Female peacekeepers are great assets to the UN. A Rwandan police officer is greeted warmly by women and children while on patrol in Gao, Mali.Photo: UN Photo/Marco Dormino
The vision and promise of the United Nations is that food, healthcare, water and sanitation, education, decent work and social security are not commodities for sale to those who can afford them, but basic human rights to which we are all entitled. Those were the poignant words of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in a hard hitting speech on 18 July 2020 to mark Mandela Day.
For every staff of the United Nations family the Mandela speech by Mr. Guterres was powerful and inspirational. Speaking about the scourge of inequality, he said, while we are all floating on the same sea, its clear that some are in superyachts while others are clinging to the drifting debris.
For me, the United Nations (UN) is personal. Coming from a family rendered refugees due to the partition of India in 1947, as a child I benefited from its immunization programmes- I actually survived polio. The UNs work with the Government of India helped to eradicate smallpox and polio in my home country, where these diseases used to take a huge toll on lives and livelihoods.
Although forged in the crucible of wars and crippling ideological rivalries between East and West, the United Nations has since managed to convince the world of the need to compromise and to take each others views into account and to listen to others while facing humanitys enduring challenges. That this has been achieved in just 75 years is remarkable.
In the narrative of the period when humanity made great social, cultural, and economic advances, the UN takes centre stage. For more than two decades during my service in the UN system, I have been part of this story and am convinced that the UN still matters, perhaps now more than ever.
While the calamitous cost of two World Wars and subsequent ideological fault-lines convinced humankind of the need for a body like the UN, the challenges facing us today remain just as formidable. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, it does not take much to upend not only individual lives, but entire societies and economies. There are numerous reasons for people to feel insecure in todays world.
Among these are strong indications of resurgent nationalism and warning signs of ethnic and religious isolationism that not only threaten states, communities and individuals. Combined with humanitarian and climate disasters, these challenges have been articulated and framed for action as the Sustainable Development Goals that the UN is spearheading everywhere in the world.
Just as diplomacy was the basis for the establishment of the UN, my experience in the frontlines of combat operations when I served in the Indian Army convinced me that there is a better way to solve conflicts. My early career in the UN was spent in countries almost defined by war and instability, such as Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Somalia. The images of men, women, and children driven from their homes by murder, rape, and the burning down of schools and homes is seared in my mind.
I am proud to have been part of the United Nations response to complex humanitarian challenges. In Indonesia, for example, an innovation by the UN called a school-in-a-box helped children return to their regular school routine as quickly as possible during the conflict in Aceh when schools were being burned down. We helped maintain immunization, reproductive health services, education as well as nutrition services, working in difficult and life-threatening situations in Darfur, Somalia, and Iraq. We demobilized child soldiers in the midst of a conflict in South Sudan.
With the Coronavirus pandemic raging, UN country teams all over the world are working tirelessly with their respective host governments to flatten the curve.
In various countries today, internecine conflicts, hunger, and disease continue to take a tragic toll, especially among the worlds children. The malignant neglect of our global environment threatens all of us. The UN retains unprecedented respect, acceptance, and mobilizing capacity to rally member states to act together to solve these problems.
The nature of todays challenges compels us towards integration and collaboration. Humankind must find new ways to work together more effectively in pursuit of our collective interests and to think anew about how our institutions of international cooperation can be strengthened.
The UN has enabled many member states to embark on transformational journeys; life expectancy is rising, jobs being created, and people lifted out of poverty. Yet in many others, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, progress is fragile and unequal. The UN constantly seeking new models that are inclusive and sustainable, and is opening up new opportunities to harness big data, technology and innovation to leapfrog development, through ground breaking partnerships with the private sector.
Many factors have sometimes stymied the United Nations work. These range from reliability of funding to the difficulties of achieving consensus between diverse member states on complex topics. Such factors have sometimes made us slow and limited our impact.
Antonio Guterres has said that worldwide consultation process around the 75th anniversary of the United Nations has made clear that people want a global governance system that delivers for them. Therefore the bold reforms underway, led by Mr Guterres, will make the organization more nimble, better equipped and prepared to deal with contemporary challenges.
