skills as well as your knowledge of international affairs. Like non-specific duty station jobs, if you pass you go on a roster, so while your chances are slim, it’s worth a shot. Check their website to see if you’re eligible. Another option is the ‘Associate Expert Programme,’ which offers young professional graduates an opportunity to acquire professional experience in technical cooperation of the United Nations Secretariat. Candidates don’t need professional experience and are recruited under

| CAREERS |

bilateral agreements between the UN and the donor countries for development projects, regional projects or regional activities within the UN's wide fields of competence. The programme is thus available to nationals from: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Internships are also a start. Getting to know the UN, having proven experience from the inside and getting to know people in the system are all advantages. Getting to know people keeps you in the loop, and having the guidance and mentoring of a UN professional has its advantages. Going on a mission for the UN or an NGO can also help your

chances, and moreover many UN agencies promote mission experience because of the reality-check and understanding that comes from direct contact with issues that they engage in. Internships are available on missions, sometimes through national governments working closely with UN agencies, so you should check how your government’s getting involved. Also check out the UN Volunteers’ (UNV) website. I started off by saying it’s not easy, and I can’t stress that enough. It seems that working for the UN brings its own trials and challenges, but overall I hear that the experience and exposure you can get is unparalleled. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of jobs, so keep applying, keep checking the job specifications and keep advancing your career. ■

• More information on the

competitive exams: http:// www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/ examin/exam.htm

• Link to a (somewhat outdated) UN

careers booklet available in PDF. (Flick straight to page 33 for information about job opportunities.) unpan1.un.org/ intradoc/groups/public/ documents/UN/UNPAN000153.pdf

• More info on UN volunteers: http://www.unv.org

• Salary information as set by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC): http:// www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/ salaries_allowances/salary.htm

Under-Secre tary-General for Communica tions and P ublic Inform Kiyotaka Aka ation saka of Japa n Deputy Secre tary-General of the Organ for Economic ization Cooperation and Develop (OECD), Japa ment n’s Ambassad Bureau mem or to the UN , ber for the pr eparation of W or ld S um the mit on Susta Official with th inable Devel e World Hea opment, lth Organizat Co-author of ion (WHO) several book s, including T Uruguay Rou he nd Negotiatio ns and The C GATT and the Biosafety, an ar d has also w ritten many ar tagena Protocol on environment ticles on trade and sustaina , the ble developm ent. Education: B .A., Degree in Law, M.A. in Personal: DO Economics. B: 1948, spea ks: Japanese , English and Rights French. High Commissioner for Human ca Afri th Sou of Navanethem (Navi) Pillay Special Rep resentative inal Court for Children Armed Confli Judge on the International Crim and ct - Radhika inal Crim l iona rnat Inte the of t Coomaraswam S iden pe Pres and cial Represe y, nt and at rney Atto iv er e Form fo . r Children an Armed Confli Tribunal for Rwanda d ct th Sou of rt Cou High the of r conveyance Chairperson of the Sri La Africa. nka Human Commission Rights , Special Rap al Nat a's Afric th Sou in porteur on V tice ag prac ai law a t ns star to t an W wom om iolence First en , C ha of irperson for opponents Human Right Province, providing legal defence International s Commission of the Sri Lanka sed Abu the for k C Des entre for Eth , Director of nic Studies in apartheid. Co-founded the Advice summer cour th se at New C Colombo, teac e domestic violence, and ollege Oxfor hes a and ran a shelter for victims of d P U ublished wid niversity ever ely, including y July. other organizations. two books on numerous ar of ter Mas s, Law tic of constitutiona r le helo s Bac , on Arts of r et helo hn Bac n: ic l catio law and studies and Edu Won many aw the status of nce. women. ar Laws, Doctorate in juridical scie American Bar ds Including the Internat ional Law Aw as 1941 ard of the “Deshamanya sociation & the Sri Lank Personal: DOB: 23 September an title of ” of which sh e is the only received such w oman to have a title. Education: B .A, LLM, J.D ., H College, Edi nburgh, Essex onorary PhDs from Amhe rst See part 2 in the next issue on other

iro of Deputy SG - Dr. Asha-Rose Mig Tanzania of First woman in the United Republic of Foreign ister Min of Tanzania to hold position since tion pera Coo l iona rnat Inte Affairs and er Oth 1. 196 Tanzania’s independence in . portfolios also held tings, Senior Lecturer, Chair of various international mee zania 's Law Reform Published widely, Member of Tan rs Commission amongst othe torate in law Education: Master of Laws, Doc aks English, Kiswahili, basic Personal: DOB: 9 July 1956, spe French and German.

