A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) December 2007; Vol. 2, No. 12 Warmest thoughts and Best Wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season from all of us at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) As health workers and educators we have a two-fold responsibility: firstly, to provide equitable access to safe and effective health care and services; and secondly, to provide the necessary knowledge, information and infrastructure that will enable people to take care of themselves and promote their own health and that of their families. To be effective and sustainable, our health policies and interventions, including our education programs, must be based not only on hard scientific and epidemiological evidence but also on people’s personal experience of life and health and their own priorities and constraints. To reduce sickness and death among mothers and children, to promote family planning, to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, to foster the rational use of health services or the social integration of the disabled, to improve nutrition or to control violence, we must be able to influence behaviors, cultural attitudes and lifestyles. In WomensHealthSection.com we have stressed the importance of achieving social and cultural relevance in health work. To ensure community participation, we must build health development on what people know and what they want and are therefore prepared to support in the long run. While maintaining our concern to make safe and effective good quality available to all, we must show our willingness both to learn from others and to share our knowledge and experience with them. Experience is the ultimate teacher. As cultural representations of the human body, time, life, death and disease vary, so do people’s approaches to action, prevention and treatment. Procreation, childbirth, weaning, sexuality, death, disease and suffering are not just private experiences but all have an intrinsic social dimension. The health conditions in which they take place are often determined as much by cultural practices as by biological and environmental factors. The notion of well-being is often understood today in terms of people’s perceptions of their quality of life as individuals and members of society. We must realize, however, that such perceptions are largely shaped by the values and symbolic representations which prevail in any group or culture. Much empirical knowledge, for example on medicinal plants, has been accumulated by various cultures and traditions which we must recognize and preserve as part of the common cultural and scientific heritage of mankind. We take our obligation to society seriously. Culture and Health Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What role the religion should play in public life? What is the impact of religions on the public health policies? Religion & Health: Understanding World Religions is both an art and science. Religion is one of the most powerful and pervasive forces in our world. The religious traditions represent vast and complex developments over many centuries and in countless cultural contexts. Misinformation about religious beliefs and practices, especially those of “other” people, abounds and has a way of perpetuating itself. I believe, perhaps naively but nonetheless firmly, that the world is richer for its religious pluralism, and that it would also be safer if the quest for mutual understanding of that diversity were a higher priority. Religion means being committed to a quest for answers that transcend the appearances of things, but the quality of quest has everything to do with the effort seekers are willing to invest. Meanwhile, one of the noblest and most useful tasks to which we can commit ourselves is a greater understanding of how and why people believe as they do. What people believe – and why they believe it – profoundly influences the way they act. A person with loving kindness and compassion heals others simply by existing. If we have loving kindness and compassion, our prime concern will always be not to hurt others, and this in itself is healing. A compassionate person is the most powerful healer, not only of their own disease and other problems, but of those of others. Developing our compassion also helps us to develop wisdom, especially the wisdom that realizes emptiness, the ultimate nature of the “I”, the mind, and all other phenomena. At the moment, our knowledge is very limited. Our understanding is very limited, as is our ability to help others. The transformation of mind is ultimate healing. We do not view religion in a mechanistic fashion simply because a religious prayer brings forth this desired physiologic response. Rather we believe these age-old prayers are one way to remedy an inner incompleteness and to reduce inner discord. There are many aspects of religious beliefs which have lot to do with the relaxation and peace. I do believe, however, that God, or Ultimate Reality, is far too great for any religious tradition, or all of them put together, to master or dispense; and that each individual who seeks with a sincere heart the center and goal of his or her life will be led to it. Religious beliefs and cultural assumptions are often so intimately intertwined that it is rarely, if ever, possible to disentangle them. All religions strive to control the lives of their members, and thus they play an important role in public life. In view of dangers all societies face in today’s world, religions would do well to remember their humanitarian function and support the growth of a system of ethics that will enable human beings to live together in peace. One Divine Power? Many Concepts of Divinity. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: The Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, Juan Manuel Gomez-Robledo, was elected Chairman of the Sixth Committee (Legal) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 8 June 2006. What is the main business of the Sixth Committee? Most of the issues that the United Nations addresses have a legal expression, so the Sixth Committee is entrusted with promoting the codification and progressive development of international law. That means that the Committee receives all the inputs that are generated in other bodies, like the International Law Commission (ILC), on topics that are ripe to be converted into a convention or other legal instruments. For example, the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) came out of a first draft by the ILC. Then the Sixth Committee took it up and set up a preparatory committee for the Rome Conference in 1997 [leading to the establishment of the ICC]. The Sixth Committee may also take up sources for further development of international law from other places. This year, a new topic in the Committee was to fundamentally change the way justice is administered at the United Nations. The Administrative Tribunal that is entrusted with the task of processing claims of UN staff members against the Secretary-General, for example. This is a tribunal that needs to be reformed, and we decided to hold a resume session on this item in March. How has the Sixth Committee dealt with the issue surrounding abuse in peacekeeping missions? This issue came from the Fourth Committee, which is in charge of peacekeeping operations. In the last few years, there has been a series of complaints about sexual and other kinds of abuse by individual members of the United Nations peacekeeping operations. This prompted the Secretary-General to assign a special advisor on that topic, Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein of Jordan. He identified a problem with this situation: Because people who belong to a peacekeeping operation are protected with immunity, it might be difficult, or almost possible, to prosecute them. Another expert group concluded that we need another convention to allow for mechanisms for prosecuting these people. What is the significance of the new agenda item on “The rule of law at the national and international level”? In his annual report in 2004, the Secretary-General raised the issue of the “rule of law” and said he would use the remainder of his mandate to promote this issue in all UN activities. Mexico and Lichtenstein introduced this item because we realized there was no entity entrusted with promoting a coordinated approach for the promotion of the rule of law. That refers not only to the rule of law at the national level, but also the need to come to the assistance of the Member States when they ask themselves how to better incorporate international law in their domestic systems. An international law does not necessarily become part of a national system automatically. In some States it needs domestic legislation to be put it into practice. Many Member States do not have legal offices in their foreign ministries to perform a basic task like ratifying a treaty. These countries and also bigger ones, including mine [Mexico], might benefit from the help that various UN bodies, organs, programs, etc, can offer, but you need a coordinated approach. In my country we have a clause in our constitution that is a copy of Article Six of the United States constitution, where treaties become the supreme law of the land once they are ratified by the senate. However, that does not tell us anything about the hierarchy of international law with respect to the constitution. A local judge in Mexico may very well deny the value of a treaty if he or she believes it goes against the constitution, as happens quite often in other places, like this country [United States]. Certain Latin American countries have solved this by deciding that Human Rights treaties are above or at the same level as their own constitutions. That is already a big step forward. The rule of law does not mean “état légal.” The Nazi regime or the Franco regime was an “état légal,”, meaning they had laws passed by Parliaments. Among other things, “État de droit”-“Rule of law”-means a separation of powers, so that decisions by bodies like the Security Council are rooted in the UN Charter and international law. The Security Council has been widely criticized because it has not only expanded its scope of action, but it has done so without necessarily basing its decisions in the rule of international law in all cases. For some Member States, strengthening the rule of law means that decisions by bodies like the Security Council that are binding on all States should be much more rooted in international law. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): AIDS Epidemic Update: The 2007 AIDS epidemic update is a report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It includes contributions from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In 2007, advances in the methodology of estimations of HIV epidemics applied to an expanded range of country data have resulted in substantial changes in estimates of numbers of persons living with HIV worldwide. However the qualitative interpretation of the severity and implications of the pandemic has altered little. The estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide in 2007 was 33.2 million [30.6-36.1 million], a reduction of 16% compared with the estimate published in 2006 (39.5 million [34.7-47.1 million]). (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006). The single biggest reason for this reduction was the intensive exercise to assess India’s HIV epidemic, which resulted in a major revision of that country’s estimates. Important revisions of estimates elsewhere, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, also contributed. Of the total difference in the estimates published in 2006 and 2007, 70% are due to changes in six countries: Angola, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. In both Kenya and Zimbabwe, there is increasing evidence that a proportion of the declines is due to a reduction of the number of new infections which is in part due to a reduction in risky behaviors. Because estimates of new HIV infections and HIV-associated deaths are derived through mathematical models applied to HIV prevalence estimates, new estimates of HIV incidence and mortality in 2007 also differ substantially from earlier assessments. It is emphasized that these differences between estimates published in 2006 and those published in 2007 result largely from refinements in methodology, rather than trends in the pandemic itself. Details: http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 12, December 2007, 901-980 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Examining the shortcomings of the ‘liberal peace’ model: A key focus of the project is to explore – and perhaps challenge – the values and assumptions upon which international actors base their peace-building approaches and activities. Although international peace-building activities have a reasonably good record in containing armed conflict, many analysts have argued that they have been much less successful in resolving the underlying sources of conflict – or even that they exacerbate these underlying conflicts. An emerging debate is exploring if the collapse or endangerment of peace processes in recent years – in cases such as Burundi, Rwanda, East Timor, and Afghanistan – might be in part explained by the values of international peace processes which follow the model of the ‘liberal peace’. The liberal peace embraces democracy; human rights; market values and the integration of societies into globalization; self determination; and the idea of the state and citizenship. Most internationally sponsored peace processes can be characterized by these values, which are assumed to be integral to modern, stable societies. This assumption also reflects a broader political wave of opinion. A number of states have placed a great deal of national foreign policy emphasis upon the promotion of democracy as a means for spreading peace within societies and internationally. In some circles, the liberal peace is regarded as a panacea. Details: http://update.unu.edu/issue46_25.htm Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues At the global level Devote sufficient time and at least one full day of the annual General Assembly session to review and debate a report of the Secretary-General on progress achieved in realizing the commitments set out in this Declaration, with a view to identifying problems and constraints and making recommendations on action needed to make further progress; Ensure that HIV/AIDS issues are included on the agenda of all appropriate United Nations conferences and meetings; Support initiatives to convene conferences, seminars, workshops, training programs and courses to follow up issues raised in this Declaration and in this regard encourage participation in and wide dissemination of the outcomes of: the forthcoming Dakar Conference on Access to Care for HIV Infection; the Sixth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; the XII International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa; the XIV International Conference on AIDS, Barcelona; the Xth International Conference on People Living with HIV/AIDS, Port of Spain; the II Forum and III Conference of the Latin American and the Caribbean Horizontal Technical Cooperation on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, La Habana; the Vth International Conference on Home and Community Care for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS, Changmai, Thailand; Explore, with a view to improving equity in access to essential drugs, the feasibility of developing and implementing, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and other concerned partners, systems for voluntary monitoring and reporting of global drug prices; We recognize and express our appreciation to those who have led the effort to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to deal with its complex challenges; We look forward to strong leadership by Governments, and concerted efforts with full and active participation of the United Nations, the entire multilateral system, civil society, the business community and private sector; And finally, we call on all countries to take the necessary steps to implement this Declaration, in strengthened partnership and cooperation with other multilateral and bilateral partners and with civil society. 25 Years of AIDS: A Timeline: http://www.un.org:80/Pubs/chronicle/2006/issue2/0206p06.htm Top Two Articles Accessed in November 2007: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines: A Reproductive Health Perspective; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to World Health Organization (WHO) for the contributions. Placental Abnormalities & Major Obstetric Hemorrhage; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Dr. Yinka Oyelese, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey (USA) for his priceless contribution, support and friendship. News, Invitations and Letters: Peace is a common desire of people throughout the world. The establishment of the United Nations in 1945, at the end of the most devastating war in human history, was an embodiment of this universal desire. Keeping peace and developing friendly relations among nations are among the main objectives of the Organization. To commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples of the world, the UN General Assembly in 1981 officially proclaimed an International Day of Peace, and at its fifty-fifth session decided to observe it on 21 September each year as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The General Assembly also invites all Member States, agencies, funds, organs and programs of the UN system, including non governmental organizations (NGOs), to honor the International Day in creative ways. Each year, it is observed at UN Headquarters with a special ceremony by the Peace Bell, cast from coins donated by people from some 60 countries, where the Secretary-General delivers a special message before ringing the bell, asking people throughout the world to observe a minute of silence and reflect on the universal goal of peace. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon message on International Peace Day: “Peace is one of humanity’s most precious needs. It is also the United Nations highest calling. It defines our mission. It drives our discourse. And it draws together all of our world-wide work, from peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy to promoting human rights and development. On this International Day, let us promise to make peace not just a priority, but a passion.” UNLEARNING CONFLICT BY STUDYING PEACE The University for Peace Comes of Age The University for Peace (UPEACE) has undoubtedly undergone many changes since its establishment. Mandated in 1980 by the General Assembly in accordance with a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica-the first nation to abolish its army-the University called for promoting global peace and tolerance. In 2000, it began offering short-term courses and expanded a few years ago its scholarship to full-length graduate degree programs. In an effort to keep the University apolitical and academic, it was given its own charter and financial independence from the United Nations. However, its staff and students are proud to claim the ethos of the United Nations as the lifeblood of the school. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/issue1/0107p40.htm The UN General Assembly in 1954 adopted resolution 836 (IX), recommending that all countries institute a Universal Children’s Day, to be observed on 20 November, as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It also recommended that the Day be devoted to the promotion of the ideals and objectives of the UN Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The date 20 November also marks the adoption by the Assembly of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the driving force that helps uphold the Convention, has noted that six of the eight Millennium Development Goals relate directly to children and meeting the last two would also make critical improvements in their lives. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s annual report “Note on International Protection”- Report by the High Commissioner While the report noted some bright spots on the horizon with more than 700,000 refugees able to return home last year, broadly positive resettlement trends and an increase in the number of resettlement countries, UNHCR was concerned about the growth of a class of persons becoming “untouchables” for resettlement countries. Full text (PDF, 19 pages): http://www.unhcr.org/excom/EXCOM/46939b882.pdf (pdf) 60th Annual DPI/NGO Conference “Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All” Final Report (pdf) Special Thanks: WHEC thanks The Executive Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations Associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information for their support to our mission. It is indeed our pleasure and privilege to work with everyone. Beyond the numbers… Let the road be rough and dreary; And its end far out of sight; Foot it bravely! strong or weary; Trust in God and do the right. Simple rule and safest guiding; Inward peace and inward might; Star upon one path abiding; Trust in God and do the right.