#undpi

This week, UN DPI/NGO hosted an impressive array of fascinating events and panels on various topics, and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend “Globalization and Sustainable Development: The Role of Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and the Private Sector” at the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium of the UN Headquarters on Thursday, October 31st. There were three panel sessions, each moderated by high-profile and extremely knowledgeable people: Ambassador Tariq Al-Ansari, Chief of Staff of UN Alliance of Civilizations; Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowedhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of UN; and Kelly Wright,  a Fox News anchor. The keynote speakers included a variety of distinguished individuals from the UN and prominent NGOs and for-profit companies.

The overarching theme of the event focused on the new age of globalization in which we currently live. Thanks to technological advances, globalization has not only been enhanced and embraced, but it has also come to represent an age of relationships among governments and organizations that advances security by bringing people together through soft power. As Ambassador Al-Ansari stressed at the event, global society and global citizenship should be “without boundaries of religion or background,” and it’s important that governments, NGOs, and the private sector work together to protect social and universal values. It’s important that all of those organizations work to integrate, rather than fragment, globalization, and they all play vital roles in ensuring sustainability in both the developed and underdeveloped nations. All of the speakers were great, but for me, the most memorable part of the panels was when Ambassador Chowdhury called out the private sector on its obligation to the world. He pointed out that private organizations and corporations don’t have to be mere profit-making machines of capitalism; they, too, are parts of humanity and have a duty to contribute to human progress, just like the public sector does.

Also, right before this event began, I had a chance to sit in on the first few minutes of another event going on, just a few floors above the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, on managing ethnic inclusion in today’s cities in the Economic and Social Council Chamber.

The United Nations Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organizations (UN DPI/NGO) will be holding a series of programs in the last week of October. Interested Rutgers students are encouraged to attend any of these sessions and should RSVP to [email protected]. Please make sure to RSVP at least three days prior to the date of the briefing.

Oct. 29:

1) "Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) National Actions Plans: Meeting the Challenges of International Security"

Time: 11am - 1pm

Venue: Conference Room 7 (General Assembly Building)

2) "The Enforcement of International, Judicial, and Arbitral Decisions"

Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm

Venue: Conference Room 6 (General Assembly Building)

3) "Responsibilities of States: State of Play and the Way Forward"

Time: 1:15pm - 2:30 pm

Venue: Conference Room 7 (General Assembly Building)

Oct. 30:

1) "A renewed Global Partnership for Development and Successor Arrangements for the Millennium Development Goal 8"

Time: 10am - 1pm

Venue: Conference Room 2 (Conference Building)

2) Panel discussion on "International Law and Asymmetric Warfare"

Time: 1:15pm - 2:45 pm

Venue: Conference Room 6 (General Assembly Building)

3) "Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Organs and Trafficking in Persons for the Purpose of Organ Removal"

Time: 1:15pm - 2:30 pm

Venue: Conference Room 1 (Conference Building)

4) Panel on Women, Peace and Security entitled "Boko Haram and Cycles of Violence: Strengthening Prevention Using the Women Peace and Security Agenda"

Time: 4pm - 5:30pm

Venue: Conference Room 6 (General Assembly Building)

Oct. 31:

1) "People-Centered Urbanization. Managing Ethnic Inclusion in Today's Cities"

Time: 9:30am - 12:30pm

Venue: Economic and Social Council Chamber (Conference Building)

2) "Globalization and Sustainable Development: The Role of Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and the Private Sector"

Time: 10am - 1pm

Venue: Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium

3) Lecture on "Effective and High Quality Justice - The Enforcement Mechanism: A Lacking Element of the International Criminal Court System"

Time: 1:15pm - 3pm

What development issues do you believe should be included within the post 2015 development agenda?