THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS: THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE (05/13) 28 January-3 February 2013 (and beyond) This document is for planning purposes only and is subject to change. Please check also our website for latest changes http://www.unric.org or call + 32 476 215 485
VIP Visits
The UN Secretary-General: Addis Ababa (28 Jan.); Kuwait City (30 Jan.).
Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development: Addis Ababa (till 30 Jan.), Monrovia (31 Jan1 Feb.).
Jacqueline Badcock, UN Deputy SRSG, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, UN Assistance Mission in Iraq: Brussels (28 Jan.).
Moncef Marzouki, President of Tunisia: Brussels (30 Jan.).
Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States: Brussels (30 Jan.).
Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response: Kuwait City (30 Jan.).
Hassan Sheikh Mohammud, President of Somalia: Brussels (30-31 Jan.).
Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning: Brussels (4 Feb.).
Jeffrey D. Feltman, UN USG for Political Affairs: Brussels (4-5 Feb.).
Thomas Gurtner, Humanitarian Coordinator and UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative, Republic of Chad: Brussels (7-8 Feb.).
General Oki Mahamat Dagache, Special representative of the President of the Republic of Chad for Humanitarian Affairs: Brussels (7-8 Feb.).
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Monday, 28 January Council of Europe: Data Protection Day
http://hub.coe.int/web/coe-portal/event-files/our-events/28-january-data-protectionday?dynLink=true&layoutId=389&dlgroupId=10227&fromArticleId=
Addis Ababa: Summit of the African Union: “Pan Africanism and African Renaissance� (till 31 Jan.). The UN Secretary-General will attend and Commissioner for development, Andris Piebalgs, will represent the European Union. The EU Commissioner will also attend the signing ceremony of the Peace and Security Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, with the UN Secretary General. Brussels: -Agriculture and Fisheries EU Council (till 29 Jan). - Commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day in the European Commission. 15:00-16:00, Central piazza. http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/news-events/events/20122012holocaust_en.htm - European Parliament - "European Parliamentary Week on the European Semester. - High-level conference on "Smart Grid Standardization achievements". http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/events/20130128_smartgrids_standardization_en.htm
Dublin: Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum, EU Informal Meeting (till 29 Jan.). Geneva: -Committee on the Rights of Child (till 1 Feb.). - OHCHR - Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (till 1 Feb.). -Conference on disarmament (till 28 March). -Annual WHO Executive Board meeting (till 29 Jan.). New York: The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will elect its President and other members of its Bureau for 2013. Information on the new Bureau will be posted on the ECOSOC website after the election. http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/index.shtml - Committee on NGOs (till 30 Jan.). Tokyo: UNU Conference on Earth System Governance (till 31 Jan.).
Tuesday, 29 January Addis Ababa: donors’ conference on Mali. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/diary/index_en.htm Brussels: - High Level Conference to discuss the findings and policy recommendations presented by the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN). The RAN try to identify and help individuals who risk becoming radicalized and committing violent acts. Venue: Egmont Palace. The working papers and the discussion papers for the High Level Conference are already available. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/ran-high-levelconference/index_en.htm
-European Parliament -Hearing on the recognition of the Palestinian State. http://www.guengl.eu/showPage.php?ID=11203&ROOTPAGE=&LANG=1&GLANG=1
-Responsible Investment Summit. -Women, Peace and Security: EU and NATO priorities. 19:00-20:30. Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU. New York: -Security Council – Briefing and Consultations on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). -Security Council - Consultations on the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the Middle East (Syria).
Wednesday, 30 January Brussels: -Global Cyber Security Conference. http://www.security-round-table.eu/conf_conference_cyber13.php
- EU-India Ministerial meeting. -European Parliament - Press Point by President Martin Schulz and Ike Ekweremadu, speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eplive/en/other-events/video?event=20130130-1430-SPECIAL
Kuwait City: Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria. The UN Secretary-General will chair the high-level International Conference. EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva will attend too. New York: Security Council – Briefing and Consultations on the Rule of Law.
Thursday, 31 January Brussels: -Meeting of Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). -EU Parliament - developments in the Horn of Africa: Discussion with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. - Presentation of first joint EU drug markets report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol. The report will be available at www.emcdda.europa.eu/events/2013/drug-markets
-“Bringing Divided Communities Together – sharing the experience of the EU PEACE programme", to highlight one of the EU interventions in peace-building , the EU PEACE Programme in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland. For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/peace/index_en.cfm
Monrovia: Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the future of the development agenda after 2015 – hosted by co-chair President Sirleaf Johnson. EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs will attend the meeting (till 1 Feb.).
Friday, 1 February Republic of Korea assumes the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council
Dublin: EU Defence Seminar. It is anticipated that this seminar will explore the relationship between the EU and the UN and other regional organisations engaged in international peacekeeping and crisis management operations under UN mandates. Contact: donal.bergin@defence.ie
Munich: 49th Munich Security Conference (till 3 Feb.). http://www.securityconference.de/Home.4+M52087573ab0.0.html
And beyond: Other dates to pin
4 February World Cancer Day [WHO]
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_cancer_day/en/index.html
Brussels: General Affairs EU Council (GAC). Dublin: COFACE and ICA conference "Vulnerable Families - What can Europe do?" (till 5 Feb.). Strasbourg: European Parliament Plenary (till 7 Feb.). Vienna: International Narcotics Control Board (till 8 Feb.).