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) January 2007; Vol. 2, No. 1 All of us join in wishing you a successful New Year! It has been quite a ride. Emerging and Surging. Firing on all cylinders, WomensHealthSection.com powered ahead in 2006, at its fastest pace, for over 5 years. The good news is that people love “personal” media. We expect to create more dynamic web-pages in 2007. Is there a place for “user-generated content”? The irony is also philosophical in nature. Power is increasingly in the hands of the users. Think about the blogging phenomenon. Today, digital information about nearly every aspect of our lives is being created at an astonishing rate. The Internet is helping to satisfy our most fundamental human needs — our desire for knowledge, communication, and a sense of belonging. Trend is not destiny, of course. But as a no-nonsense sports writer once wrote during the depth of America’s Depression, “The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong — but that is the way to bet”. We are betting on the Internet-Classrooms because we believe that there is bull market in imagination online. Sophisticated browsers and technologies are simple building-blocks that enable people to produce and distribute content — are critical in this new world. Simplicity is triumphing over complexity. Partnerships with civil society are increasingly important for the United Nations in its efforts to protect vulnerable groups such as the poor. These “vital voices” are very often those of women, who perform invaluable advocacy and service work in numerous human rights fields — combating human trafficking and gender violence or fighting for equal rights, especially in education, health and sports. Collaboration is central to our process. The world must advance the causes of security, health, development and human rights together, otherwise none will succeed. A Time for Renewal Your Questions, Our Reply: How do you see WHEC’s role in the ongoing development of health ethics? Ethics & Health: Nearly all philosophical systems include an ethical component. Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the distinction between right and wrong, and the moral consequences of our actions. Looking at the development of medical ethics from a historical point of view, we see that our Western civilization is based on Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions. Our so-called Western culture is unified by these common roots, which for medical ethics are the Hippocratic writings. Other cultures have different roots — the Chinese and Hindu traditions, for example. The limited contacts between civilizations in the past had little effect on each one’s traditions, culture, and ethical principles. Recent intercultural debates about ethical issues immediately bring to light these differences. In some cultures there is emphasis on the family and the wider circle beyond individual. A great step forward has been the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was developed by the United Nations after the Second World War. Although it is certainly feasible to develop a universal code of ethics, there are substantial differences in values that are dear to each of us, and we do not like others to interfere. In the field of ethics, as with any controversial issue in society or between different cultural settings, dialogue must come first to share ideas and concerns about the issues inherent in the interactions of health and ethics, and to collaborate in devising and applying means of resolving them. The interests of individuals do not necessarily coincide with those of the community — very often the interests of the community are contrary to those of the individual. Such conflict exists and needs to be considered from all points of view to see if it is possible to work out a compromise. In my opinion Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) is doing this very well because there are continually new developments in global thinking in this field. WHEC is well placed to convince politicians and to stimulate the political will for translating this commitment into action. Cultural differences are central in international work — we should always keep in mind that people are different and we must endeavor to understand them. The importance of intercultural debate among like-minded people cannot be emphasized enough. Dialogue, and yet more dialogue, is the way forward. About NGO Association with the UN: First Committee: Disarmament and International Security — As the world stands in the midst of dangers brought on by the nuclear proliferation of ballistic missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, arising environmental concerns and thriving illicit small-arms businesses plaguing all corners of the world, the First Committee convened its session during 61st General Assembly to seek out resolutions to the challenges in international security regime. The agenda that the First Committee is dealing with is a very rich one. It is also an agenda that has not moved according to the means of our times. During the session, reform of the Committee emerged as one of the most visible initiatives. The draft resolution, “improving the effectiveness of the methods of work of the First Committee”, was adopted without a vote. In addressing the Committee’s working methods, texts that are similar in substance were merged. This initiative was especially relevant in light of the fact that there have been originally two draft resolutions on improving working methods: one submitted by the United States, and the other by Malaysia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. After weeks of negotiations, the two co-sponsors managed to unite their divergent draft texts. It was one of the best compromises made between the Non-Aligned Movement Countries and the United States. There was no rivalry, just a consensual merger. In Africa, one of the greatest difficulties in controlling illicit proliferation of small arms is the fact of their easy accessibility to non-States individuals. The First Committee estimates that there are 650 million small arms in the world. About 500,000 people die each year from their use. It is not easy to find a way out; yet the only possibility is that NGOs should try to be more open to proposals, so that window of opportunity can be identified, especially the countries in the middle that are Non-Nuclear-Weapon States or Chemical-Weapon possessors. NGOs can influence countries that need to make specific steps towards disarmaments and advance the agenda by taking initiatives. Summary of 59th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, Unfinished Business: Effective Partnership for Human Security and Sustainable Development can be accessed at: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/webArticles/110206_DPINGO.htm Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): In October 2002, the World Health Organization launched its Ethics and Health Initiative to provide a focal point for the examination of the ethical issues raised by activities throughout the organization, including the regional and country offices, and to develop activities regarding a wide range of global bioethics topics, from organ and tissue transplantation to developments in genomics, and from research with human beings to fair access to health services. Our Activities: work in ethics and health is now carried out by the Department of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights and Health Law in the Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments cluster at headquarters (SDE/ETH). This department is involved in a wide range of ethics activities, both on its own initiative and in response to the needs of other parts of WHO, in Geneva as well as WHO’s country and regional offices. The specific projects, many of which link different departments and involve experts from outside the organization, evolve in response to changes in the field; special attention is paid to issues that overlap work carried out elsewhere in the department on law, human rights, and the effects of globalization. For details please visit: http://www.who.int/eth/ETX_WP_Jan05.pdf (Requires Adobe Reader) Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Ethics in Action — The Ethical Challenges of International Human Rights Nongovernmental Organizations; publication of UN University and Cambridge University Press introduces reflections on dialogues between practitioners and theorists of Human Rights. This book is the product of a multi-layer dialogue between leading human rights theorists and high-level representatives of international human rights nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) sponsored by the United Nations University, Tokyo and the City University of Hong Kong. It is divided into three parts that reflect the major ethical challenges discussed at a series of workshops: the ethical challenges associated with interaction between relatively rich and powerful Northern-based human rights INGOs; and the tension between expanding the organization’s mandate to address more fundamental social and economic problems and focusing on more immediate and clearly identifiable violations of civil and political rights. Each section contains contributions by both theorists and practitioners of human rights. Chapters on — Dilemmas Facing NGOs in Coalition-Occupied Iraq; addresses the challenge of dealing with States that restricts the activities of INGOs. The United Nations University is an organ of the United Nations established by the General Assembly in 1972 to be an international community of scholars engaged in research, advanced training, and the dissemination of knowledge related to the pressing global problems of human survival, development, and welfare. Its activities focus mainly on the areas of peace and governance, environment and sustainable development, and science and technology in relation to human welfare. The University operates through a worldwide network of research and postgraduate training centers, with its planning and coordinating headquarter in Tokyo. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS; “Global Crisis — Global Action” series: We, Heads of State and Government and Representatives of States and Governments, assembled at the United Nations, from 25 to 27 June 2001, for the twenty-sixth special session of the General Assembly convened in accordance with resolution 55/13, as a matter of urgency, to review and address the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects as well as to secure a global commitment to enhancing coordination and intensification of national, regional and international efforts to combat it in a comprehensive manner Deeply concerned that the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, through its devastating scale and impact, constitutes a global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity, as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights, which undermines social and economic development throughout the world and affects all levels of society — national, community, family and individual Noting with profound concern, that by the end of the year 2000, 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, 90 per cent in developing countries and 75 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa Noting with grave concern that all people, rich and poor, without distinction of age, gender or race are affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, further noting that people in developing countries are the most affected and that women, young adults and children, in particular girls, are the most vulnerable Concerned also that the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS will constitute a serious obstacle to the realization of the global development goals we adopted at the Millennium Summit To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in December 2006: Endometriosis Author: Dr. Robert L. Barbieri; Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA) Ethical Issues in Reproductive Health: That Delicate Balance Supported by Educational Grant from Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC). Special thanks to UN — Population and Development Program for its assistance in preparation of the symposium. News, Invitations and Letters: The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): It is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies that promote women’s human rights, political participation and economic security. UNIFEM works in partnership with UN Organizations, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and networks to promote gender equality. It links women’s issues and concerns to national, regional and global agendas by fostering collaboration and providing technical expertise on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment strategies. The UNIFEM Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women is the only UN global grant-making mechanism that supports innovative efforts to end violence against women worldwide. Since it was established in 1996, the Trust Fund has awarded over 7.8 million to programs around the globe in 73 countries. Women’s rights have been repeatedly defined in international agreements such as the Beijing Platform for Action, and while much progress has been made, a continued emphasis needs to be made on keeping these promises. One of the most important references is the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a milestone series of commitments to protecting and advancing women’s rights in all spheres of life that is widely known as the women’s international bill of human rights. By the second half of 2005, 180 governments had become party to the Convention. The Millennium Declaration, product of the 2000 Millennium Summit, calls upon governments to implement CEDAW. UNIFEM’s work on women’s human rights makes consistent connections to rights across its programs, including by ensuring that attention goes first to the most marginalized groups. Protecting women’s rights starts with appropriate legislation that must then be upheld in practice. On 29 January 2007, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) will organize the second annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, with a ceremony from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters. Madame Simone Veil, President of the Foundation Pour la Mémoire da la Shoah and a survivor of the Holocaust, will deliver the keynote address. In keeping with the theme of “Remembrance and Beyond”, the observance will focus on the importance of infusing today’s youth with the lessons of the Holocaust, so that future generations may carry the torch of remembrance, and remind the world of the dangers posted by hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice. A university student will speak on the importance of learning about the education in promoting tolerance and ending discrimination. This observance is being organized by DPI’s Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Program, created in the context of General Assembly Resolution 60/7 in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide. From Seeds to System: The United Nations Charter: It is noteworthy that the United States Senate voted 89 to 2 for ratification, and hopes that the Organization could ensure a peaceful and harmonious future were very high. During this great conference in 1945, the evidence of war was unmistakable. The streets continued to swarm with military personnel, even though the war in Europe ended halfway through the Conference, San Francisco Bay throbbed with the energy of naval vessels preparing to join the campaign against Japan — that war outlasted the Conference. The setting is important in understanding what the United Nations was intended to be. Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States, and Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom were the main proponents of a new start in organizing the world to do better than it had done between the end of the First World War and the outbreak of the Second World War. They wanted to avert a future like that of the past with its sequence of aggressions, the rise of Fascism and Nazism, the plunge into a war that was the greatest man-made disaster in human history, and the collapse of the League of Nations. They were idealists — and they were also realists. They agreed that at the center of the new structure there had to be a great power nexus. At the heart of their plan were the great power policemen working together to maintain a post-war system of security and peace under law. For them, international peace and security was the dominant purpose. They needed the Soviet Union in the great-power core. They also recognized that economic circumstances and human rights were important to their goal, but these were auxiliary not primary objectives. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p18.html Special Thanks: WHEC acknowledges the indispensable work of Dr. Benton Baker III, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas and Director of Graduate Medical Education, in the launch of e-learning publication: WomensHealthSection.com. His invaluable support and friendship to the project is the corner stone of our success. Thanks again for everything. Beyond the numbers… There are three short and simple words, the hardest to all to pronounce in any language, but the man or nation that is unable to utter them cannot claim to have arrived at manhood. These words are — I was wrong.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) November 2007; Vol. 2, No. 11 Hope WomensHealthSection.com touches us in some profound way. It takes you on – for a lifetime. Hungry for an intelligent place in the Internet to go to find good, reliable and thought-provoking information on women’s health, health care and health economics – food for soul? We at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) hope to continue to work in unity with purpose and meet the high expectations of millions of people around the world, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. Only then we have done our duty. Only then we will be able to pass on world safely and securely to the next generation. There are many hurdles to overcome to create a successful, let alone top-notch, publication. You must find writers / editors who share your vision and have the talent to implement, create the syllabus that will stimulate and intrigue the readers, and maintain the office staff capable of executing that perspective. Never mind less obvious business concern like controlling costs, paying taxes and satisfying never-ending rules & regulations. For WomensHealthSection.com we already have a clear vision as well as a clear road map to achieve this. There is no real compartmentalization, because our readers use the whole website – its dimensions are impressive, almost magical. We respect the rights of patients, colleagues and the communities. We plan development together. Womenshealthsection.com is one of the five projects in my career that I have cared most about. Since the launch of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process (International Monetary Fund 1999 and World Bank 2000), many countries have taken on the challenge of centering their development agenda around poverty reduction and have engaged in consultative and analytical work to support policy development. To date, almost 50 countries have developed and published Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (IPRSPs), and more than 30 countries have produced full PRSPs. One of the main features of the PRSP process is an emphasis on country leadership and ownership. This means that there is no set template or framework for countries to follow. Moreover, there is no guarantee that health would even be addressed in each PRSP as the decision on which sectors to include is entirely up to the authors (typically the government). The absence of imposed structure or format by the International Financial Institutions increases the likelihood of country ownership and that the strategies identified address the real needs of each country and may lead to more individualized and creative approaches. The key question is: “What is the basic relationship between poverty and Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) and how do they influence each other”? Since there are no set guidelines or rules to write PRSPs there is clearly an advantage in learning from past attempts at writing them. Need for training on what some of the options are for writing the health component of the “Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers” is vital. A Special Partnership Rita Luthra, MD Extreme poverty and human rights: The rights of the poor – Result of the Civil Society On-line Consultation on the OHCHR Draft Guiding Principles In 2008 UN Member States will have to make a decision on how to proceed with the Draft Guiding Principles. As it stands now, the text is already considered as “soft law” (non-legally binding) in international law, and it can be quoted and referred to. In order to seek civil society’s comments on the Principles, the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS), in collaboration with NGO partners, conducted an online consultation from 20 August through 20 September 2007. This report is a compilation of the comments received from over 60 respondents from around the world, all responding to a set of four questions. In the spirit of the Draft Guiding Principles, this report aims to give a voice directly to the respondents themselves, rather than speaking on their behalf: direct quotes from respondent submissions that were representative of a large number of responses were selected and are presented in this report. A list of all respondents is provided in the annex. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) had participated in the Consultation; WomensHealthSection.com is listed in Annex I. Details: http://www.un-ngls.org/docs/ohchr/consultation.pdf (pdf) Your Questions, Our Reply: How does climate change affect public health? How the emerging information on health threats should be used to promote health, equality and sustainable development? Protecting Climate, Improving Health: Human-induced climate change is an emerging threat that rightly commands widespread policy and public attention. Along with other rapid changes associated with global population and economic growth, climate change strains existing weak points in health protection systems and call for reconsideration of public health priorities. The health impacts of climate change are potentially huge. They range from increased risks of extreme weather, such as fatal heat waves, floods and storms, to less dramatic but potentially more serious effects on infectious disease dynamics, shifts to long-term drought conditions in may regions, melting of glaciers that supply fresh water to large population centers, and sea level increase leading to salination of sources of agriculture and drinking water. Many of the most important global killers are highly sensitive to climatic conditions – malaria, diarrhea and protein-energy malnutrition together cause more than 3 million deaths each year. These risks are inequitable, in that the greenhouse gases that cause climate change originate mainly from developed countries, but the health risks are concentrated in the poorest nations, which have contributed least to the problem. Many of the projected impacts on health are avoidable, through a combination of public health interventions in the short term, support for adaptation measures in health-related sectors such as agriculture and water management, and a long-term strategy to reduce human impacts on climate. A global problem requires a strategy of international dimensions that can translate into regional and local actions. The development of comprehensive strategy will take time, but some essential principles are already clear. A true preventive strategy needs to ensure the maintenance and development of healthy environments from local to global levels. Climate change therefore demands that we intensify our efforts in preventive public health and place that crucial task at the core of sustainable development. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: The Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, Youcef Yousfi, was elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 7 July 2006. How are the 2005 World Summit and ongoing efforts to reform the UN reflected in the Fifth Committee? In many ways: Management reform, procurement reform and the financial implications of reform in all of the committees-the creation of new bodies, for example. Let’s say that all of the reforms are reflected in the Fifth Committee. I think we have made a lot of progress in 2006 with the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the Peace-building Commission and the Ethics Bureau established by the Secretariat. We are progressing with the management of human resources. This issue is quite difficult but we are working on it. We are also examining the reform of the Secretariat itself: its management, oversight, and governance. This is a lot of work for the Fifth Committee. Speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, South Africa’s delegate said the commitment in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document to address the special needs of Africa, the only continent not on track to meet any of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, was not reflected in budget estimates. What is the future of funding for programs such as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)? I share the view of the delegates who have said that the funding for programs in Africa is not sufficient. Africa is the continent that has the most serious development problems in all sectors: education, health, development, etc. At the same time, it is one of the richest continents in natural resources. This continent has many conflicts because of poverty, underdevelopment and its difficult past. I think the international community should devote more attention and resources to Africa. Concerning NEPAD, my country [Algeria] was one of the leaders in the establishment of this programme, and we are also one of the countries following up on its implementation. I think that the world would be in better shape if Africa were given the opportunity to develop. I think it is within the possibilities of the United Nations to do more than it is doing now for Africa. One of the possibilities is to reinforce the Economic Commission for Africa, but this is just one of many possibilities. The world should really give more to Africa and help it get on the track of development. The world would win because stability in Africa would contribute to global stability. How has the newly created Ethics Office affected business at the UN and in the Fifth Committee? We had a satisfactory first report and we hope that this Office will play its role, be very efficient and also credible. It is difficult for us to judge at this time. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Ten-Year Strategy; The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health: Each year more than half a million women die in pregnancy or childbirth, and more than 10 million children die before their fifth birthday – nearly 40% of these in the first month of life. But evidence shows that we could save at least seven million of these lives each year with proven, cost-effective interventions that are readily available to the world’s wealthy – and out of reach for the vast majority of the world’s poor. At the same time, there is growing international consensus that investments in saving the lives of women and children have the potential to bring substantial, long-term development returns, not only to the lives of those who are vulnerable, but also to global and national economies. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is a new global health partnership launched in September 2005 to accelerate action towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. The Partnership is an advocate, a catalyst for innovation, and an ambassador for the health of women, newborn, and children. The Partnership joins the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) communities into an alliance of currently more than 125 members representing governments, donors, United Nation agencies and other multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private institutions, professional associations, and academic and research institutions – all committed to ensuring that women, infants and children not only remain healthy, but thrive. Details: http://www.who.int/pmnch/events/2007/10yearsstrategy.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 11, November 2007, 821- 900 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Abstract of the Africa Series: Despite the efforts made in recent years in support of Africa’s development, the situation on most of the continent remains challenging. Today the consensus is indeed that it will be difficult to achieve in Africa, in time and in full, the objectives of the MDGs. The reasons for this are multifold, spanning from weak African state institutions, reluctance of the international community to keep its promises, and knowledge gaps in critical areas of development. In this regard, the underdeveloped state of statistical data in a number of strategic areas of African development is a case in point. It is against this background that the United Nations University and Cornell University have decided to join forces to map out, via a series of conferences (The UNU-Cornell African Series), the state of scientific and policy knowledge in three critical areas: Food and Nutrition system (November 2007), From Governance and Development Crises to Security Crises (Tentatively April 2008), HIV/AIDS and Public Health (Tentatively June 2008). A final event, to take place in July 2008, will outline the lessons learned from the preceding events and make policy recommendations. The Africa Series will bring together leading academic international experts on Africa, with many being from Africa, UN and NGOs practitioners. It is expected that four volumes will be published based on these events. An online forum will be created to engage more actors to participate in the discussion on the key areas of the Series. It is also envisioned to maximize outreach of the Series by web-casting the events and utilize video conferencing to interact with universities and experts in Africa. Details: UNU-Cornell Africa Series. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues By 2002, launch a worldwide fund-raising campaign aimed at the general public as well as the private sector, conducted by UNAIDS with the support and collaboration of interested partners at all levels, to contribute to the global HIV/ AIDS and health fund; Direct increased funding to national, regional and subregional commissions and organizations to enable them to assist Governments at the national, subregional and regional level in their efforts to respond to the crisis; Provide the UNAIDS co-sponsoring agencies and the UNAIDS secretariat with the resources needed to work with countries in support of the goals of this Declaration; Follow-up Maintaining the momentum and monitoring progress are essential At the national level Conduct national periodic reviews involving the participation of civil society, particularly people living with HIV/AIDS, vulnerable groups and caregivers, of progress achieved in realizing these commitments and identify problems and obstacles to achieving progress and ensure wide dissemination of the results of these reviews; Develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assist with follow-up in measuring and assessing progress, develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation instruments, with adequate epidemiological data; By 2003, establish or strengthen effective monitoring systems, where appropriate, for the promotion and protection of human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS; At the regional level Include HIV/AIDS and related public health concerns as appropriate on the agenda of regional meetings at the ministerial and Head of State and Government level; Support data collection and processing to facilitate periodic reviews by regional commissions and/or regional organizations of progress in implementing regional strategies and addressing regional priorities and ensure wide dissemination of the results of these reviews; Encourage the exchange between countries of information and experiences in implementing the measures and commitments contained in this Declaration, and in particular facilitate intensified South-South and triangular cooperation; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in October 2007: Breast Cancer: Early Detection; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to the World Health Organization for the contributions. Psychosocial Impact of Breast Cancer; WHEC Publications. Dedicated to our patients, it is indeed our privilege to help women worldwide. Special thanks to everyone who supported our efforts. News, Invitations and Letters: Global campaign tackling greatest environmental challenge: climate change United Nations Environment Program (UNEP): Environment for development Community-based action on climate change involving an estimated 35 million people across the planet in 2007 will culminate in the Clean Up the World Weekend on 14-16 September. More than 650 non-government organizations, community groups, local councils and other agencies in 115 countries are currently working on projects in 2007 to improve the health of the environment. The focus of many community activities around the world has been on limiting the impacts of climate change though activities such as waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, and re-vegetation. On Clean Up the World Weekend, organizations will engage volunteers to take part in activities designed to clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment. The Australian founder and chairman of Clean Up the World, Ian Kiernan AO* said communities in many countries are demonstrating that simple actions can make a real and lasting difference. “Millions of people simply conserving water, and recycling waste adds up to a huge environmental benefit for the planet. Our aim is to encourage individuals to take responsibility for the environment through a range of affordable actions. What is inspiring is the variety of activities that participating organizations have initiated in their countries in response to this challenge.” Among those undertaking activities as part of the weekend, Our Earth Foundation in Poland and the Tonga Solid Waste Management Project in the Pacific are conducting nationwide clean ups and Programa TV Na Praia in Brazil is coordinating a day of activities to launch their anti-litter campaign. The Clean Up the World campaign is in its 15th year and has the support of the United Nation’s Environment Program (UNEP). The 2007 theme ‘Our Climate, Our Actions, Our Future’ channels community action towards addressing the causes of climate change. ABOUT CLEAN UP THE WORLD The Clean Up campaign started in 1989 when an Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, appalled by the amount of rubbish he came across while sailing, organized a clean up of the Sydney Harbor, during which some 40,000 volunteers removed rusted car bodies, plastics, glass bottles and cigarette butts from the water. The campaign went global in 1993, with Sydney becoming Clean Up the World’s headquarters. Today it brings together hundreds of members from around the world ranging from local community groups to national campaigns that carry out environmental projects throughout the year. ABOUT UNEP The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is the “Voice of the Environment” in the United Nations system. It is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and is represented across the globe by regional and liaison offices. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership und encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP, established in 1972, has been headed by Achim Steiner since 2006. In encouraging people to care for the environment and advocating sustainable development, UNEP cooperates with a variety of partners, including other UN institutions, international organizations, governments, the private sector and civil society. For more information, visit www.unep.org Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Tony Hill, Coordinator (Retired), Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) at Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland for his support to our Organization and our project/program. You will always be a part of our team. Thanks for the friendship. Beyond the numbers… If we nurture the health, skills and hopes of young people, their potential to improve our world is unbounded. If they are healthy, they can take the best advantage of every opportunity to learn. If they are educated, they can live fulfilled lives and contribute to building the future for everyone.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) November 2006; Vol. 1, No. 2 The purpose of the e-learning publication WomensHealthSection.com is to provide an overview of current clinical management guidelines in Women’s Health, focusing on the components integral to providing optimum care. The articles are designed for all members of the interdisciplinary team: physicians, physicians-assistants, nurse practitioners, midwives, nurses, social workers, therapists and other members seeking to enhance their knowledge of women’s health and appropriate care and management. WomensHealthSection.com is a vision for the Globalized World. The use of information science and telecommunications to support the practice of medicine when distance separates the caregiver from the patient is the way forward to make medical care more affordable and more accessible in every country. With the increasing integration of the world economy, issues of research and development in health sector has assumed a global dimension. Although we always think big, our approach is to start small, do it really well, and then gradually expand. Most of our work relies on a network of partners. We have been really fortunate because of the dedication, competence and sheer hard work of our partners, and a measure of our success lies in the way they have made this project their own. Great Expectations! Your Questions, Our Reply: What moves you? “What Works?” MDGs # 4 & 5: In September 2000, representatives from 189 countries gathered at the Millennium Summit to set specific targets for human development and poverty reduction to be achieved by 2015. This global commitment has been summarized in eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which provide a framework for measuring development progress. Two of the eight goals focus on child and maternal mortality, underscoring the importance of these issues to global development: Goal 4 aims to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate of children under five from 1990 levels Goal 5 aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarter from 1990 levels When it comes to women’s health and healthcare, no technique bears more fruit than divining a theme and developing variations. In a world obsessed with — what is new and what is next — education is still at the core, after decades, for the better health and the living conditions. There is nothing more classic than a bright idea. Consider this one: a federation of National OB/GYN Societies of all 191 Member States of the United Nations. Thinking globally advocating nationally a global movement can be established for better understanding of reproductive health and cultures. This will be helpful to support national efforts for accelerating universal coverage of essential interventions for maternal, newborn and child health in high-mortality countries. This movement is essential to raise the priority and mobilize the necessary financial investment for maternal, newborn and child health, globally and at the national levels. To help secure coordination, and to strengthen the long-term commitment of different participants and NGOs, the new global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health seeks to track progress, highlight inequality, and promote greater accountability. Education that empowers women to make decisions about their lives and health is the key to reduce maternal mortality. The tragedy is that these women die not from disease, but during the normal, life-enhancing process of procreation; every woman who dies, many more suffer from serious conditions that can affect them for the rest of their lives. Maternal mortality is an indicator of disparity and inequality between men and women. There is now global momentum to address these issues and we have a unique opportunity to build on this. Leadership is an art, and there are no hard-and-fast rules. About NGO Association with the UN: Literacy as freedom: with over 860 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write — one in five adults — and more than 113 million children out of school, the United Nations has launched the Literacy Decade (2003-2012) under the theme “Literacy as Freedom”. Literacy efforts have so far failed to reach the poorest and most marginalized groups, according to the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and priority attention will be given to the most disadvantaged groups, especially women and girls, ethnic and linguistic minorities, indigenous populations, migrant refugees, disabled persons, and out-of-school children and youth. UNESCO will coordinate the international efforts to extend literacy under the Decade. The implementation of the Decade’s plan of action comprises five two-year periods structured around gender, poverty, health, peace and freedom. Secretary–General Kofi Annan stated that “literacy is the key to unlocking the cage of human misery, the key to delivering the potential of every human being, the key to opening up a future of freedom and hope. We know from study after study that there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls and women.” Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): To help countries make healthcare programs a reality in the late 1990s, several international agencies and donors became concerned that technical guidelines and programs in the field of reproductive health were not being implemented in some countries. In 1999, WHO, USAID and other organizations launched what has become known as the Implementing Best Practices (IBP) initiative to help countries translate evidence-based policies, programs and guidelines into reality. IBP partners work on collaborative assignments and with country teams in Benin, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia to harmonize approaches, reduce duplication of effort and develop strategies. The partnership has also helped to develop an electronic communication system known as the IBP Knowledge Gateway. This web-based system allows communities of practice — groups of people who share what they know — to exchange knowledge and experiences in implementing reproductive health programs. The system was launched in late 2003 and has over 3800 members from 58 countries and 146 communities of practice. The IBP secretariat is based at WHO, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. By June 2006, 23 international organizations had joined the partnership. For details please visit: www.ibpinitiative.org Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Under the auspices of the United Nations University (UNU) the Global Virtual University (GVU) is a consortium of universities that work together to enhance learning for environmental sustainability. Through a range of online study programs and courses, the mission of GVU is to increase people’s sensitivity to and involvement in finding solutions for environment and development issues. The consortium acknowledges the importance of education for development and is particularly designed to meet the educational needs of the developing countries. Online learning (e-learning) forms the basic educational method for all our study programs and courses. This implies that a substantial part of teaching, collaboration, and supervision take place on the Internet. The pedagogy has a social constructivist approach, which means that group work, online discussions and joint assignments are important. It further implies that an active and regular participation among the students is essential. Students meet their classmates in virtual classrooms, in some cases supported by a face to face session in the beginning of the course. Top Two-Articles Accessed in October 2006: Sonographic Screening for Down Syndrome Author: Dr. Fergal D. Malone, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY (USA); Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin (Ireland). Contraception Counseling & Compliance WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Department of Reproductive Health and Research of World Health Organization for its contributions. News, Invitations and Letters: Background on the 21 November, 2006 forum on General Assembly and Non-Governmental Organization Relations: The Office of the President of the 61st Session of the General Assembly and the United Nations Foundation are convening this forum to provide an opportunity for an informal dialogue between Member States and non-governmental organizations on the future of the relationship between non-governmental organizations and the General Assembly. In recent years, the General Assembly has invited the input of the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to its major deliberations. In June of 2005, the General Assembly held its first informal interactive hearings with the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental-organizations, as an input to the 2005 World Summit. In the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, World leaders welcomed the positive contributions of local authorities, the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to the work of the United Nations and encouraged the continued dialogue between these actors and Member States. Women Presidents of the General Assembly: When Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain was appointed President of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly; she became only the third woman to occupy the prestigious post. The other two — Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India, who presided over the eighth session in 1953, and Angie Elisabeth Brooks of Liberia, over the twenty-fourth session in 1969 — each had to chair during uncertain times for the United Nations. Jyoti Dar, Director of International Affairs and NGO Representative at UN for Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC), is grand-daughter of Mrs. Pandit. You will find the article very informative: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/issue3/0306p06.htm Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Robert L. Barbieri, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA) for his support, kindness and friendship. It is an honor to work with him on this project, and his work in reproductive health is priceless. Thanks again for sharing it with us. My appreciation and deeply felt regards for the skills of Victoria A. White, CEO, eclecTechs whose suggestions and feedback contributed so much to the ultimate outcome of this e-learning publication. It is a privilege to work with her entire team. Beyond the numbers… Neither a wish nor a hope nor a prayer will grow food or build a shelter or maintain a business or invent a computer / internet or discover a cure for a disease or devise a proper political system or preserve / protect human rights / relationships. All of the values on which our life, well-being and happiness depend require — A Process of Thought and Effort.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) September 2007; Vol. 2, No. 9 Global inter-connectedness and rapidly advancing technology have spawned a whole new set of challenges and opportunities, without closing the book on the old. It is not a bad thing to be strong in some ways and fragile and vulnerable in others. There are times you hold the future in your hands. And times you trust the future to others. At some point, you realize the legacy you leave goes far beyond the financial. For you, true wealth is about helping people. It is about achieving life. In every country (and in many sub-national structures such as states and provinces), health economics plays, or should play, an important role in critical policy and operational decisions. Poverty is not new, but there are creative new strategies for addressing it. Can we work together now? I think we can. WomensHealthSection.com is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaborations. We invite you to tap into this platform, and finally, the governance to get the best out of this platform. With each issue of WHEC Update, we like to think we are taking our readers on a journey. Clear boundaries lead to empowerment. Empowerment is not magic. It consists of a few simple steps and a lot of persistence. One other thing: In this space we have continued to update you on our e-learning project WomensHealthSection.com. The connection between education and health has never been clearer. We bring you every month — Briefings — of various programs / projects of the UN System, exclusive interviews, online polls and more fresh surprises. The UN role in ensuring peace and security and in shaping globalization to the advantage of all people in the world has been growing. Now more than ever before, dealing with inequality and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and wider development objectives are central to global economic stability and prosperity. Decisions help us start — discipline helps us finish. The journey is the reward. You might want to fasten your seat belts. Combating maternal mortality / morbidity is a collective effort. Obstetrical fistula is a problem that can be prevented, treated and controlled. For those who are grappling with the disability, effective treatment is essential. It requires political leadership and sufficient resources — particularly for more and better birthing centers, close to their homes and close to their birthing cultures. It requires the engagement of family members and community leaders as well as health care and social workers. It requires the media and policy makers to play their part. It means reaching out to marginalized groups and ensuring they receive the care they need with healthy and happy pregnancy and childbirth. That means providing reasons to hope. Obstetrical fistula brings anguish and torment to individuals and their loved ones. It eats away at the fabric of the human being, of the family, of society. It is a subject all of us must take personally. Let us ensure there is no place for obstetrical fistula in modern obstetrics. We welcome the thoughts and suggestions on eradication of obstetrical fistulae. WomensHealthSection.com enables individuals, groups, companies, and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate — for the purposes of innovation, education, research and to advance the causes of peace, health and development. We welcome everyone. Campaigning to End Fistula Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What are the good practices in terms of shaping a foreign policy that can work to improve global health? How can foreign policy address new infectious diseases in an age of globalization and bio-terrorism? Foreign Policy and Global Health Diplomacy: the rise of health as a foreign policy concern has become a hallmark of a globalized world. Critical to global health diplomacy is the relationship between health and foreign policy. The trade and health relationship unfolds on the cutting edge of global health diplomacy and offers lessons for the health and foreign policy nexus. We need broad memberships between rich and poor countries to improve health. And rich countries need to help developing countries to make a dedicated effort with their health budget allocation. Health also belongs in the Security Council and more prominently at the World Bank. It is important to have trade agreements that do not complicate access to drugs at affordable prices, patent regulations and other trade regulations, so that poor countries have access. The cutting edge of global health diplomacy raises certain cautions regarding health’s role in trade and foreign policies. Competition among countries’ national interests sometimes impedes policy coherence, which makes attainment of health difficult. To craft health policy today, governments, international institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must find mechanisms to manage health risks that spill into and out of every country. These endeavors create the new world of global health diplomacy. Health is a bridge builder and a key component of the development policy. The nexus of security, insecurity and health must take center stage in foreign policy thinking. To achieve global governance, we believe, a new global health forum is needed to address health. We believe capacity building is vital to health system development and is also needed to stabilize countries in order to provide security for people so they do not feel the need to migrate. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: Hamid al Bayati, the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations, was elected chairman of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the sixty-first General Assembly on 8 June. His reply to some of questions on the agenda of Third Committee: Human rights issues have become central to the Third Committee. One of the newest additions to the UN human rights framework is the Human Rights Council. How do you think the delegates perceive the early work of the Human Rights Council? I think people were excited to have the Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva, for the first time. It gives the Third Committee a special importance this year. There was some debate among member states about whether the report of the Council should be referred to the Plenary or to the Third Committee. According to the rules of procedure, a subject should be referred to the committee that deals with that subject, and so we finally agreed to convey to the General Assembly – and the General Assembly approved this – that the report should be referred to both the Third Committee and the Plenary. The Plenary discusses the annual report, while the Third Committee deals with all of the Human Rights Council’s recommendations. Is it difficult for you when issues regarding your home country of Iraq are discussed at the Third Committee? There was only one occasion when I felt I couldn’t chair the Committee because of criticism that was being made of my country. While Iraq is open to criticism, I didn’t feel it was fair for me to listen to criticism without replying. So in that instance I instead let my delegation reply from Iraq’s seat. Other than that occasion, I didn’t have any difficulties listening to people talk about the situation in Iraq. In regards to human rights, in fact, Iraq – whose record is not perfect in this area – is making strides. We now have a ministry for human rights in Iraq for the first time in modern history. What was the hardest thing about chairing this Committee? What was the most rewarding? The most rewarding feeling is to be serving Member States, and to be doing even a little bit to protect human rights. When you feel that you are providing assistance to the most vulnerable people – especially women and children – this is very rewarding. The most difficult thing is to come to a compromise. Member States are always ready to vote, but for a Chair a vote means you have failed to convince delegates to meet in the middle. I always tried to be neutral, I always tried to be transparent in my actions, and I always tried to put myself in the shoes of both sides. The best ways is to meet in the middle, but it is a difficult thing to always suggest the right kind of compromise. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Obstetric fistula: surviving with dignity — An obstetric fistula is a devastating yet often neglected injury that occurs as a result of prolonged or obstructed labor (usually resulting in a stillbirth as well). Trauma to the vaginal wall results in an opening between the vagina and the bladder, the vagina and the rectum, or both; this leaves the woman leaking urine and/or feces continuously from the vagina. Without surgical repair, the physical consequences of fistula are severe, and include vaginal incontinence, a fetid odor, frequent pelvic and/or urinary infections, pain, infertility and often early mortality. The social consequences of fistula are immense: women with fistula are ostracized and frequently abandoned by their husbands, families and communities; they often become destitute and must struggle to survive. To make matters worse, many women are so embarrassed by this condition that they suffer in silence, rather than seek medical help, even if such help were available. This devastating condition affects more than two million women worldwide. There are an estimated 50 000 to 100 000 additional cases each year, a figure some believe to be an underestimate. Most are young women or adolescents. Early marriage, early or repeated childbearing, along with poverty and lack of access to quality health care in pregnancy and at birth, are the main determinants. Fistulae occur in areas where access to care at childbirth is limited, or of poor quality, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of southern Asia. In the areas where fistulae are most often seen, few hospitals offer the necessary corrective surgery, which is not profitable and for which surgeons and nurses are often poorly trained. In 2003, the United Nations Population Fund along with WHO and other partners launched a Global Campaign for the Elimination of Fistula. Good-quality first-level and back-up care at childbirth prevents fistula. Once the condition has occurred it is treatable. The plight of women living with fistula is a powerful reminder that programmatic concerns should go beyond simply preventing maternal deaths. Decision-makers and professionals should be aware that the problem is not infrequent, that the girls and women who suffer from it need support to get access to treatment, that enough trained doctors and nurses need to be available to provide surgical repair, and that further support is necessary for women who return home after treatment. Collective action can eliminate fistula and ensure that girls and women who suffer this devastating condition are treated so that they can live in dignity. Details: http://www.who.int/whr/2005/chap4-en.pdf Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 9, September 2007, 649-732 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): The United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations University Office at the United Nations in New York (UNU-ONY), are jointly organizing a side event within the framework of the Eighth Meeting of the United Nations Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on the Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS). Marine Genetic Resources: In 1999, the General Assembly decided to establish the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (the Consultative Process) in order to facilitate the annual review by the General Assembly, in an effective and constructive manner, of developments in ocean affairs and the law of the sea by considering the report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea and by suggesting particular issues to be considered by it, with an emphasis on identifying areas where coordination and cooperation at the intergovernmental and inter-agency levels should be enhanced (resolution 54/33). The Eighth meeting of the Consultative Process will organize its discussions around the topic of “Marine genetic resources,” as recommended by the General Assembly in resolution 61/222. Oceans are experiencing rapid and, in many cases, dramatic changes as a result of human activity. Because the world’s oceans remain a source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people, their sustainable and equitable use must continue to be promoted. The growing commercial interest in deep seabed research and the use of the unique genetic resources that this research has discovered raises key policy, ethical and moral questions. Therefore, the meeting will focus on five important issues related to marine genetic resources, with the aim to bring some additional information and experts’ insights to the Eighth Meeting of the Consultative Process. Scientific aspects of marine genetic resources: status of scientific research and changes in scientists’ perspectives; Commercial uses of marine genetic resources; Potential values of marine genetic resources; Development of a database on marine bio-prospecting; Next steps needed to be taken. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis — Global Action”: series continues Support and encourage the development of national and international research infrastructure, laboratory capacity, improved surveillance systems, data collection, processing and dissemination, and training of basic and clinical researchers, social scientists, health-care providers and technicians, with a focus on the countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly developing countries and those countries experiencing or at risk of rapid expansion of the epidemic; Develop and evaluate suitable approaches for monitoring treatment efficacy, toxicity, side effects, drug interactions, and drug resistance, develop methodologies to monitor the impact of treatment on HIV transmission and risk behaviors; Strengthen international and regional cooperation in particular North/South, South/South and triangular cooperation, related to transfer of relevant technologies, suitable to the environment in prevention and care of HIV/AIDS, the exchange of experiences and best practices, researchers and research findings and strengthen the role of UNAIDS in this process. In this context, encourage that the end results of these cooperative research findings and technologies be owned by all parties to the research, reflecting their relevant contribution and dependent upon their providing legal protection to such findings; and affirm that all such research should be free from bias; By 2003, ensure that all research protocols for the investigation of HIV-related treatment including anti-retroviral therapies and vaccines based on international guidelines and best practices are evaluated by independent committees of ethics, in which persons living with HIV/AIDS and caregivers for anti-retroviral therapy participate; HIV/AIDS in conflict and disaster affected regions Conflicts and disasters contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS By 2003, develop and begin to implement national strategies that incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, care and treatment elements into programs or actions that respond to emergency situations, recognizing that populations destabilized by armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters, including refugees, internally displaced persons and in particular, women and children, are at increased risk of exposure to HIV infection; and, where appropriate, factor HIV/AIDS components into international assistance programs; Call on all United Nations agencies, regional and international organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations involved with the provision and delivery of international assistance to countries and regions affected by conflicts, humanitarian crises or natural disasters, to incorporate as a matter of urgency HIV/AIDS prevention, care and awareness elements into their plans and programs and provide HIV/AIDS awareness and training to their personnel; By 2003, have in place national strategies to address the spread of HIV among national uniformed services, where this is required, including armed forces and civil defense force and consider ways of using personnel from these services who are educated and trained in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention to assist with HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention activities including participation in emergency, humanitarian, disaster relief and rehabilitation assistance; By 2003, ensure the inclusion of HIV/AIDS awareness and training, including a gender component, into guidelines designed for use by defense personnel and other personnel involved in international peacekeeping operations while also continuing with ongoing education and prevention efforts, including pre-deployment orientation, for these personnel; Resources The HIV/AIDS challenge cannot be met without new, additional and sustained resources Ensure that the resources provided for the global response to address HIV/AIDS are substantial, sustained and geared towards achieving results; By 2005, through a series of incremental steps, reach an overall target of annual expenditure on the epidemic of between US$ 7 billion and US$ 10 billion in low and middle-income countries and those countries experiencing or at risk of experiencing rapid expansion for prevention, care, treatment, support and mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS, and take measures to ensure that needed resources are made available, particularly from donor countries and also from national budgets, bearing in mind that resources of the most affected countries are seriously limited; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in August 2007: The Obstetrical Fistulae in the Developing World; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to WHO, ICM and FIGO for its program/project — Making Pregnancy Safer, and the United Nations Population Fund for their efforts and contributions. It is our privilege to work with this humanitarian project/program. Pelvic Organ Prolapse: An Overview; Authors: Dr.Alka Shaunik and Dr. Lily A. Arya, Division of Uro-gynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA). News, Invitations and Letters: THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE: This is also the first year that the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance — another milestone in the struggle to eliminate torture — has been open for signature. I hope that all UN Member States will sign and ratify this convention as early as possible. Joining this new instrument will prove an unequivocal expression of the international community’s determination to address not only torture but also its most egregious enabling conditions. As we join hands against torture, and adhere unequivocally to the notion that torture is unacceptable, we must never forget its victims. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture supports organizations assisting victims of torture and their families. Let me use this occasion to thank all donors to the Fund, and to encourage even more giving to this worthy cause. On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture let us speak with one voice against the perpetrators of torture, and for all who suffer at their hands. And let us build a better, more humane world for all people everywhere. Informal Interactive Hearing with Civil Society, including Non-Governmental Organizations and the Private Sector of the High-level Dialogue of the General Assembly on Inter-religious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace: The General Assembly, in its resolution 61/221 of 20 December 2006, (OP. 14) decided “to convene in 2007 a high-level dialogue on inter-religious and intercultural cooperation for the promotion of tolerance, understanding and universal respect on matters of freedom of religion or belief and cultural diversity, in coordination with other similar initiatives in this area”. In its resolution 61/269 of 25 May 2007, the General Assembly further decided that the High-level Dialogue would be held on Thursday and Friday, 4 and 5 October 2007 at the ministerial or highest possible level, and that it shall consist of three plenary meetings: one in the morning of Thursday, 4 October and two on Friday, 5 October. The General Assembly also decided to hold in the afternoon of 4 October 2007 an informal interactive hearing with representatives of civil society, including representatives of non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to be chaired by the President of the General Assembly. The Office of the President of the General Assembly has formed a ‘Task Force’ to help ensure the effective participation of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in the interactive hearing. The function of the Task Force is to assist the President of the General Assembly in the organization of the hearing by recommending formats and by drawing up a list of participants. A complete list of Task Force Members, Advisers and Ex-Officio can be accessed on the website of the President of the General Assembly: http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/ The United Nations and Darfur: More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed and at least 2 million displaced from their homes in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003 between Government of Sudan forces, allied Janjaweed militia and other armed rebel groups. Atrocities such as the murder of civilians and the rape of women and girls have been widespread and continue, underscoring the necessity for urgent action. The UN raised the alarm on the crisis in Darfur in 2003 and finding a lasting resolution has been a top priority for the Security Council and two consecutive Secretaries-General. In addition to pursuing a political solution, the UN and its partners are currently operating the largest aid effort in the world in Darfur and in refugee camps in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). In parallel, UN human rights experts have reported on abuses, and monitored efforts by local courts to bring perpetrators to justice. Under the auspices of the African Union (AU) and with support of the UN and other partners, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) was signed on 5 May 2006. Intensive diplomatic and political efforts to bring the non-signatories into the peace process continue. The UN has also provided logistical and technical assistance to AU monitors dispatched to Darfur since 2004, and has developed, adapted and is now implementing plans for a multidimensional peacekeeping operation. In accordance with the decision of the 16 November 2006 High-Level consultations in Addis Ababa — attended by the former Secretary-General, five Permanent Members of the Security Council, representatives of the Government of Sudan, the AU and other States and organizations with political influence in the region, and some African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) troop contributing countries — the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) designed a three-phased approach to augment AMIS and create an unprecedented hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force. Intensive private and public diplomacy by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and several actors in the international community resulted in Sudan’s acceptance of this force in June 2007. Humanitarian efforts — UN humanitarian agencies are leading the largest current relief effort in the world to assist the approximately 4.2 million people in need of aid due to the Darfur crisis. Of these, 2.1 million are internally displaced in Sudan, while approximately 236,000 are refugees in eastern Chad. More than US $650 million in aid to Darfur is planned for 2007. More than 12,000 humanitarian workers are deployed in the region to bring assistance to those affected by the crisis. They include staff from 13 UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent societies and more than 80 non-governmental organizations (NGO). Over the last four years, this massive humanitarian effort has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Mortality rates have been brought below emergency levels; global malnutrition has been halved from the height of the crisis in mid-2004; and nearly three-quarters of all Darfurians now have access to safe drinking water. However, civilians continue to be forcibly displaced as a result of attacks from all sides, with more than 140,000 displaced in Darfur in the first five months of 2007 alone. With populations growing, many IDP camps can no longer absorb new arrivals, and tensions are rising. The humanitarian operation and its staff have been increasingly targeted by violence. As of June 2007, 69 aid workers had been temporarily abducted, 37 convoys had been attacked or looted, and 61 humanitarian vehicles had been hijacked. Some leading NGOs have withdrawn citing violence against aid workers. The UN estimates that more than half a million people across Darfur are currently cut off from humanitarian assistance. This is an improvement in access since February 2007, when 900,000 were inaccessible, and is attributed to increased efforts by humanitarian workers to reach conflict-affected populations through innovative and often expensive means — not to any improvement in the security. The UN has continued to press the authorities in Khartoum for improved humanitarian access and security for aid workers, resulting in the signing in April 2007 of a joint communiqué between the Government of Sudan and the UN to effectively ensure and facilitate humanitarian activities in Darfur. Donors have funded 62% of the Darfur aid operation (as of 15 June 2007, US $396 million had been pledged or committed out of the US $652 million required), mostly for food aid. Other sectors are seriously under funded and require commitments. In the face of continuing insecurity, the UN and its humanitarian partners are effectively holding the line for the survival and protection of millions. International Criminal Court – Following a recommendation by the Commission of Inquiry, in March 2005, the Security Council, in resolution 1593, referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ordered Sudan to cooperate with the Court’s investigations. On 2 May 2007, the ICC issued arrest warrants for crimes against humanity and war crimes against former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of Sudan and current Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmad Harun, and Janajweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman. Security Council resolutions – Relevant Security Council resolutions include SCR 1590 (2005) establishing UNMIS; SCR 1556 (2004) and 1591 (2005) imposing sanctions over Darfur; SCR 1706 (2006) giving UNMIS a mandate in Darfur and authorizing its troop strength; and SCR 1755 (2007) extending the mandate of UNMIS until October 2007. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Mr. Juan-Carlos Brandt, Chief, NGO Section, Department of Public Information, United Nations for his friendship and support to our efforts to improve maternal and child health worldwide. Thanks for the friendship. It is indeed our privilege to work with you and the entire department. Beyond the numbers… Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) December 2006; Vol. 1, No. 3 It is the time of year when our thoughts turn to gratitude, and one of the things I am most thankful for is wonderful and talented writers / editors / contributors / reviewers of WomensHealthSection.com. The physicians whose work you see in these pages are excellent, and they are experts in their field. Give people the information to act; then look for magic to happen. The fastest-growing parts of the Internet all involve direct human interaction. Empowerment is not “giving power to people”. It is releasing the power — the Knowledge, Experience and Motivation — they already have. The Internet is much more than a technology — it is a completely different way of organizing our lives. Internet-Classrooms are the way forward in improving maternal and child health worldwide. Don’t bet against Internet-Classrooms — it is simply the best. Today we live in the clouds. We’re moving into the era of “cloud” computing, with information and applications hosted in the diffuse atmosphere of cyberspace rather than on specific processors and silicon racks. The network will truly be the computer. Internet has brought unprecedented freedoms to millions of people worldwide — to create and communicate, to organize and influence, to speak and be heard. Happiness never resides in what an individual has, but always in what an individual does. Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties but of little things, in which smiles and kindness and small obligations, given habitually, is what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. Because the goodwill of those we serve is the foundation of our success; it is a real pleasure at this holiday time to say — Thank You; as we wish you a full year of happiness and prosperity. Happy Holidays Your Questions, Our Reply: Who needs public goods? Who can buy global public goods / virtual space, and who has the authority to sell it? Global Public Sphere: The history of the words “public” and “private” is a key to understanding this basic shift in terms of Western culture. The first recorded uses of the word “public” in English identify the “public” with the common good in society. “Private” has the connotations of being personal and intimate. Public goods, common good, collective goods and global public goods are heavily contested concepts. Natural environment (common good), social policy (collective goods), knowledge (global public goods), national defense systems and systems of property rights (public goods) are typical examples. The public sector can be seen as the dialectical opposite to the private sector. However, defining the public sector as “not for profit” misses the point; rather it should be understood as “not for private profit” or “for the common good”. It is not possible to neglect one or the other anymore. A creative work is said to be in the public domain if there are no laws that restrict its use by the public at large. Such works as the inventions of Sir Isaac Newton, the Bible, the Torah, the Gita and the Qur’an also form part of the public domain, because they were created before copyright and patent laws. In contemporary jargon, public domain refers to space within the openly accessible virtual world, e.g. a private website. The fifth dimension is media, and the information and communication technology (ICT) acts as its infrastructure. Virtual space (Internet) has rapidly become an equally important place for public appearance, political debate / argumentation and scientific forums / discussions, as in any other media. In my opinion, all goods are private and only ownership can give a mandate to decision-making; but if we agree that there are common goods to be shared equally among people, not just a finite amount of private goods, there has to be an open forum where decisions can be made about sharing the commons. May be Internet can be seen as a single public space with virtual portals and websites, and form a purely public space to a fuzzy mix of public and private domains. Stay tuned… About NGO Association with the UN: Human trafficking is one of today’s most egregious human rights violations. Traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of society: people burdened by poverty, disabilities and discrimination. Trafficking in persons refers to the illegal trade or “sale” of human beings for sexual exploitation or forced labor through abduction, the use or threat of force, deception and fraud. It knows no gender, race, age or even boundaries. According to the Trafficking in Persons Report of the United States State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 are traded annually across international borders; most of the victims are women and girls. In 2000 the international community created the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which supplements the Convention. For the first time in a legal document, the Protocol specifically defines and criminalizes trafficking in persons. It also urges States to assist and protect victims of trafficking, for example by stopping their deportation and allowing their repatriation, strengthening border controls and improving the integrity and security of identification documents. As an international NGO that promotes women’s rights worldwide, Vital Voices Global Partnership pursues three strategies in its anti-trafficking advocacy work: Raising public awareness; Promoting effective partnerships between Governments and NGOs; Training and building NGO capacity to counter human trafficking. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Over a span of two years and as a result of extensive consultation, the Task Force on Child Health and Maternal Health (MDGs 4 & 5) analyzed what it will take to meet the goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. In its final report, published earlier this year, the Task Force issued a set of nine recommendations for realizing improvements in child mortality and maternal health. These findings will generate momentum for reframing maternal, newborn, and child health, moving from a focus on health systems, equity, and human rights. The report calls on health policymakers to broad systemic issues that affect the delivery of maternal, newborn, and child health services, such as health-sector financing, human-resource systems, and poverty-reduction strategies. This report title: Who got the power: Transforming Health Systems for Women and Children, can be accessed at: www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/maternalchild-complete.pdf (Requires Adobe Reader) Collaboration with UN University (UNU): In 1973, the founders of UN University (UNU) gave it a challenging mission: develop original, forward-looking solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and help build capacity, in particular in developing countries. Mission of UNU contributes, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations, its peoples and Member States. UNU’s mission remains as relevant as in 1973. Major shifts, however have made the University’s mission more complex, and more important. Globalization, rapid technological advances and economic shifts favoring knowledge-based economies offer great opportunities. They also present challenges — even threats — to many countries. In the early 1970s, the Government of Japan pledged US $ 100 million to launch UNU’s Endowment Fund. Since then, over 50 other governments have contributed to UNU. To world decision makers, UNU offers fresh, alternative views on today’s problems, a proactive analysis of emerging problems and sound policy alternatives to address them. UNU forms and cooperates with networks between universities and research institutes around the globe. UNU welcomes comment and new ideas, and invites you to join in achieving the goals of the United Nations. UNU’s work is both theoretical and practical. It promotes innovative thinking, generates useful knowledge and facilitates down-to-earth action. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): On 1 December World AIDS Day 2006 commemorated worldwide with a wide range of events taking place. In 1988, the General Assembly expressed deep concern at the pandemic proportions of AIDS. Noting that the World Health Organization had declared 1 December 1988 World AIDS Day, the Assembly stressed the importance of observing that occasion (Resolution 43/15). Since then, World AIDS Day has aimed to increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education. Out of an estimated 39.5 million people living with HIV worldwide at the end 2006, 4.3 million were newly infected last year alone, according to AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006, released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in advance of World AIDS Day. The focus of World AIDS Day 2006 is accountability and the slogan is “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise,” based on the commitments made through the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. “Accountability—the theme of this World AIDS Day—requires every President and Prime Minister, every parliamentarian and politician, to decide and declare that ‘AIDS stops with me.’ It requires them to strengthen protection for all vulnerable groups—whether people living with HIV, young people, sex workers, injecting drug users, or men who have sex with men. It requires them to work hand in hand with civil society groups, who are so crucial to the struggle. It requires them to work for real, positive change that will give more power and confidence to women and girls, and transform relations between women and men at all levels of society,” UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in his message on World AIDS Day 2006. “The theme of this World AIDS Day is accountability. If we are to reach the targets that countries have set for themselves then, now more than ever, we need to make the money work. Collectively and with civil society we need to strengthen national ownership, improve processes of coordination and harmonization, continue to reform the multilateral response, and define clear means of accountability and oversight for these changes,” UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said in his message commemorating the Day. Spearheading activities and events around World AIDS Day is the World Aid Campaign (WAC), based in Amsterdam and which took over the Campaign from UNAIDS. WAC operates under a governance system led by civil society to shift policy, mobilize resources, and call for action on the ground. Also to commemorate World AIDS Day 2006, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has launched its report HIV/AIDS and Work: Global Estimates, Impact on Children and Youth, and Response 2006, which presents updated estimates of the impact of the HIV epidemic on the world of work, the labor force and the working-age population in 60 countries in all regions. A new UNAIDS Best Practice Collection report Global Reach: How Trade Unions are Responding to AIDS will also be available. The report brings to public attention the “innovative programs and successful initiatives” of the labor movement in responding to HIV/AIDS. The report is a joint publication by the ILO, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (now the International Trade Union Confederation), Global Union AIDS Program and UNAIDS. Top Two-Articles Accessed in November 2006: Epidural & Spinal Anesthesia: Understanding the Facts Women’s Health and Education Center’s Contribution. HIV in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review Author: Dr. Howard L. Minkoff, Chairman, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, NY; Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SUNY-Health Science Center, Brooklyn, New York, NY (USA) News, Invitations and Letters: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes investments in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). These investments are designed to help the LDCs reduce poverty and achieve the objectives of the Brussels Program of Action for the LDCs and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). UNCDF’s investment capital is flexible, high-risk, and innovative, and its development approach seeks the long-term development of human, institutional, and financial capacity in the poorest countries. UNCDF currently invests in 28 of the 50 LDCs, and plans to expand its investments to 45 LDCs by the end of 2007. UNCDF’s Local Development Programs (LDPs) build the capacity of local governments and make investments in local communities to improve their access to social services and economic infrastructure. Its Microfinance investments provide enhanced access for households and enterprises to financial services and direct support for start-up and emerging microfinance institutions. UNCDF was founded in 1966 as an independent instrument of the United Nations with a special mission: ” … to assist developing countries in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of loans and grants …” (GA resolution 2186 (XXI) on the establishment of UNCDF, 13 December 1966). UNCDF is a member of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) group, and reports to UNDP’s Executive Board. As such, UNCDF works in close partnership with UNDP in areas ranging from joint programming to administrative and logistical support. The UNDP Resident Representative represents UNCDF at the country level. The Fund derives its resources from voluntary contributions made by member states, and from co-financing by governments, international organizations and the private sector. UNCDF is committed to results-based management, combining quality programming with financially sound management. The Fund produces concrete results through programs that pilot innovative approaches to local development and microfinance for replication on a larger scale. International migration and development: patterns, problems, and policy directions; seminar held at UN Headquarter, New York in November 2006. In recent years, substantial numbers of people have migrated — or sought to migrate — from regions that are afflicted by poverty and insecurity to more prosperous and stable parts of the world. By the year 2000, the United Nations estimated that about 140 million persons — resided in a country where they were not born. Such population flows, involving increasingly tortuous and dangerous long-distance journeys, have been both prompted and facilitated by a variety of factors associated with the process of globalization: a growing disparity in the level of human security to be found in different parts of the world; improved transportation, communications and information technology systems; the expansion of transnational social networks; and the emergence of a commercial (and sometimes criminal) industry, devoted to the smuggling of people across international borders. The World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER) launched two major research projects on migration. This research identifies and quantifies the movement of skilled people across the global economy, as well as the determinants of these flows, and costs and benefits to the sending countries in the developing world. Ban Ki-moon appointed next Secretary-General by General Assembly: With words of welcome and support the United Nations General Assembly appointed Ban Ki-moon, foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, to its highest post. Regional representatives spoke in turn, welcoming the newly selected Secretary-General. All expressed praise for Mr. Ban’s previous accomplishments and hope for his future tenure at the UN’s helm. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/webArticles/101306_ban The United Nations University Office at the UN in New York (UNU-ONY), in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is holding a seminar on The Role of the Secretary-General on the Eve of Change. The seminar is part of the annual UNU/UNITAR governance series and will take place on 18 and 19 December 2006 in Conference Room 8 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The seminar’s intent is to illustrate to delegates the various roles and functions of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to review these functions in light of the evolving nature of the UN system, and to consider how this role has evolved over time and may develop in the future. The speakers will be drawn from the UN secretariat, Permanent Missions, and civil society. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale School of Medicine, for accepting the goals and mission of e-learning publication: WomensHealthSection.com. Best Wishes from all of us. Thanks for the friendship. My incredible good fortune to coordinate this project with a friend, Paul Hoeffel, Director, UN Information Center; my greatest-debt to him for his unwavering faith when I needed the most. Beyond the numbers… So many Gods, so many creeds So many paths that wind and wind; While just the art of being kind Is all the sad world needs.Read More

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A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) October 2006; Vol. 1, No. 1 On 24th October 2002 when our e-learning publication was launched, I had millions of doubts about this project. In fact the reality has completely exceeded my fantasies. And that is remarkable given that I can dream pretty big. Four years later it is a very well respected international journal in women’s healthcare and has captured many people’s imaginations. A great-big thank you goes out to the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, UN Chronicle and Contemporary OB/GYN. WomensHealthSection.com is no longer exclusively mine; it belongs to millions of readers around the world who feel this is their project too. Luckily; the memories of the uncertainty and fear I had in 2002 are almost forgotten. Almost. Enjoy WomensHealthSection.com, and a big thank you. About NGO Association with the UN: Non-governmental organizations have been partners of the Department of Public Information (DPI) since its establishment in 1947. Official relationships between DPI and NGOs date back to 1968. The Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1297 called on DPI to associate NGOs with effective information programs in place and thus disseminate information about issues on the UN’s agenda and the work of the Organization. Through associated NGOs DPI seeks to reach people around the world and help them better understand the work and aims of the United Nations. The DPI/NGO Section is part of the department’s Outreach Division and acts as its liaison between the United Nations and NGOs and other civil society organizations. It oversees partnerships with associated NGOs and provides a wide range of information services to them. These include weekly NGO briefings, communication workshops, an annual NGO conference and an annual orientation program for newly associated NGOs. Currently there are 1533 NGOs with strong information programs associated with DPI out of which 634 are also associated with ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council). While consultative status with ECOSOC may be obtained by NGOs whose work covers issues on the agenda of ECOSOC, association with DPI also requires having effective information programs in place and the ability and means to disseminate information about the work of the United Nations. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): The world’s leading advocates for women and children have joined forces to create The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. The Partnership unites leaders in developing and donor countries in the effort to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5, focusing global efforts to scale up resources, strategies and political commitments to achieve these goals. The vision of The Partnership is to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity through universal coverage of essential care. For details please visit: http://www.pmnch.org/ Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU provides specialized training throughout the world. Its “faculty” is an international network of scholars and professional contributors, while its “students” are mainly young researchers and other professionals (in particular, from developing countries) who receive postgraduate training as UNU fellows, or who benefit from UNU’s capacity-building activities. Academic and professional staff is recruited from universities, research institutions, international organizations and similar institutions, often for fixed terms. The University’s network personnel generally hold positions at major universities or research institutions worldwide and remain in their posts while working with UNU programs. A wide variety of nationalities and cultures are represented. UNU receives no funds from the United Nations regular budget; it is financed entirely from the endowment and from voluntary contributions from governments, agencies, foundations and individuals. UNU also has benefited from counterpart and other support, including cost sharing of scholarships and other activities. Key roles of UNU: An international community of scholars A bridge between the UN and the academic community A think-tank for the UN System A builder of capacities, particularly in developing countries. Top Two-Articles Accessed in September 2006: Managing Vesico-Vaginal Fistulae Authors: Dr. Neeraj Kohli, Director Div. of Urogynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA) Dr. John R. Miklos, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Georgia, Atlanta, GA (USA) Profiling Domestic Violence WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Battered Women’s Shelter of Springfield, MA for the assistance with research. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. John J. Sciarra, Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, ILL. (USA) for his enthusiasm for International Health and this project since its inception. His support and appreciation always inspires us. WHEC thanks Judy Orvos, Editor, Contemporary OB/GYN for her assistance with Sign Out Column. We all are looking forward to work with her for a long time to come. My deepest gratitude to Dr. James A. Whelton, Chairman (Retired) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston, MA (USA) for teaching us the true meaning of patient-care and many valuable lessons of life. Beyond the numbers… Of all judgments that we pass in life, none is as important as the one we pass on ourselves, for that judgment touches the very center of our existence. We stand in the midst of an almost infinite network of relationships: to other people, to things, to the universe. And yet, at three o’clock in the morning, when we are alone with ourselves, we are aware that the most intimate and powerful of all relationships and the one we can never escape is the relationship to ourselves.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC)May 2007; Vol. 2, No. 5 Now is the time to review some of the highlights in our popular publications — WomensHealthSection.com and WHEC Update. There is natural curiosity about the secret of success. It requires more than money to build a successful publication. It takes hard work, determination and passion — we got all three. With an education, equality and a voice, we have the power to help stop spread of disease. The power to start new projects / programs. The power, ultimately, to help an entire society move forward. That is why WHEC is working to empower women worldwide. It is time for empowerment. Every year is crucial for the 3 billion people who are entrapped in poverty. The goal of ending extreme poverty is vital not solely as a matter of compassion. The world economy will benefit enormously from the contributions of those who are able to move from a state of dependency to full participation. Not just aid but also ideas — in particular the idea of legal rights, universal health coverage, access to quality healthcare — will be crucial for reducing poverty. Poverty and maternal mortality / morbidity have direct link. The wide acceptance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the international community confirms the central role of human development, including health and nutrition, in combating poverty. We hope our projects / programs help strengthening efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development. We will be little too optimistic about human development. Legal empowerment has been recognized as a useful approach to poverty reduction only if it offers political leaders a viable path for implementing large-scale reforms. Policymakers are increasingly open to newer concepts, designed not only to alleviate the symptoms of poverty, but also to attack root causes. One such idea is explored by the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, an UN-affiliated initiative. Former US secretary of state, Madeline Albright, co-chairs the commission with Hernando de Soto, a Peruvian economist who champions the idea that the poor remain poor in part because they do not have legal rights. The importance of legal empowerment now also figures prominently in the strategies of organizations that have become partners of the commission, including the UNDP (United Nations Development Program), the World Bank, the International Labor Organization (ILO), UN Habitat and Inter-American Development Bank. The commission’s mandate is daunting but also vital, for legal empowerment can add much to the world’s arsenal in its ongoing struggle to save and enrich human lives. We want to hear from you! Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: Is health-status of women one of the most sensitive indicators of progress in social development? Social Development: Women illustrate better than any other population group the combined impact of poverty, unemployment and social disintegration on health and quality of life. The development and prosperity of any society directly depend on the strength and creativity of its people. Women’s poor health status has a high economic cost in terms of lost productivity; in addition, their ability to provide adequate care and support for themselves and their families is very much diminished. The healthy development of child ensures that child is able to grow up, attend school and acquire skills, find gainful employment, achieve personal autonomy and live a self-fulfilling and productive life within its family and community. Poverty remains the main obstacle to health development. For millions of people, poverty implies lack of access to proper food, water and shelter, and therefore greater vulnerability to disease. In many industrialized countries, urban poverty is increasing, multiplying violence, drug abuse and risk of HIV infection. Everywhere, poverty and unemployment lead to a deterioration in health and jeopardize social cohesion. Health can be used as a rallying cry to foster social cooperation and consensus; it is thus a more powerful tool in coping with violence than confrontation. Unemployment, marginalization, and poverty are conditions that result in poorer health and are exacerbated by the discrimination girls and women face throughout their lives. In virtually every society, women face discrimination in education and employment, as well as social and economic status, all of which contribute to a heightened vulnerability to disease and ill-health. If the world community endorses the concept of equality in health, it will commit itself to achieving a better quality of life for all people and reducing differences in health status among countries and between population groups. As countries develop and implement their Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), one of the key challenges is to identify actions that will have the greatest impact on poverty and improve the lives of the poor. The challenge is compounded by the fact that poverty has many dimensions, cuts across many sectors, and is experienced differently by women and by men. In no region of the developing world are women equal to men in legal, social and economic rights. Gender gaps are widespread in access to and control of resources, in economic opportunities, in power and political voice. Gender equality is a development objective on its own — it also makes good business sense as it is central to economic growth and sustainable development. We at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) put particular emphasis on improving the health and well-being of women to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and women’s health to be used as a powerful progress indicator in achieving social development. About NGO Association with the UN: Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary — It confines its scope not just to “budgetary and administration” issues, it also monitors United Nations activities as diverse as reviewing human resources management policies and establishing strengthened security management systems to protect UN staff members worldwide. In a nutshell, it “considers all issues relating to the machinery of the Organization”. A budget outline is normally presented at the end of the “official budget” year and contains an estimate of resources to accommodate the United Nations main priorities, positive or negative growth compared with the previous budget and the size of the contingency fund. It also reflects inflation and exchange rate variations, as well as additional mandates approved after the adoption of biennium budget. Non-payment of dues by the Member States ultimately affects the Organization’s ability to deliver, since resources must be juggled from other parts of the system — to keep programs on tracks. Whether countries are rich or poor, they are all obligated to pay the contributions. One of the main features of the new scale was the reduction of the maximum rates of assessment from 25 to 22 per cent. Subsequently, the new ceiling has been applied to the United Nations main contributor — the United States — and the points arising as a result of the change were distributed among other States. On the Committee’s recommendation, the General Assembly also acted on a wide range of other issues, such as human resources management, financing for the international tribunals, the United Nations contingency fund, the Organization’s first performance report, and reports of UN oversight bodies. Towards a unified security system. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Science-based companies consider patent protection one of the main forms of expanding their powers of appropriation. Powers of appropriation are those mechanisms, including legal rights and entitlements, which allow individuals or entities to control the distribution of value created. A framework for measuring the degree of public health-sensitivity of patent legislation reformed after World Trade Organization’s TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement entered in force is proposed. It involves three main steps: (1) a literature review on TRIPS flexibilities related to the protection of public health and provisions considered “TRIPS-plus”; (2) content validation through consensus techniques (an adaptation of Delphi method); and (3) an analysis of patent legislation from nineteen Latin American and Caribbean countries. The framework’s potential usefulness in monitoring patent legislation changes arises from its clear parameters for measuring patent legislation’s degree of health sensitivity. Nevertheless, it can be improved by including indicators related to government and organized society initiatives that minimize free-trade agreements’ negative effects on access to medicines. For details please visit — World Intellectual Property Organization: www.wipo.int/clea/en/ Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 5, May 2007, 325-420 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Peace and Governance — Freedom from Fear: UNU strives to promote sustainable peace and good governance. Humankind cannot live free of fear when over a billion people continue to live in servitude to want. Equally, however, an environment of insecurity degrades the prospects for economic growth and development. The Peace and Governance Program examines the nature, roots, outbreaks, tools and consequences of conflict; and how to prevent, manage and resolve conflict. It develops recommendations and guidelines for making the world safer and better, for people of all faiths and ages, through just and equitable institutions and policies, protection and promotion of human rights, and enhancement of the quality of life. Point of View: Tracing adverse and favorable factors in pregnancy care, the TRACE technique “Knowing the precise reasons why women die will enable a start to be made in addressing the specific problems to be overcome” [WHO, 2004] Meaningful assessment of the quality of maternity health care services in developing countries is crucial for improving care. We developed the TRACE technique, based on the confidential enquiry method, to investigate why maternal death or severe obstetric morbidity occurs and to identify opportunities for improving services. In TRACE, contributing factors in cases of maternal death or severe obstetric morbidity are identified by committees of local health care providers. The committees use anonymous data (clinical case notes, medical records, or verbal accounts of events during the provision of care) to assess events according to a specific framework. Assessments are collected and patterns identified to generate recommendations for practice. The TRACE approach is novel in that effort is made to identify favorable, as well as adverse, factors. This helps alleviate some of the anxiety and defensiveness felt by health professionals when an enquiry is undertaken (1). TRACE has been applied to assess the quality of emergency obstetric care provided in communities through the Indonesian village midwife program and the clinical quality of care in hospitals before and after introduction of a fee exemption policy in Ghana. Despite considerable commitment to these safe motherhood strategies from the Ghanaian and Indonesian Governments, it is not certain whether the resources invested have resulted in improvements in care, and how further improvements could be achieved. In two diverse settings, the method proved to be a means for achieving improved resource allocation by identifying locally relevant adaptations to services. The enquiry represented a sustained effort by local providers to learn from adverse events. And the method was a learning tool fostering self-reflection, awareness and an understanding of the needs of pregnant women for those involved. The TRACE technique is freely available for local application as part of the IMMPACT Toolkit. It is a resource collection of research tools developed by IMMPACT, with guidance on how to design and conduct evaluations of complex health interventions for safe motherhood. By Julia Hussein and Lucia D’Ambruoso IMMPACT, University of Aberdeen Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom Reference: Hussein J. Improving the use of confidential enquiries into maternal deaths in developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2007; 85: 68-69. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis — Global Action”: series continues Affirming the key role played by the family in prevention, care, support and treatment of persons affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, bearing in mind that in different cultural, social and political systems various forms of the family exist; Affirming that beyond the key role played by communities, strong partnerships among Governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable groups, medical, scientific and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, the business sector including generic and research-based pharmaceutical companies, trade unions, media, parliamentarians, foundations, community organizations, faith-based organizations and traditional leaders are important; Acknowledging the particular role and significant contribution of people living with HIV/AIDS, young people and civil society actors in addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects and recognizing that their full involvement and participation in design, planning, implementation and evaluation of programs is crucial to the development of effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic; Further acknowledging the efforts of international humanitarian organizations combating the epidemic, including among others the volunteers of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the most affected areas all over the world; Commending the leadership role on HIV/AIDS policy and coordination in the United Nations system of the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board; noting its endorsement in December 2000 of the Global Strategy Framework for HIV/AIDS, which could assist, as appropriate, Member Sates and relevant civil society actors in the development of HIV/AIDS strategies, taking into account the particular context of the epidemic in different parts of the world; Solemnly declare our commitment to address the HIV/AIDS crisis by taking action as follows, taking into account the diverse situations and circumstances in different regions and countries throughout the world; Leadership Strong leadership at all levels of society is essential for an effective response to the epidemic. Leadership by Governments in combating HIV/AIDS is essential and their efforts should be complemented by the full and active participation of civil society, the business community and the private sector. Leadership involves personal commitment and concrete actions. At the national level By 2003, ensure the development and implementation of multisectoral national strategies and financing plans for combating HIV/AIDS that: address the epidemic in forthright terms; confront stigma, silence and denial; address gender and age-based dimensions of the epidemic; eliminate discrimination and marginalization; involve partnerships with civil society and the business sector and the full participation of people living with HIV/AIDS, those in vulnerable groups and people mostly at risk, particularly women and young people; are resourced to the extent possible from national budgets without excluding other sources, inter alias international cooperation; fully promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; integrate a gender perspective; and address risk, vulnerability, prevention, care, treatment and support and reduction of the impact of the epidemic; and strengthen health, education and legal system capacity; By 2003, integrate HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support and impact mitigation priorities into the mainstream of development planning, including in poverty eradication strategies, national budget allocations and sectoral development plans; At the regional and subregional level Urge and support regional organizations and partners to: be actively involved in addressing the crisis; intensify regional, subregional and interregional cooperation and coordination; and develop regional strategies and responses in support of expanded country level efforts; Support all regional and subregional initiatives on HIV/AIDS including: the International Partnership against AIDS in Africa (IPPA) and the ECA-African Development Forum Consensus and Plan of Action: Leadership to Overcome HIV/AIDS; the Abuja Declaration and Framework for Action for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Disease; the CARICOM Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS; the ESCAP Regional Call for Action to Fight HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; the Baltic Sea Initiative and Action Plan; the Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group on HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean; the European Union Program for Action; Accelerated Action on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in the context of poverty reduction To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in April 2007: Elder Abuse;WHEC Publication. Special thanks to American Bar Association, Commission on Legal Problems for the Elderly, for its contribution. Breastfeeding Guidelines for Healthcare Providers;WHEC Publication. Special thanks to WHO and UNICEF for the contributions. News, Invitations and Letters: CLIMATE CHANGE REQUIRES LONG-TERM GLOBAL RESPONSE, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL SG/A/1061-ENV/DEV/929. SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS THREE NEW SPECIAL ENVOYS ON CLIMATE CHANGE The Year in Review 2006, published by the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), gives a snapshot picture of civil society engagement in the policy and normative work of the UN and reviews the various consultations, forums, policy dialogues, hearings, CSO advisory committees that have taken place throughout the year 2006. It is hoped that readers will find this new NGLS publication – supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – to be a useful and concise overview of the UN system’s engagement with the non-governmental community in 2006. The Year in Review 2006 is available in English as a pdf document at: http://www.un-ngls.org/site/IMG/pdf/YiR2006.pdf (Requires Adobe Reader) The Trusteeship Council was established by the UN Charter in 1945 to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories placed under the administration of 7 Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government or independence. The Charter authorized the Trusteeship Council to examine and discuss reports from the Administering Authority on the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples of Trust Territories; to examine petitions from the Territories; and to undertake special missions to the Territories. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighboring independent countries. The last to do was the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), which became the 185th Member State. Its work completed, the Trusteeship Council — consisting of the five permanent members of the Security Council, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — has amended its rules of procedure to meet as and where occasion may require. Teaching women to care for themselves in Afghanistan: Afghan women have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. They face many obstacles when it comes to accessing health care: most are rural and do not live close to or cannot access medical facilities, if the need arises. The few existing facilities do not necessarily specialize in obstetric and gynecological care and cannot always offer quality care. Many Afghan families do not recognize signs of complication during pregnancy and delivery, and may not seek medical attention soon enough to save the lives of mothers and babies. Also ongoing insecurity and cultural norms in the country often keep women from leaving the house to seek urgently needed medical care. Because of cultural pressures, families are reluctant to present women to male doctors, and few female doctors are trained to meet the overwhelming medical needs of women; these conditions constitute a death sentence for thousands of women each year. Details: http://www.un.org:80/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue4/0405p46.html Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Sol Oca, Information Officer, United Nations Department of Public Information (UN-DPI), for her continuing support to our projects. Thanks for the friendship. Beyond the numbers… Some use computers to enhance creative thinking skills; while others use thinking skills to improve computer creativity.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) October 2007; Vol. 2, No. 10 Lessons from the Field The Internet has the potential to revitalize the role played by the people in poverty and growth framework. It is a platform. The democratization of knowledge by the Internet has brought the enlightenment. We can see it happening before our eyes. Proof that nature and progress can coexist comfortably – very, very comfortably. This is WomensHealthSection.com – this is the pursuit of perfection. Science & Art: Simplified. Anyone, anywhere, can make a positive difference. Everyone matters. Everyone makes a difference. Working with the UN and UN System has been a joy and a privilege. It is the best of the best. Eventually it all boils down to: How can we eradicate poverty, improve standard of living for the citizens of the world and eliminate diseases. Statistics may allow us to draw conclusions, but they seldom motivate us to make commitments. Words have the extraordinary power to change our thinking, our emotions, to affect our attitudes and alter results. You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself. As a society, we are getting better – networked democracy is taking hold. The name “United Nations”, coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the “Declaration by United Nations” of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories. United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year. On 24 October 2007 WomensHealthSection.com celebrates its 5th anniversary – the journey continues. It also represents both your passion for knowledge and love of humanity. The language of kindness is understood by all. We think you will want to make sure that WHEC Update is part of your reading. And there is more. I remember as a child saying that my true heart was to work with the United Nations. So many people are not happy or do not know what they want to do with their lives. It is something I am grateful for. When I work on WomenHealthSection.com or on any other project with the United Nations, it is really not work for me – it is an extension of my being. Regardless of where we came from, each and every one of us could and should follow our dreams. The perspective and predispositions that you carry around in your head are very important in shaping what you see and what you don’t see. One great teacher can change your thinking. Many great teachers can change your life. It has been a great honor and privilege to compile this journal with our friends and colleagues as we continue to embark this journey. We hope WomensHealthSection.com tempts you with the excitement and possibility. Beckons you. It calls you. This is where the story begins. Welcome to the WomensHealthSection.com team! The Lessons Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What are Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs)? What can we expect from the health components of PRSPs? PRSPs: Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers are national planning frameworks for low-income countries. All countries wishing to access concessional loans through the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF), or wishing to benefit from debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative are required to produce a PRSP. As development cooperation continues to move “upstream”, towards program aid and budget support and away from individually funded projects, PRSPs are also becoming the framework around which some bilateral donors – notably the Nordic countries and the UK – build their cooperation programs. As of December 2003, 32 countries have produced “full” PRSPs. The nature of PRSP documents, and the multiple functions they are designed to fulfill, implies at least two important tensions. The first is between PRSPs as country-owned development strategies, and between PRSPs as, essentially, “funding applications” to the World Bank. The second important tension is between PRSPs as planning frameworks. One body of opinion argues that PRSPs should present a program based on need irrespective of available resources, while others believe that PRSPs should plan around available resources, ensuring that these are spent to achieve maximum impact on poverty reduction. PRSPs are multisectoral plans and their discussion of health is therefore limited. They cannot (and should not attempt to) replace existing health-sector programs, nor should they be expected to contain full details of a comprehensive health strategy. PRSPs should prioritize those health interventions most likely to improve the health of the poor(est) and help to reduce poverty. Drawing on work in WHO, the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and elsewhere, the framework developed for the review look for: 1) evidence for generic health interventions which are considered pro-poor; 2) specific targeting of the poorest groups or geographical regions, given the country context; 3) interventions in other sectors which can have a positive impact on health. Different combinations of these approaches may be appropriate in different countries. In many African countries, where the number of poor is excessively high, a general strengthening of health services in rural areas and a greater focus on the conditions that disproportionately affect the poor may be appropriate. In Latin America, where health services are better established, a more targeted approach may be needed in conjunction with universal strengthening of services. In either case, a pro-poor policy needs to be used on the country context. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) hopes to strengthen the links between the United Nations and Civil Society on PRSP issues and in particular for a strengthened Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) – Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) axis. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: The Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, Madhu Raman Acharya, was elected Chairman of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 8 June 2006. His views on various issues on Fourth Committee’s agenda are: The Fourth Committee has shifted away from issues of decolonization as nations gained their independence, and has taken on a more political focus. How prominent are issues of decolonization in this Committee today? As the main wave of decolonization is already completed, I wouldn’t say that decolonization is the most prominent issue. But certainly there are remaining issues that need to be addressed. The Committee is still engaged in a discussion of certain territories that are in question. That said, the United Nations has made significant progress in this area. A major issue that has emerged in the Fourth Committee is an investigation into the Palestinian territories. What are some of the challenges in working with issues in these territories? There are two sides to this issue. One is the question of Palestinian refugees, which the Fourth Committee deals with, and especially the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with its reports directed to the General Assembly. This is quite challenging. The operations are messy, they are complex and they include both humanitarian as well as development aspects. The work is also difficult because of the complex political climate in the region. The other side of the Palestinian issue is the question of human rights, which falls under the title Israeli Practices in our work. We discuss the human rights situation of the Palestinian people, which has become very challenging as well. Because of recent events in the region, the issue has been highlighted, and we have had very intensive debates. In fact, we’re going to vote on this issue very soon. Israel’s representative has questioned the validity of the Special Committee assigned to track its activities in the Palestinian territories and in Syrian Golan. How does this affects the Fourth Committee? The Committee did discuss these issues at length and the delegation of Israel did, in fact, challenge the validity of these agreements that were reached. It is the Committee’s job to encourage all sides to conform to international humanitarian and human rights norms, and this is where the issue remains to date. While ideally it would be nice to have all Member States conform to the system that has been put in place, we do understand that certain delegations have reservations of their own national interest. However, we must not forget the fact that these situations exist-the practices are there; they need to be addressed. And if a large, universal body like the United Nations cannot address them, then nobody can. Have there been any other issues that really stood out to you at this year’s session? The issue of outer space, which should be used universally by all humankind, and not just by a few States-this is an interesting topic. Some Member States have also highlighted the effects of the atomic radiation tests that have been taking place in some territories. The gravity of both dictates that the United Nations, as a universal global body, should delve into these issues, so that they don’t later become confined to some Member States. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): What is the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care and the financial and organizational implications? Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report on the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care: Antenatal care, also known as prenatal care, is the complex of interventions that a pregnant woman receives from organized health care services. The number of different interventions in antenatal care is large. These interventions may be provided in approximately 12-16 antenatal care visits during a pregnancy. The purpose of antenatal care is to prevent or identify and treat conditions that may threaten the health of the fetus/newborn and/or the mother, and to help a woman approach pregnancy and birth as positive experiences. To a large extent antenatal care can contribute greatly to this purpose and can in particular help provide a good start for the newborn child. This report is HEN’s response to a question from a decision-maker. It provides a synthesis of the best available evidence, including a summary of the main findings and policy options related to the issue. HEN, initiated and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, is an information service for public health and health care decision-makers in the WHO European Region. Other interested parties might also benefit from HEN. This HEN evidence report is a commissioned work and the contents are the responsibility of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the official policies of WHO/Europe. Details: http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E82996.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 10, October 2007, 733-820 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): United Nations University, Annual Report 2006: Science and technology are critical components of the development process. Rapid technological advances have created unprecedented opportunities, making it crucial that nations possess the ability to develop, master and utilize innovation systems that facilitate technological advancement. But the impact of this increasing technological capability, in terms of social and ethical issues as well as the broader societal impacts of technological change, are only partially understood. UNU work in the area of “science, technology and society” focuses on increasing our understanding as a means to bridge the burgeoning “digital divide” and ensure fair access and benefit-sharing. United Nations University operates as a decentralized, global “network of networks”. The UNU system comprises the following core units, which are assisted by 14 UNU Associated Institutions and hundreds of other cooperating institutions. UNU receives no funds from the regular UN budget; the University is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, agencies, international organizations, private companies and foundations. For the 2006-2007 biennium, the overall UNU budget is US$88.0 million. While this represents an 8 per cent increase from the 2004-2005 biennium for the UNU system overall, the budget for UNU Centre was reduced by almost 15 per cent. Financing for 2006 came predominantly from core funding, with the rest representing specific programme contributions (78 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively). In 2006, UNU received investment income from its Endowment Fund, and operating and specific programme contributions from 14 governments and more than 75 other sources. UNU also benefited from counterpart and other support, such as cost-sharing support for fellowships and other activities. UNU system expenditures in 2006 were allocated 35 per cent for academic activities, 48 per cent for personnel costs and 17 per cent for general costs. Details: http://www.unu.edu/publications/annualreports/files/UNU_ar2006-report.pdf United Nations – Department of Public Information (UN-DPI): DPI informs a global audience about the activities and purposes of the United Nations. It communicates the complex work of the United Nations system through a multiplicity of outreach efforts and campaigns, including the United Nations web site, radio and television, press releases, publications, documentary videos, special events, public tours and library facilities, with the assistance of its 70 information components around the world. The head of DPI is responsible for United Nations communications policy, ensuring a coordinated and transparent flow of information on the work of the United Nations and developing a cohesive culture of communications throughout the Organization. The Public Affairs Division conducts promotional information campaigns on global priority issues, organizes special events and exhibits, arranges issue-oriented press activities, manages workshops and special programs for journalists, educators and other re-disseminators, provides partnerships with civil society, in particular NGOs, serves as an information resource about the United Nations for the general public, and organizes other outreach activities, including the guided tour of the United Nations Headquarters. The News and Media Division facilitates the access of news organizations and media worldwide to news and information about the United Nations and its activities. It puts our daily news via radio and on the Internet, produces other radio and video programming, provides live TV feeds and photo coverage of United Nations meetings and events, and provides press accreditation. The Library and Information Resources Division facilitates access to United Nations documents and publications through the products and services of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, both directly and through its Internet site and its network of more than 350 depository libraries around the world. It also provides cartographic services and manages the publications and sales programs. The Office of the Spokesman of the Secretary-General, administered by DPI, is responsible for planning the Secretary-General’s media-related activities. The Spokesman, who reports directly to the Secretary-General, briefs journalists on a daily basis. Office of Legal Affairs (OLA): The Office of Legal Affairs is the central legal service of the Organization. It provides legal advice to the Secretary-General, Secretariat departments and offices and principal and subsidiary organs of the United Nations in the field of public and private international law; performs substantive and secretariat functions for legal organs involved in public international law, the law of the sea and international trade law; and performs the functions conferred on the Secretary-General in Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Statute of the International Court of Justice. OLA deals with legal questions relating to international peace and security; to the status, privileges and immunities of the United Nations; and to the credentials and representations of Member States. It prepares drafts of international conventions, agreements, rules of procedure of United Nations organs and conferences and other legal instruments; provides legal services and advice on issues of international private and administrative law and on Untied Nations resolutions and regulations; provides secretariat services for the General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, the International Law Commission, the Commission of International Trade Law, the organs established by the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Administrative Tribunal and other legal bodies; discharges the Secretary-General’s responsibilities regarding the registration and publication of treaties and the depository of multilateral conventions. The head of the Office – the Legal Counsel – represents the Secretary-General at meetings and conferences of a legal nature, as well as in judicial and arbitral proceedings; certifies legal instruments issued on behalf of the United Nations; and convenes meetings of the Legal Advisers of the United Nations System and represents the United Nations at such meetings. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues Call on the international community, where possible, to provide assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in developing countries on a grant basis; Increase and prioritize national budgetary allocations for HIV/AIDS programs as required and ensure that adequate allocations are made by all ministries and other relevant stakeholders; Urge the developed countries that have not done so to strive to meet the targets of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for overall official development assistance and the targets of earmarking of 0.15 per cent to 0.20 per cent of gross national product as official development assistance for least developed countries as agreed, as soon as possible, taking into account the urgency and gravity of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic; Urge the international community to complement and supplement efforts of developing countries that commit increased national funds to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic through increased international development assistance, particularly those countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, countries at high risk of expansion of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other affected regions whose resources to deal with the epidemic are seriously limited; Integrate HIV/AIDS actions in development assistance programs and poverty eradication strategies as appropriate and encourage the most effective and transparent use of all resources allocated; Call on the international community and invite civil society and the private sector to take appropriate measures to help alleviate the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS in the most affected developing countries; Without further delay implement the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative and agree to cancel all bilateral official debts of HIPC countries as soon as possible, especially those most affected by HIV/AIDS, in return for their making demonstrable commitments to poverty eradication and urge the use of debt service savings to finance poverty eradication programs, particularly for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support and other infections; Call for speedy and concerted action to address effectively the debt problems of least developed countries, low-income developing countries, and middle-income developing countries, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS, in a comprehensive, equitable, development-oriented and durable way through various national and international measures designed to make their debt sustainable in the long term and thereby to improve their capacity to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including, as appropriate, existing orderly mechanisms for debt reduction, such as debt swaps for projects aimed at the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS; Encourage increased investment in HIV/AIDS-related research, nationally, regionally and internationally, in particular for the development of sustainable and affordable prevention technologies, such as vaccines and microbicides, and encourage the proactive preparation of financial and logistic plans to facilitate rapid access to vaccines when they become available; Support the establishment, on an urgent basis, of a global HIV/AIDS and health fund to finance an urgent and expanded response to the epidemic based on an integrated approach to prevention, care, support and treatment and to assist Governments inter alia in their efforts to combat HIV/AIDS with due priority to the most affected countries, notably in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean and to those countries at high risk, mobilize contributions to the fund from public and private sources with a special appeal to donor countries, foundations, the business community including pharmaceutical companies, the private sector, philanthropists and wealthy individuals; To be continued… Top Two-Articles Accessed in September 2007: Poverty and Maternal Mortality; WHEC Publications. Dedicated to the Citizens of the World. Special thanks to WHO, World Bank and IMF for the contributions and forums. Gratitude is express to the UN Chronicle for the cover-page. HELLP Syndrome – Diagnosis and Management; Author: Dr. Baha M. Sibai, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) News, Invitations, and Letters: UNITED NATIONS THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON UNITED NATIONS DAY 24 October 2007 The world is changing in the United Nations’ favor — as more people and Governments understand that multilateralism is the only path in our interdependent and globalizing world. Global problems demand global solutions — and going it alone is not a viable option. Whether we are speaking of peace and security, development, or human rights, demands on our Organization are growing every day. I am determined to ensure that we make progress on the pressing issues of our time, step by step, building on achievements along the way, working with Member States and civil society. That means strengthening the UN’s ability to play its role to the fullest extent in conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building. And it means invigorating our efforts for disarmament and non-proliferation. At the same time, we must redouble our efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in Africa. I will seek to mobilize political will and hold leaders to their commitments on aid, trade and debt relief. And I will continue to do all I can to galvanize global and decisive action on climate change. The UN is the natural forum for building consensus on this pressing issue, as we saw in the high-level event held a month ago on the margins of the General Assembly. The many leaders who attended sent a clear message to the Bali negotiations in December under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: this is no longer business as usual, and we must build momentum across industrialized and developing countries to ensure results. Protecting the climate for present and future generations is in the common interest of all. If security and development are two pillars of the UN’s work, human rights is the third. I will work with Member States and civil society to translate the concept of the Responsibility to Protect from word to deed, so as to ensure timely action when populations face genocide, ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity. Finally, we must transform the UN itself. We must adapt to meet new needs, and ensure the highest standards of ethics, integrity and accountability, so as to demonstrate that we are fully answerable to all Member States and to people around the world. We will be judged in the future on the actions we take today — on results. On this United Nations Day, let us rededicate ourselves to achieving them. United Nations Charter: The Charter is the constituting instrument of the Organization, setting out the rights and obligations of Member States, and establishing the United Nations organs and procedures. An international treaty, the Charter codifies the major principles of international relations – from the sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use force in international relations. The Preamble to the Charter expresses the ideals and common aims of all the peoples whose governments joined together to form the United Nations: “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, “HAVING RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS. Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.” The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Mr. Russell Taylor, Senior Editor, UN Chronicle, Educational Outreach Section, United Nations for his priceless support to our project / program in women’s health and healthcare. We at the Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) are grateful to him for his friendship and guidance. Thank you very much for everything. Beyond the numbers… People themselves must be at the center of health policy. This implies the need to communicate fully and clearly with the public.Read More