routes into the UN system, such as the JPO programme.

| OPINION |

Resolving the financial crisis: A political challenge for the European Union

t is undeniable that the global economic crisis is somehow related to globalization, the growing integration of economies and societies around the world. It is important to note that the globalization phenomenon means that state interdependence continues to grow while borders fade. The economic globalization has already been accomplished in terms of deregulating markets, but the problem is that nothing has been done to counteract the primacy of its own rules and secure social justice (or social welfare) that States provided formerly. So, how can the EU tackle the global economic crisis and provide a successful solution as a collective of individual states?

Manon Malhere, intern at UNRIC, French desk, in Brussels

of people and services, there is a need to better implement measures to achieve the latter two. Second, the economic policy should adopt a competitive policy as well as common policies on regional development, social cohesion and structural adjustment, for example. Finally, macroeconomic policies should be created and restrictive rules should be included. The combination of these three points would create better coordination and ensure a more efficient integrated zone that would bring more social justice. While the EU has struggled to have a coherent and binding economic policy, economic policy reforms have begun; the Lisbon employment strategy is an example. However, these reforms are multiplying without coordination, and as a result, a complicated matrix of procedures has developed, which has most likely halted European market growth.

European Commission

EU: lacking a common economic policy In terms of the economic and monetary union of the EU, let’s first explore its weak points in order to better understand the global financial crisis effect inside the EU, namely the lack of a common EU economic policy. Although efforts have been made to standardize a monetary union within the EU (within the “Eurozone”), the economic policies are less robust. Even though EU policy currently includes the free circulation of capital and goods, and

As history has shown, such Europe-wide economic policy is likely to face strong opposition. Each state has its own social and fiscal system, which is historically and culturally entrenched, and any threat to a state’s economic policies may be, for example, interpreted as a threat to its national identity. It is almost as if economic policy has become the last

Social justice:

Deregulating markets:

Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society. (Different proponents of social justice have developed different interpretations of what constitutes fair treatment and an impartial share.) It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.

Deregulation is a process by which a government's control over businesses and individuals is reduced or eliminated. It is the removal of some governmental controls over a market. Deregulation does not mean elimination of laws against fraud but eliminating or reducing government control of how business is done, thereby moving toward a more free market. One consequence is the risk to the protection of consumer’s rights.

| OPINION |

bastion of national sovereignty in Europe. However, this lack of economic (fiscal and social) policy harmonization at the European level is something that should be changed – it should be more EU-wide because the EU has become so integrated.

It is essential that the current policy be developed to ensure efficient and long-term efficacy. In other words, the EU should act to coordinate the initiative of the Member States to avoid this recession from becoming a depression.

Does the current EU President Mirek Topolanek from the Czech Republic have the solutions?

Many authors, such as Jürgen Habermas, think that European Now’s the time for the EU to act – society should be included in the together construction of such a political The current crisis has forced community as the people are the only the lack of economic policy such as ones who can democratically social and fiscal harmonization issues legitimise the common policies to the fore, and the opportunity and adopted at the European level. They impetus for economic policy-building assume that if citizens become are therefore ready for action. acclimatised to a new, but harmonised The socio-political aftermaths EU political line, governments would be more supportive and open to of the crisis such as unemployment, inclusion of EU-wide economic the reduction of salaries and the reduction of consumption all add to the policies. political challenge that the EU faces. The debate remains largely For instance, socio-political tensions open, but what is certain is that have given rise to severe nationalism, political creativity is needed for the EU which could be exploited to tackle the as a new polity emerges. ■ social dumping. However, while the short-term cost of nationalism would For more information see: Jürgen weaken the countries where social Habermas, Après l'Etat nation, une dumping has occurred, the long-term cost would be unthinkable in this nouvelle constellation politique (Fayard, 2000). globalized world. After all, globalization is continuing without abatement, so a return to nationals acting alone is therefore mostly inconceivable as an effective solution for the future.