UN country teams are adapting to new realities in their programmes, reflecting the shifts (such as peacekeeping to peace-building) through social and economic development support and humanitarian relief.
In Kenya, the countrys President, Uhuru Kenyatta is spearheading the charge to eradicate female genital mutilation supported by the United Nations. I have seen firsthand the reduction in maternal and infant mortality due to complications at childbirth, universal access to primary education and better a collective push to achieve universal health coverage.
I continue to see the promise of peace and prosperity for the most vulnerable marginalized that comes with the UNs work, such as the Kenya Uganda cross border initiative to promote peace and development in the Karamoja area, mired in rivalry over scant resources and experiencing the debilitating impact of climate change. Amina Mohammed the UN Deputy Secretary General said, Its exciting to see the new ways in which governments, communities and partners are coming together with UN teams to mobilize across borders especially when it comes to taking climate action.
COVID-19 has confirmed that the era of national problems is receding fast, by revealing national and global fragilities to an invisible virus. The pandemic is a stark reminder of the need for cooperation across borders, sectors and generations.
Today we can see that most challenges are global and interconnected, and can only be tackled through global action coordinated through global institutions.
At the signing of the United Nations Charter, in San Francisco in 1945, the President of the United States of America, Harry Truman said, If we fail to use it, we shall betray all those who have died so that we might meet here in freedom and safety to create it. If we seek to use it selfishly for the advantage of any one nation or any small group of nations we shall be equally guilty of that betrayal.
Those farsighted leaders who founded the United Nations 75 years ago gave us the momentum to propel humanity to greater security and prosperity. Today, the UN continues to be a sound investment, a real beacon of hope.
Siddharth Chatterjee is the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Kenya. He has served in various parts of the world with UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNOPS, UN Peacekeeping and the Red Cross Movement. A decorated Special Forces veteran, he is an alumnus of Princeton University. Follow him on twitter-@sidchat1
Visit link:
Op-Ed: Women Empowerment During The Covid-19 Pandemic - Forbes Africa
- Bodies of Empowerment Personal Training - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Series On Personal Empowerment at Psychology, Philosophy ... - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Empowering Women - Self Empowerment, Personal & Spiritual ... - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Empowerment and Strengths-Based Perspective: Social Work - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Top 100 Womens Empowerment Blogs | Psychology of Eating - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Empowerment Theory - Springer - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- radKIDS.org - The national leader in children's safety - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Personal Empowerment Program : World Youth - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Personal Empowerment - Life Change 90 - January 12th, 2017 [January 12th, 2017]
- 'This is a phase of empowerment' - The Hindu - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 'Pink' actress joins campaign for women empowerment - The New Indian Express - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Help yourself, Feb. 8 - Casper Star-Tribune Online - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Making Sure Americans' Longer Lives Are Healthy - Next Avenue - Next Avenue - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Senator announces legislation to protect seniors from fraud - WSYR - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Here's who will share a personal tale of 'Behind the scenes' at Coachella Valley Storytellers Project - The Desert Sun - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Another Voice: Land trust will empower Fruit Belt residents - Buffalo News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Tech is empowering women, and it's great for business - GreenBiz - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Town Crier: Help Yourself - Casper Star-Tribune Online - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- WE Are Women's Philanthropy - Jewish Exponent - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Boston's Office of Financial Empowerment Wants to Spread the Wealth - Next City - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Empowering the Data Subject - Manila Bulletin - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- The Ripple - Olney Daily Mail - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Problem With A 'Shoppable' Presidency - Forbes - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Making Sure Our Longer Lives Are Healthy Ones - Forbes - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- L'Anse Creuse Community Action Coalition Hosts 16 Annual Dialogue Day - Patch.com - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Town Crier: Help Yourself | Town Crier | trib.com - Casper Star-Tribune Online - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Springs School News, February 16 - 27east.