In this section of the site we will provide links to news articles of interest.

JUNE 22, 2011:  Qatari diplomat elected as President of next session of General Assembly

An experienced Qatari diplomat who has served as his country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for more than a decade was today chosen by the world body’s 192 Member States to be the next President of the General Assembly.  Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, 57, who was elected this afternoon by acclamation, will succeed Joseph Deiss of Switzerland when he takes over the presidency in mid-September as the 66th session of the General Assembly begins.

Mr. Al-Nasser has been Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York since September 1998 and during that period he has served as Chairman of the so-called Group of 77 and China at the UN, as well as a stint in 2002-03 as Vice-President of the General Assembly and a separate stint as President of the Security Council in December 2006.

March 23, 2011:  San Francisco began vying to become the host city of UN 5WCW through the initiative taken by Emily Murase after she returned from participating in the UN CSW parallel events. After impressive wherases, the resolution (3/23/11) states: “The San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women supports most enthusiastically the hosting of the United Nations 5th World Conference on Women 2015 in San Francisco and urges our Congressional Delegation and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to work with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice so that she may secure the necessary support among UN Member States to bring the landmark conference to San Francisco.” Lobbying now commences through very savvy women with Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. (link to SFCOSW resolution)

 

United Nations, New York: In a meeting chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 30, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that specifically mandates peacekeeping missions to protect women and children from sexual violence during armed conflict. The Security Council also requested the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative to provide coherent and strategic leadership to address the issue.
Read story here.

'Super Agency' Stirs Buzz at U.N. Women's Session:
Drumming Support for Women's Conference
Published by We•news (womensenews.org)
(March 11, 2010)
(click here for print version)

Petition initated in support of a
5th World Conference on Women (Oct. 12, 2009)


UN Security Council Requests the Appointment of a Special Representative
to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict (October 1, 2009)

 

UN Security Council Adopts 2nd Resolution
on Sexual Violence - SCR 1888 (September 30, 2009)

Draft Resolution of SCR 1888

General Assembly authorizes formation of a UN women’s “super agency”
after a 3-year effort by over 300 international NGOs
(non-governmental organizations that help women).
(September 14, 2009)
(See Thalif Dean article September 5, 2009).

The GEAR campaign (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) by the CSW NGOs succeeded!

UN Assembly Votes for More Powerful Women's Agency

UN May Postpone Creation of New Women's Body

New United States delegation appointed to the 2009 UN Commission on the Status of Women