SOLUT IONS

Why should the EU act? Regulating the financial crisis towards better social justice requires the EU to play a political role to improve economic and social policies.

Social dumping:

Eurozone:

Social dumping is a practice involving the export of a good from a country with weak or poorly enforced labour standards, where the exporter’s costs are artificially lower than its competitors in countries with higher standards, hence representing an unfair advantage in international trade. It results from differences in direct and indirect labour costs, which constitute a significant competitive advantage for enterprises in one country, with possible negative consequences for social and labour standards in other countries.

The eurozone (officially the euro area) is a currency union of 16 European Union states which have adopted the euro as their sole legal tender. It currently consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

Source: wikipedia.org

| OPINION |

Keeping Businesses Honest

Corporate Social Responsibility, the UN ‘Global Compact’ and their role in the global financial crisis

Ignacio Puente, intern at UNRIC, Spanish desk, in Brussels

n this current financial and economic crisis I am reminded of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s 1999 proposal from the Davos Forum: the Global Compact initiative. This initiative called on business leaders to endorse and embrace, within their own corporate activities, ten core principles derived from universally accepted agreements on human rights, labour, environment and anticorruption. Business, as a primary agent driving globalization, can help ensure that markets, commerce, technology and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere. In order to alleviate the current crisis, many governments decided to come to the rescue of affected companies, banks or multinationals, and injected large sums of money to help them overcome their problems. But how are those companies going to respond to this government assistance? Rather than simply pay taxes as already required, could the ideas of the Global Compact initiative be a way for the corporate world to give back to their governments? This at least seems ethical in terms of paying back the public for their support in order to avoid collapse.

The current measures that the governments are taking in most countries consist, as mentioned above, of propping up the affected companies with taxpayer money. This approach is unsustainable as government monetary assistance is finite, controversial when other essential social services need funding, and lacking a long-term and comprehensive effect. Such absence of a long-term and comprehensive effect limits future economic development. Some experts are proposing a more socially orientated and sustainable model for new economic policies. The current shortterm measures are like feeding a person who doesn’t have resources instead of giving them the "necessary tools" to grow the food. One of these "necessary tools" at the economic policy level is to be more proactive in promoting “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR), the business world’s model according to

the UN Global Compact. This involves both encouraging the idea of CSR where businesses implement social policies such as promoting fair trade products, for example; or for the longer term, promoting CSR to future business leaders by having it as a subject in business schools. A company committed to such principles as expressed in CSR will be more productive, more appreciated by its customers and will continue to attract new customers. During such a crisis, the time is perfect for adapting the standard process and becoming more holistic. CSR could play a bigger role in environmental initiatives, which are popular and have had unprecedented support in order for companies to reinforce the market. I believe that companies who follow these principles will not be the first to collapse in the event of another crisis. And if they are affected, they will be the first to spring back to profitability. ■

CSR? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, responsible business and corporate social performance is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Ideally, CSR policy would function as a built-in, selfregulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure their adherence to law, ethical standards, and international norms. Business would embrace responsibility for the impact of their activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, business would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. Essentially, CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit. Source: wikipedia.org

