Having trouble viewing this email? Click here UN in Focus Newsbrief N0. 1/2011 February 2011 Quick Links FES NY Events FES NY Publications World Social Forum 2011 More About Us Dear Friends, the New Year has begun and as usual it starts with the 49th session of the Commission for Social Development(CSoD), taking place from 9 th to 18 th of February. We are using this occasion, again, to work with our partners on issues related to global social governance. The Civil Society Forum just before the start of the session focuses this year on poverty eradication and looks at strategies and structures to tackle the root causes of poverty. We are very happy to have Martin Lees, former Secretary General of the Club of Rome and now member of the Climate Change Task Force with us for the whole week. He will speak on various occasions, touching on topics like the food crisis and the challenges of climate change and others. Climate policy is another focus of our work this year, after the outcomes of Cancun and prior to the Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012. We start next week with a multi-stakeholder panel discussion on"Climate Finance: Ethical Considerations for Scale, Sources and Governance". A third topic of concern for many people around the world is global governance and the need to reform the existing global governance setup. We have organized a panel discussion on"What Role for the UN in Global Governance?", taking place on the 10 th of February, with participation of Joseph Deiss, President of the General Assembly, giving a keynote. He will be joined in the debate by the Ambassadors from India and Argentina (Chairman of the Group of G77 at the UN) and Martin Lees. Parallel to these events in New York, the FES will be participating in the 10th World Social Forum(WSF) in Dakar/Senegal and is organizing and supporting a set of seminars and workshops in cooperation with various partner organizations. FES activities in Dakar provide a platform for dialogue between representatives from trade unions, NGOs, and other organizations and members of civil society under the overall heading " Globalization has to be shaped in social and democratic ways." With best wishes, Werner Puschra Director Friedrich Ebert Stiftung- New York Office

Upcoming Events Please note that all events are by invitation only, unless otherwise announced. "Reception for Speakers and Bureau- Prior to the 49th Commission for Social Development" 7 February 2011, 06:00 pm- 08:00 pm, 2011; Bahá'í International, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York The meeting provides an opportunity for members of the 49 th Bureau of the Commission for Social Development to meet Forum organizers and the participating Civil Society panelists, as well as to share expectations and strategize prior to the Forum. "Climate Finance: Ethical Considerations for Scale, Sources and Governance" 7 February 2011, 10:00 am-1:00 pm , UNHQ, Conference Room 4(North Lawn Building), New York This multistakeholder panel discussion will be moderated by Mr. Janos Pasztor, Director of the UN Secretary General's Climate Change Support Team. Participants will include experts on climate change and climate finance from governments, the private sector and civil society organizations. Following on the heels of COP 16, this event will provide an important opportunity to discuss ethical considerations for climate finance such as how scale, sources and governance reconcile with the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. more information "Commission for Social Development Civil Society Forum" 8 February 2011, 10:00 am- 4:45 pm, UNHQ, Conference Room 4(North Lawn Building), New York Each year the NGO Committee conducts a Forum, based on the theme to be addressed by the UN Commission for Social Development at its annual meeting. The priority theme of the 49th Session of the Commission is"Poverty Eradication: Human dignity Demands It." Coming less than five months after the MDG Summit last September, the Commission will be an opportunity for governments and civil society to engage yet again on effective policies and practices that lead to poverty reduction. During the Forum, the focus is set on three approaches which are regarded as effective in reducing poverty: debt cancellation, microfinance(Pros and Cons) and decent work. CSocD CSO Forum Program "The Food Crisis and the Limits to Growth" This discussion event with Martin Lees is organized by the NGO Working Group on Food and Hunger at the UN. It will take place at the Church Center, The Hardin Room(1 st Avenue/44 th Street) on 9 February, 1:00 pm- 2:45 pm. A light lunch will be served. Please RSPV to melissamartin@globalpolicy.org by February 8.

"Facing the Challenges of Climate Change: The Key Role of China" with Martin Lees and Jomo Kwame Sundaram(Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN DESA) organized by the Ralph Bunche Institute 9 February, 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm, Rooms C201-C202, The Graduate Center at The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue(at 34th Street), New York The talk will place climate change in the context of the systemic environmental, economic and developmental issues confronting the world community. It will examine current patterns of growth and development, identify key drivers of climate change, suggest actions to contain its adverse effects, and explain how the evolving goals, policies and actions of China can help to catalyze a concerted international response. SEATING IS FREE, BUT LIMITED RSVP REQUIRED: ekaretny@gc.cuny.edu* Please arrive 6pm to ensure prompt 6:15 start "What Role for the UN in Global Governance?" 10 February 2011, 1:15 pm- 2:45 pm, UNHQ-Delegates Dining Room, New York The world is facing various interconnected global crises related to climate change, food security, water and resource scarcity, and the stability of the global economic and financial system. As a consequence, social inequality has increased, millions of jobs are being lost and human development is at stake. This situation presents unprecedented challenges to the multilateral system and its institutional framework. The elevation of the G20 to the Leaders' level in 2008- now widely perceived as an effective and necessary emergency response to the financial crisis- has raised the stakes for the UN's inclusive and formal multilateralism, which must now show that it can be as effective in dealing with global crises as the informal clubs of the most powerful countries. This state of affairs also raises an urgent question to Member States: What reforms are necessary for the UN to play a leading role in global governance? The role of the UN in global governance will be a central topic of discussion in the General Assembly in 2011, following on the 2010 General Assembly Resolution on the United Nations in Global Governance and the announcement by General Assembly President Deiss of his intention to organize an informal thematic debate on the broader aspects of global governance in the late spring in order to provide a platform for discussing questions of efficacy and legitimacy of the present global governance architecture and for exploring innovative and inclusive instruments of global governance. Confirmed speakers: Mr. Martin Lees, International Affairs Expert, The Climate Change Task Force and former Secretary General of the Club of Rome(2008-2010), Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri from the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Ambassador Argüello from the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the UN and Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, who will deliver the keynote address. What Role for the UN in Global Governance- Program Forward email This email was sent to vlehmann@fesny.org by vlehmann@fesny.org| Update Profile/Email Address| Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™| Privacy Policy. Friedrich Ebert Foundation| 747 Third Avenue, Suite 22B| New York| NY| 10017