Having trouble viewing this email? Click here UN in Focus Newsbrief N0. 5/2009 December 2009 Quick Links FES NY Events FES NY Publications More About Us Dear Friends, This is the last edition of this year's"UN in Focus" Newsbrief. We wish you very happy holidays and a peaceful and successful 2010! With all best wishes, Werner Puschra Director Friedrich Ebert Stiftung- New York Office Toward A World Reserve System In the long run, a single national currency cannot provide the basis for a stable, international monetary system. Recognition of this fundamental problem provided the rationale for creating the IMF's Special Drawing Rights(SDRs) in the 1960s. The global economic crisis that began in 2008, shows that the dollar standard- in place since the early 1970s places unfair burdens on developing countries and creates a system that is inequitable to the developing world. A preview meeting organized by the FES at the United Nations on November 5th and a daylong conference on November 6th organized by the FES in cooperation with the Initiative for Policy Dialogue and with support from the Ford Foundation at Columbia University brought experts in the history, alternative forms of and regional strategies to ard Reser e S stems into dialogue ith senior polic makers and

Ford Foundation at Columbia University brought experts in the history, alternative forms of and regional strategies toward Reserve Systems into dialogue with senior policymakers and key representatives from the United Nations, Bretton Woods Institutions and civil society organizations to discuss prospects for a new World Reserve System. Event Webpage FES Fall Academy Already for the fourth time, FES New York hosted its annual Fall Academy "Understanding the United Nations." From November 9 to 13, 2009, 19 young policy analysts from all over the world were invited to come to New York to gain first-hand insights into the working of the UN. The program addressed various topics and branches of the UN's work, as seen through the lenses of diplomats, UN Secretariat staff, NGOs and academia. List of Participants More Photos FES New York participated in UN Inter-Parliamentary Union Hearing Werner Puschra contributed to a panel discussion that was part of this year's hearing at the UN of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU). The hearings addressed the multilateral response to the global economic crisis, and helped bring the United Nations and its global agenda closer to the community of legislators and elected representatives. Presentation IPU Webpage Towards A Socially Responsible and Democratic Global Economic System:Transparency, Accountability and Governance Sara Burke and Christopher Rude Beginning in the fall of 2008 under the aegis of the first G20 leaders meeting, national governments, central banks and international financial institutions organized themselves with blinding speed to rescue the global financial system. Unfortunately, reforms to increase transparency and accountability in the governance of these same financial institutions has not proceeded at a similarly urgent pace. This paper proposes principles for strengthening these reform efforts in order to move towards a more socially responsible and democratic global economic system. Briefing Paper 15, FES New York, November 2009 http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/usa/06778-20091105.pdf Copenhagen 2009: How to Finance Climate Policy

Stefan Strohe The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, December 7th- 18th 2009, is an opportunity to design a new climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012. This fact sheet outlines the positions of the maincountries and groupings with regards to curbing carbon emissions and sharing the financial burden. Fact Sheet, FES New York, December 2009 http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/usa/06881.pdf Forward email Email Marketing by Update Profile/Email Address| Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™| Privacy Policy. Friedrich Ebert Foundation| 747 Third Avenue, Suite 22B| New York| NY| 10017