| TRAVEL |

The preps before check‐in Brussels

Annemiek Verduin, intern at UNRIC, Benelux & EU Institutions desk, in Brussels

“A

journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

I think these wise words of Lao Tzu are applicable to my situation: I am a Dutch intern (but living in Belgium) for the Benelux-EU Desk at UNRIC in Brussels, and in about two weeks I will be leaving for a ‘new internship adventure.’ I will be working at the Belgian embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, for six months. My work will include the representation of Belgium at UNEP, so I will still be a (small) part of the UN family. In this column, you’ll be able to read about my travels, but since this is the first column, this one’s just about my preparations before check-in. A true traveler doesn’t need much, yet he or she is always prepared to leave, but since this is my first ‘grand journey,’ apart from one summer in Russia, I like to keep my to-do list close by at all times. It’s now the length of a short novel. To organize the basic things one needs for moving to the other side of the planet for six months here is my short list: Step one: you will obviously need to book a ticket to your destination; I got mine quite cheap (you are going to want to book very early or very last minute) and with only one stop preferably. Don’t forget your cancellation insurance (especially if you book early) and your traveler’s insurance. Step two: the visa. In most countries you can get your visa upon arrival at the

Nairobi

airport, but it’s better to get one at the embassy before you leave because you might not be the only one who doesn’t have one. I was welcomed by a very friendly lady at the Kenyan embassy in Brussels where I handed her my passport (which always scares me but, hey, I don’t think anyone will steal it at an embassy!) plus a copy of my ticket, and I was able to pick it up the next morning, which I did. For only 40 Euros, I now have a passport with a pretty sticker of the Big Five in it. To sum up: I managed to get all of my vaccinations, medicine (like Malarone) and I got a ‘yellow passport’ (an international certificate that states you actually are vaccinated, obligatory for Kenya), so

theoretically I should be ready to go. But first, I am moving to the less urgent but far more pleasant things to do before I leave, like shopping for a new work outfit, books and sunscreen, visiting family back in the Netherlands and planning a goodbye party in Ghent. In the second week of April, I will be landing at Jomo Kenyatta International and I can’t wait to exchange the Belgian rainy days for Kenyan sunshine. I will make sure I write you from there about life at the embassy and working with UNEP. ■ Annemiek will be writing her next column from Nairobi. Join us in following her journey!

| EMAIL |

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| TIPS |

Searching for a masters thesis topic

Mads Helbo Laursen, intern at FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium

Prior to this internship I thought that my Master’s thesis should involve the EU and have a Danish angle to it (like my Bachelor’s thesis, which was about the changing approach to the EU in a specific Danish political party). I didn’t know that much about the UN system before I started my internship and, perhaps unsurprisingly, my first two months at the FAO office in Brussels have already affected my thesis ideas. It’s been a really exciting experience so far. The director and my other colleagues at the office have been most helpful and willing to tell me more about FAO and the UN system in general. Moreover, I have learned a lot about the relationship between the EU and the UN. I’ve come to realize that basically the EU and the UN are based on the same ideological foundation. For me, it seems it is basically about prudent political leaders who have come together to try to ensure that the relations between their countries are based on international law as

opposed to military power. Nevertheless, I haven’t yet found a specific topic for my thesis, though I have realized that there’s a huge difference between working as an intern at a UN office and writing a thesis that needs to be theoretically based. And it’s all the more difficult to allot time to work on thesis ideas in a city with so many nice places to eat and so many types of beer! However, my first two months at the FAO office have definitely strengthened my ‘gutfeeling’ that my thesis should have an international instead of a Danish focus. I know most of you interns are probably going to write a Master’s thesis soon, so I will just provide you with one piece of advice: a good starting point could be the great number of UN agencies present in Brussels or whichever city you are in. For instance, I know my director often meets students, who are writing their theses and want to know more about FAO. I’ve talked to him, and he said it would be okay to contact him (JoergenMaersk.Pedersen@fao.org), if you feel like writing a thesis about the FAO. Happy writing! ■

UN Photo/John Isaac

ere is a column on my search for a topic for my Master’s thesis! I study political science at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and currently am an intern at the FAO office in Brussels. When I finish my internship mid-July, I will still have another semester at university, and then afterwards, maybe in February 2010, I will start writing my Master’s thesis. So, luckily, I have some time left to find a topic. So far, the

European Union has been my main academic interest and, obviously, it’s the reason I chose to come to Brussels.