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Northwest Credit Union Foundation partners with BALANCE to provide personal finance training to MESA participants - CUinsight.com (press release) - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- 5 Steps To Validate Your Business Idea Before Getting Started - Forbes - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Katy Perry Dances Till the World Ends and MIA Starts a New Wave - New York Times - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Fire service receives funding to deliver 'personal development ... - Wiltshire Times - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Milk Makeup Is Celebrating Its Anniversary With A New Campaign - NYLON - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Bells University, New Horizons sign MoU On ICT empowerment for students - NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (press release) (blog) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Mastering Trump's mastermind: Sebastian Gorka and the struggle between Islam and the West - EUROPP - European Politics and Policy (blog) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Melinda Gates Credits Contraception With Her Personal and Professional Success - Slate Magazine (blog) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- 4 Low-Cost Benefits That Majorly Boost Employee Healthiness - Tech.Co - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Ajit Pai's digital empowerment agenda is good news for rural America - The Hill (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Humana, JE Dunn among top winners at Healthiest Employers Awards (SLIDESHOW) - Atlanta Business Chronicle - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- The Vagina Monologues Grabs Back Female Empowerment - The Stanford Daily - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- The truth about Ivanka's Trumped-up, me-first feminism - Macleans.ca - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Fake becomes legit: social media and the rise of disinformation in democracies - Democratic Audit UK - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Pink Gloves Boxing: Women's class focuses on empowerment ... - The Missoulian - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- On Presidents Day, we celebrate the good ones - Daily Astorian - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Shaking The Fear Of Breastfeeding In Public - Huffington Post UK - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- OUR VIEW: On Presidents Day, we celebrate the good ones - East Oregonian (subscription) - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Transformation of South Africa needs high sense of consciousness for social justice for success - Thought Leader - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Middle school girls receive empowering messages at Beautiful U - WOTV4women.com - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Teaching Our Kids Real from Fake - Huffington Post - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Weekly Music Roundup: Big Beautiful Day, Cubafonia, & "Carol" - WNYC - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Impact 100 members tour remodeled STEP Training Center - TCPalm - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conducts DSN Prog online - Daily Excelsior - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Bloomfield Company Uses Disney Princesses To Promote Female Empowerment - Patch.com - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Viewpoints: The case for expanding Empowerment Scholarship Accounts - AZCentral.com - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Apple Music just released an album made on an iPhone ... - Computerworld - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- "The Farting Sex Tourist" Is Both Deep and Deeply Silly - PopMatters - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Personal trainer focuses on client empowerment - Olean Times Herald - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Pushing past barriers: Program aims to foster empowering female relationships - West Central Tribune - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Town Crier: Sunday's Highlights - Casper Star-Tribune Online - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- MILCK comes to Portland this week to emPOWer - Oregon Music News - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Sippican to Implement 'radKIDS' Defense Program - Wanderer - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Personal trainer focuses on client empowerment - Clearfield Progress - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Black History Month: Recovering Our Personal Narrative - Muslim Link - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Judge Holds NYPD's Feet to Fire on Press Credentials - Courthouse ... - Courthouse News Service - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Federal Judge Says NYC's Regulation Of The Press Will Go On Trial - Village Voice - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- The Jamaican Women of Florida, Inc. (JWOF) elected a new Board of Directors - Jamaicans.com - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- This women's sport you've never heard of is taking Israel by storm ... - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Consult a psychic - for empowerment - Philly.com - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Digital Inclusion Summit: Training, Partnerships Are Key - Rivard Report - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Electing Caliban: Assessing Civic Health in Post Truth America - Huffington Post - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Krejci named 2017 Woman of Achievement - Southernminn.com - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Film spotlights human trafficking as Trump promises action - The Republic - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- COMMENTARY: Empowering the homeless to take the next step ... - Delaware State News - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- BEP hosts women empowerment conference - The Brown Daily Herald - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Family planning key to women empowerment - K24 TV - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Jeremiah Program Gives Families Home to Help Rise Out of Poverty - TWC News - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- What the Health Documentary Shocks, Educates, and Empowers - Clearly Veg (blog) - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Westfield HS to Host Female Student Empowerment Symposium - Patch.com - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Our view: Sports program for disabled students is welcome - Winston-Salem Journal - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Video Of The Week #24: Astroid Boys Foreigners (Feat Sonny Double 1) - God Is In The TV - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- International Women's Day 2017 Be Bold For Change - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release) - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]