5 February Brussels: -EU Commission will propose changes to Anti-money laundering and fund transfer legislation (tbc). -EU Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will adopt a Communication on Cyber Security and a complementary proposal for a Directive on measures to ensure a high common level of cyber security across the EU (tbc). - EU to host a ministerial meeting of the international Support and Follow-up Group on the situation in Mali (tbc). http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-32_en.htm?locale=en -Conference on Climate Change and Food Security. Speakers: Professor Jean Pascal van Ypersele, Vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Professor Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. http://www.unric.org/en/events/28148-conference-5-february-qclimate-change-and-food-security
- Cine ONU Screening of ‘Ping Pong’ to celebrate the European Year of Active Ageing. Followed by a discussion. https://www.unric.org/en/next-screening 6 February International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation [WHO] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/female_genital_mutilation/en/index.html
Brussels: Presentation of the UNHCR report "Mapping statelessness in Belgium". Venue: Belgian Federal Parliament. Dublin: EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) bilateral meetings between EU-US senior officials (till 8 Feb.). New York: Commission for Social Development (till 15 Feb.).
7 February Brussels: EU Council (till 8 Feb.). The European Council will seek to reach an agreement on the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) 2014-2020, building on the outcomes of the last meeting of the European Council in November 2012. The European Council is also expected to discuss trade-related issues. Furthermore, the European Council is expected to discuss the situation in Mali. It will also take stock of developments following the "Arab Spring" and examine the way forward for the EU's policy aimed at assisting those countries that are in transition towards democracy. -Opening night of Syria 'as seen on YouTube'. Exhibition of paintings by Dirk Eelen. Venue: 'The Egg' http://www.eggbrussels.eu (till 10 Feb.). Journalist Rudi Vranckx will talk about the Syrian conflict and the difficulties of conveying the news. European Commissioner Karel De Gucht will speak about the challenges the world and Europe face regarding this conflict. Dublin: Informal meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs (till 8 Feb.). 8 February Brussels: EU Studies Fair 2013 (till 9 February 2013)
www.eustudiesfair.com
11 February UNESCO to kick-start the International Year of Water Cooperation http://www.unwater.org/watercooperation2013/index.html
Brussels: Eurogroup. Dublin: Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation (till 12 Feb.). Geneva: -Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (till 1 March). -Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (till 8 March). Paris: International Year of Water Cooperation - high level event at UNESCO to kick-start the Year. During this event, the winner of the slogan contest will be announced and the official slogan for water cooperation will be adopted. Children and youth will participate in parallel activities on the International Year of Water Cooperation at UNESCO HQ and in the Pavillion de l’Eau of Paris, respectively. The later will prepare a Youth Declaration on water cooperation, which they will present to the participants of the high level event. Rome: IFAD, Governing Council (till 15 Feb.). 12 February Brussels: Economic and Financial Affairs EU Council (ECOFIN). Dublin: Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Defence (till 13 Feb.).
13 February World Radio Day http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/events/prizes-andcelebrations/celebrations/world-radio-day
Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee plenary session (till 15 Feb.). 14 February Dublin: -Bioeconomy Stakeholder Conference (till 15 Feb). -Foundation Forum 2013 (till 15 Feb.). 15 February Brussels: Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) EU Council. Moscow: G20 finance ministers and Central Bank Governors ministerial meeting (till 16 Feb.). 18 February Brussels: -EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). -Competitiveness EU Council (till 19 Feb.). Montreal: ICAO Council (till 15 March). Nairobi: UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (till 22 Feb.). 19 February New York: Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and its Working Group, substantive session (till 15 March). 20 February World Day of Social Justice http://www.un.org/en/events/socialjusticeday/ Geneva: Global Dialogue Forum on the Effects of the Global Economic Crisis on the Civil Aviation Industry (till 21 Feb.). 21 February International Mother Language Day
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengtheningeducation-systems/languages-in-education/international-mother-language-day
22 February Brussels: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy EU Council (TTE Energy).
25 February Brussels: Agriculture and Fisheries EU Council (AGRI FISH) (till 26 Feb.). Geneva: Human Rights Council (till 22 March). 28 February Brussels: -Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs EU Council (EPSCO). -European Competition Forum, with participation of the OECD Secretary-General. Paris: World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +10 meeting and Internet Governance Forum Consultations (till 1 March). --------------------------------------------
UN Campaigns, Competitions, Apps and Games For a more complete list of Competitions, Mobile Apps, Campaigns and Games visit: http://www.unric.org/en/competitions-campaigns-mobile-apps-a-games
Volvo Adventure Competition, 2013 (UNEP)
http://www.unric.org/en/competitions
The Volvo Adventure - in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) - is an educational programme that seeks to reward environmental activities and the decision-makers of the future. To enter, you form a team of 2 to 5 members aged 13 to 16 (at competition opening July 1st 2013). Perform an environmental project in your local community & submit the project The submission deadline is 31 January, 2013
Forests for People: UN International Short Film Contest
http://www.unric.org/en/competitions
Forests for People is a short film contest that invites everyone, in every part of the world, to create and share a personal film about their own relationship to the forest. How it inspires you. Shelters you. Nurtures you. Contributes to your life, or even makes life possible. The submission deadline is 1 February, 2013
22nd International Children’s Painting Competition
http://www.unric.org/en/competitions
The International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment is organized every year by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon Corporation. It has been held since 1991 and has received more than 3 million entries from children (6 - 14) in over 150 countries. The theme of the 22nd painting competition will be “Water: The Source of Life”. The submission deadline is 28 February, 2013 “WORK4YOUTH” photo contest (ILO)
http://www.unric.org/en/competitions
The ILO Youth Employment Programme has launched a photo contest focusing on young people at work. The objective of the contest is to highlight the challenges young people face in the workplace, as well as innovative ideas to address them. Photos submitted by participants should capture youth at work The submission deadline is 15 April, 2013 --------------------------------------------