Above: Farming for Development: Agriculture in China. Rice fields in Chengdu, Sichuan

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Division in ES CAP: Information and Communication Technologies fo r Disaster Risk Reduction

search for a re Worked uropean te: E institu stitute Bachelor’s degr olicy In p e c a p ee in Political Sc S ience from McGill Un iversity in Cana d in da Intereste t and After McGill sh en m p lo e e went to Vienna dev , . Moved to Bangkok for ifically r c e p an internship fro more s s fo n o ti m a Vienna c ppli sp a ce a ment p lo e ev d eb to gkok: F in Ban ip h s n r Inte 09 May 20

Raphaelle D elmotte, intern at UNESCAP in Bangkok

Morning: I barely use my kitchen because you can find food everywhere. It is much better to buy outside rather than doing it yourself. I have to be at work at about 8. I get up early anyway—We’ve got flexible timetables. And I’m just 5 minutes away walking from the UN! Breakfast: Thais eat rice for breakfast. I don’t. They have a coffee shop with a garden in the UN building. They sell chocolate croissants. Typical French breakfast but the rest of my meals are Thai. I really like Thai food. Arriving at work: All my colleagues start at 8 o’clock as well. I am the only intern. 20 people in my division. Most of the staff are from Asia. My tasks: Work on an ongoing, long-term research project. We are having a committee next week with countries interested in our division. I am helping with that. Research on space policies with countries and disasters. It’s not easy to find data—but we look online for info (space, declarations during conferences, meetings, etc.) Lunch: I meet other interns for lunch. It’s a nice atmosphere. We’ve got a garden with exotic plants everywhere. We have long and relaxed lunch breaks: normally 45 minutes. Interns are not rushed or stressed. Most are from the various divisions in the same building. After work: I finish at 4: 15. I meet with my Thai friends, go shopping. Shopping is great when you know where to go. First I went to places where foreigners go but it’s expensive. Then I tried the market which was chaotic. I find most of the stuff at a place near the university , which is nice and you can bargain sometimes. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been influenced by the Thai look which is very elegant, and they love to accessorize. The guys are quite European, western style.

W e hav e yoga classes at the o ffice. 3 e uros for an h ou of yoga r and half .

Thai food in Paris and food in Thailand are completely different. Thai food has a lot of different herbs. If they cook rice, many different ingredients. Much spicier here!

h: Favorite dis ed in a ok . Food is co ce ri y k ic every Mango st put sugar in ey th d an k without big pan ourful (I as av fl y er V dish. chili) pepper and

Photos of Thai sights by Raphaelle Delmotte

I was s urprise d that are few there st though aff meetings , there a re for the upcom more now i ng commi ttee...

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Protests happen often next to the UN building. The peak of the protests was November. Our entrances were blocked.

Tanya Koch, intern at UN Information Services in Bangkok

Lunch in the cafeteria: 60 cents Indian and Western food: 3 euros Dinner: 2 euros

The interns and consultants all meet on weekends and evenings as well. I go out at least once a week to dinners with my colleagues.

The Thai atmosphere is quite quiet, laid back, easy going.

Morning: I take the local bus in the mornings. I have the choice to take the bus with or without air conditioning. It takes 45 minutes to travel 5 kilometres. Traffic is quite annoying. It is supposed to be one of the cities in South East Asia with the least amount of traffic but I find that hard to believe. Red traffic lights can last up to 10 minutes! Working hours: I start my day working on the headlines which takes about 30 minutes. I then start working on the internal headlines where I monitor the biggest Thai newspapers which can be found online. Thailand has the free-st press in Asia. I’m also working on a project for the Commission Session which will be held at the end of April. This is an external project: a photo exhibition comprised of photos from different agencies in Thailand. Lunch: Lunch time is around noon where 20 to 25 interns (mostly Europeans) meet on the rooftop cafeteria and choose between a variety of Thai and international food. The food is decent and not too pricey. My favorite is the Thai fruit salad and khao pad (=fried rice), very simple. We meet once again later in the day for our afternoon coffee.

Traveling around Thailand is cheap. One can easily travel to islands, national parks, rainforests,… Because of the heat & noise in Bangkok it is nice to leave every once in a while.

