Commission on the Status of Women, March 2-13, 2009

Over 4,000 women and men are expected to converge on the United Nations in the coming days. The 53rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women will take place from March 2 to 13, 2009, in New York. A few related events start on February 28. The main theme will be “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS” The session will be attended by representatives of Member States, UN entities and of ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world. A "Backgrounder" is available.

This is a Complete List of the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Parallel events to the official UN meetings. Over 200 events are scheduled. Many take place in the Church Center for the UN, while others will take place in the UN General Assembly building.

Here is the Official Documentation of the conference. It includes statements of the UN Secretary-General, which summarize the status and thinking across the UN System with regard to the main topic and related topics, and also statements by selected NGOs in Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council, including, for example, Zonta International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the World Association of Girl Guides and Scouts, the International Federation of University Women and others.

Philanthropy and Global Public Health

Yesterday (February 23) I attended a Preparatory meeting for the 2009 High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council on the theme of Philanthropy and Global Public Health. The meeting explored collaborative opportunities in advancing progress in maternal and girls' health and neglected tropical diseases. The aim was to share best practices and lessons learned and to build new innovative partnerships and alliances to address the Millennium Development Goals. Links to websites of co-convenors of the meeting are available.

It was brought out that half a million women die annually of consequences of childbirth, many from postpartum hemorrhage. That number hasn't changed in a decade or two (but denotes some progress, as the global population has increased). Another 300 million are debilitated by childbirth. The statistics are horrifying; young women, aged 19 and below, are particularly vulnerable.

Excellent papers were prepared before the event, and are available on the UN ECOSOC Website:
Background note:
Leadership for Health: Harnessing Business Skills with Social Needs

Issues note on Improving the Health Outcomes of Women and Girls

and
Issue note on Raising the Profile of Neglected Tropical Diseases

A UN webcast of the event is available. Look for the February 23 Special Event.

President Bill Clinton synthesized the meeting, giving a well-received keynote closing address in which he offered his ideas about the direction of philanthropy in the current tough economic situation globally. His remarks start at about 2 hours 48 minutes and I encourage you to watch.

Academic Earth goes Online

Norman Jacknis, a long-time leader in the Westchester Alliance for Telecommunications and Public Access (WATPA), has shared another great resource.

Academic Earth is an organization founded with the goal of giving everyone on earth access to a world class education. www.academicearth.org It features thousands of video lectures from the world's top scholars and other notable lecturers. Subjects include: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics,
Engineering, English, Entrepreneurship, History, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology and Religion.

In the area of political science, for example, you can watch Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey, lecture on "Russia: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," and Thomas Friedman give a lecture at MIT on "The World is Flat 3.0" Princeton offers a series of five lectures on the global financial crisis, and Yale another six lectures.

What a great way to go back to school, or for high school students to get a preview of college!

Year of Change: New Prospects for America at the UN

The United Nations Association Mid-Atlantic Conference, held on February 6 at the UN, was a great success, with over 600 registered, including from 20 colleges and universities. You can find the Conference program, photos and other details at: www.unasouthernny.org . From the evaluations received it is very likely another conference will be planned for next spring. Click on the photos above to see close-ups.