After work: I leave work around 5. I don’t have a kitchen at my place, but I’m never more than 200 metres from food. The apartments are designed without a kitchen because it is so cheap to eat out. It’s their cultural architecture, I guess, and there’s definitely a more communal atmosphere.

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Rio UNIC interns

Mariana Hoeppner Borgerth, Pollyana de Moraes Borges, Mauricio Ribeiro Meireles, Sthephani Moreira Dantas, Izabella Souza da Silva

Mariana Borgerth, intern at UNIC in Rio de Janiero Profile: University student studying journalism, last year at university. From Rio. Intern at UNIC in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Languages spoken: English, Spanish and Portuguese – 99 percent of our work is in English. Leaves: at 1045 for the university by the metro. (The traffic is crazy in Rio.) Takes 20 minutes to get to school. (1 euro for one metro ticket. 1.60 in the local currency – Reais.) Gets to work by 1pm and leaves by 5pm. Starts work: with making notes, a report in English talking about activities such as where the SG is, movements of officials etc. Translates this into Portuguese. Starting to think about new projects. “When we started it was really close to Carnival, and we all went as a UN group – to promote a Brazilian campaign.” After work: depending on the day, go straight home because lots to do. In the process of organizing four UN events. Every month one of us is responsible for coordinating the rest of the interns. End of the week you need to have some fun as interns and go out. Goals for the future: Wants to work for the UN.

Taking life lightly

Name: Flaminia Fabiano What’s your current state of mind? Really in love with Diana Which living person do you admire most? Paris Hilton because she looks like Alexandra Which talent would you most like to have? Singing and walking in very high heels Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Yeeeeeessssssss” When and where were you happiest? When I was at Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue in NYC What or who is the greatest love of your life? Mommy If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My fingers What do you consider your greatest achievement? Living by myself Where would you like to live? Manhattan What is your most marked characteristic? Friendly, direct, sarcastic, ironic Who is your favourite hero of fiction? Carrie Bradshaw and Homer Simpson What is your motto? “Finchè ce vita ce speranza”

Name: Diana Muccio What’s your current state of mind? Confused about Flaminia’s declaration Which living person do you admire most? Myself Which talent would you most like to have? To be a famous football player to get into male locker rooms Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Santi numi” When and where were you happiest? Last summer in Ibiza What or who is the greatest love of your life? Chocolate If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Turning red when I am embarrassed What do you consider your greatest achieve ment? Successfully making bechamel Where would you like to live? An exotic country What is your most marked characteristic? I am diplomatic Who is your favourite hero of fiction? Superman because he saves the world What is your motto? “Volere e potere”

(Flaminia & Diana are interns at UNRIC, Italy, San Marino, Malta and the Holy See desk, in Brussels) (Bottom photo: Diana, James, Flaminia)

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UNAs: The UN’s ‘fan club’ Are you a UN fan? Have you considered demonstrating your support for this organization by promoting its values and principles but don’t know how? If so, you should seriously consider joining a United Nations Association.

Ana Teresa Santos, intern at UNRIC’s Portugal Desk in Brussels History The first United Nations Association (UNA) was created in the United Kingdom in 1945, immediately after the creation of the United Nations. In fact, the so-called UNAUK was the descendant of the League of Nations Union, a civil society association created in Britain to support the work of the League of Nations and whose work was crucial during the period between the wars. At the end of the Second World War, in the same way that the United Nations succeeded the League of Nations, the United Nations Association succeeded the League of Nations Union. The fact that the Preamble of the UN Charter starts with the words “We the peoples,” contrasted with the Preamble of the Covenant of the League of Nations that began “The high contracting parties,” gave more strength to these movements: the UN was designed to create a better world and to benefit all people living in this world. The organization knew that the support of civil society was essential to its success. The following year, UNAs spread all over the world and the idea

was voiced to create an international organization that would gather all the UNAs of the world. The main aim of this initiative was to encourage all UNAs to work together, which would enable them to spread United Nations values and increase its power and efficiency. The World Federation of UNAs was therefore created in August 1946. Mission and importance As declared in Resolution 137 (II), 17 November 1947, and in Resolution 41/68, December 1986, the UN General Assembly has always acknowledged the importance of the familiarity and understanding of UN ideals in order promote the UN’s work and gain the support of civil society. If the world’s peoples do not have a clear understanding of its activities and objectives, the UN will never be able to achieve the objectives that were defined at the time of its creation. Taking that into account, the UNAs and WFUNA have an important role to play in the United Nations. The UNAs are created to encourage closer relations between civil society and the UN. Therefore, many of their actions include relaying information about the United Nations in collaboration with United Nations Information Centers, media and other organizations. In this way, civil society is always informed about the importance of their participation in UN programs and their impact on the international community. The UNAs are main actors in the transmission and dissemination of information related to the UN, becoming crucial tools for bringing the UN, civil society and the population of member states together. Due to its relevance, WFUNA has consultative status in ECOSOC. And it also participates in other agencies, funds and programmes of the UN's system (UNESCO, FAO, UNICEF, Global Compact, etc.). The participation of these Associations in the work of the United Nations is an indicator of transparency in the relations between civil society and the

Organization. WFUNA also works continuously with the Department of Public Information and other parts of the UN Secretariat to reach its main objectives. Since 2000, WFUNA has made a commitment to mobilize its support in civil society in order to make the Millennium Development Goals achievable by 2015. In many developing countries, UNAs have played a crucial role in UN field missions, serving in these missions as the major link between local populations. They are also platforms for discussions on UN reform and development issues, giving a voice to the world’s peoples. In fact, all the activities organized by a UNA have always had the objective of supporting the principles and programmes of the UN and contributing to the elaboration of the UN’s agenda. In this way, the UNAs try to create a stronger and more universal UN and give the world's peoples a louder voice. How to become a member? As Ban Ki-moon declared in May 2007: “The UNAs show us that the UN agenda is everyone's agenda, and that the matters that worry the UN worry every human being.” So if you are interested in the work of the United Nations, and want to do something to support its principles or if you would like to see a stronger UN, one way is to become a member of your country’s UNA. By becoming an active member of a UNA you can make a difference. You can find a list of all the 108 United Nations Associations spread all over the world and their contacts on the WFUNA site: www.wfuna.org. ■

The economic crisis crossword

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N! IN WI W N I W

We want to feature your artistic side. Send us a photo, cartoon, drawing or any kind of artistic talent that we can publish in Internal Voices and we’ll publish the best in the next edition — that’s the prize! internalvoices@unric.org

Sudoku Across

4.Not profit (4).

3.Chemical element 'Au' (4).

5.A person or group whose function is to monitor the practices of companies providing a particular service or utility (8).

7.The state of being no longer employed because there is no more work available (10). 8.Owned by a person or company (6). 13.Handout - Sweetner (5). 14.Exchange of a less liquid asset with a more liquid asset (11). 15.United Kingdom Chancellor (8-7). 20.Emolument (12). 22.Downturn (7). 23.A person who pays taxes (8). 25.A fixed regular payment (4). 26.A Nicer Sun (anagram) (9). 27.From Greek 'monos'; alone or single + 'polein', to sell (8). 29.Savings? (11). 32.The general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time (9). 33.Depression (9).

6.Explains prices and quantities of goods sold and changes thereof in a market economy (6-3-6). 9.Occupation (3). 10.Systemic risk - Tango Icon (anagram) (9). 11.The cause of the Financial Crisis? (7-9). 12.Lower limit - Beginning (9). 16.Owners of shares in a company (12). 17.Financial Plan (6). 18.Discount - Introduce (anagram) (9). 19.Pay in (4). 21.The funds or revenue of a government (8). 24.The study of the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services (9). 28.Make the best or most effective use of a situation, opportunity, or resource (8). 30.Levy (3). 31.Cost (5).

Down 1.Author of 'Das Kapital'; (4).

For the solution, go to

2.Money lending (4).

http://internal-voices.blogspot.com

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CORNER

How to save money—and the planet! In the spirit of the Secretary-General’s and Al Gore’s urgent calls to green the economy, here are a few tips that can help you green your own intern budget and still have a great time! Food and drinks: But ve drinkable tap water. Many countries don’t ha the on ct ly have an impa buying water will not on y 1, 5 money as well. If you bu ur yo on t bu nt, me on vir en ernship, ring your six months int liter of water per day du er 150 Euros. A water purifi this will easily add up to per r filte ro eu 5 a ed ne (it will costs around 18 Euros end sp you with 100 Euros to month), which will leave the ve sa same time you will on cooler things! At the bottles! c environment 168 plasti d y grown organic fruits an You can often buy locall if e se d an k ec ble price. Ch vegetables at a reasona local the ort pp Su a. are t in your there is a farmers marke s ion environment from emiss producers and save the In s. food over long distance caused by transporting les from fresh fruits and vegetab Brussels, you can buy ve a Ha p! and it’s also chea local Belgian producers, . look at www.julienne.be

Clothes: In most places (whe rever you are) you can markets. Instead of doing your shopping find fleain chain stores, spring is th e perfect time to pe rsonalize your style at the flea-mar kets. In Brussels, go to the Place du Jeu de Balle. Th ere are also great vintage stores in the area – stay chic and green!

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Home: A short-term rented room can be a bit dull, so if you want to spice up your place, check out www.junkk.com and get ideas on how you can renew your room and recycle at the same time. Without spending much money! Exercise: Most big cities have excellent parks. Save mon on an expensiv ey e gym-membe rship and go fo in the park inst r a run ead. Or just take a walk through city. It’s a grea the t way to explor e your new neighborhood and burn calorie s at the same tim 30-minute run will burn 330 ca e! A lo ries, and just a minute walk will 30burn 150. This gives you the opportunity to try out more of the Brussels that m lo eans more Leffe cal cuisine. In and a little mor that darn good e of chocolate!

Activities: new city, rent a tseeing in your gh si go ve the to t an w If you s trip. You will sa d bu a on g in go bike instead of cise. You can fin d get good exer an t en nm ro vi en s. For Brussels in most big citie nt re r fo es cl cy bi rg. t www.provelo.o interns check ou but in most quite expensive, be n te of n ca during the Concerts d free concerts fin n ca u yo s can go to big citie In Brussels, you . er m m su d an the next free spring ia.com and find an sm el ss ru .b www rn friends! ith your new inte w y jo en to t en ev

enjoy !

Sidsel Thorsteinsson, Viivi Erkkilä and Maria Erdal Askim, interns at UNRIC’s Nordic Desk in Brussels

www.coolplanet2009.org

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Who’s been shaking Ban’s hand in April?

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shaking hands with: (1) with Hillary Rodham-Clinton, United States Secretary of State. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe] (2) with François Fillon, Prime Minister of France. [UN Photo/Evan Schneider] (3) (receiving a copy of the 2008 Millennium Development Goals progress report presented) with Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lao People's Democratic Republic. [Eskinder Debebe] (4) with Choummaly Sayasone, President of Lao People's Democratic Republic. [Eskinder Debebe] (5) with Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy. [Evan Schneider] (6) with Bernard Kouchner, Minister for Foreign Affairs of France. [Evan Schneider] (7) with Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). [Evan Schneider] (8) with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain, as Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), Prime Minister of Turkey. [Evan Schneider] (9) with Michèle Duvivier PierreLouis, Prime Minister of Haiti. [Eskinder Debebe] (10) with Michael Spindelegger, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria. [Evan Schneider] (11) with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia. [Evan Schneider] (12) with Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea. [Evan Schneider]

Did you know?! This year is International Year of Reconciliation, International Year of Natural Astronomy, International Year of Human Rights Learning and International Year of Natural Fibres. UN Observancesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming up! UN Global Road Safety Week (23-29 April), Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories (25-31 May)

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World Book and Copyright Day (23 April), World Press Freedom Day (3 May), Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War (8-9 May), International Day of Families (15 May), World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (17 May), World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May), International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May), International Day of UN Peacekeepers (29 May), World No-Tobacco Day (31 May), International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (4 June), World Environment Day (5 June), World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June), World Refugee Day (20 June), United Nations Public Service Day (23 June), International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June), United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June)