United Nations Secretary-General's on the International Day of Cooperatives

United Nations, New York, June 2012 - In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed, in its resolution 47/90 of 16 December 1992, the International Day of Cooperatives to be celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July.

IMO | Thank seafarers on 2012 Day of the Seafarer - “it came by sea, I can’t live without it!”

25 June 2012, the international Day of the Seafarer,

Day of the Seafarer 2012 IMO | Thank seafarers on 2012 Day of the Seafarer - “it came by sea, I can’t live without it!”

International Day of the Seafarer - June 25

Message by Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization.

   
Day of the Seafarer 2012
It came by sea and I can’t live without it

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​ Click here for Message by Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization. Imagine an item that you simply couldn’t live without. Maybe it’s your music player, or a pen, or your computer, something you use every day in your work, a piece of medical equipment or just your favourite toy. Now stop and think: did that item, or any part of that item, or any of the materials from which that item has been made, come by sea? The chances are, the answer is “yes”. 25 June 2012 marks the second international Day of the Seafarer. On that day, IMO is asking people around the world to use social networks to highlight just how important seafarers are to everyone on the planet, as they transport all over the world those vital items, commodities and components which are so vital to all our daily lives. So, on 25 June 2012, the Day of the seafarer, we ask you to tell the world, through your social media connections, about an object in your daily life that you can’t live without, and which came by sea. Take a photo, write a description, record a song, make a film, whatever you prefer: and then just post it on the social platform of your choice and add the campaign slogan: “thank you seafarers”.   Seafarers leave their homes and families, often for long periods to ensure that essential items and commodities on which our lives depend arrive safely at our homes. So show the seafarers of the world - and your friends, too – your appreciation of the extraordinary services they render every day of their professional lives, under demanding and sometimes dangerous circumstances. Day of the Seafarer is an innovative campaign that harnesses the power of social media to raise awareness of seafarers and their unique role. Everyone, regardless of where they live, can join the campaign online. So, on 25 June, you can join in by: o Sharing your post on Facebook, if you have pictures, videos or any special message, please share them on our wall. o Sending us a message @IMOHQ and @SeafarerDay using hashtag #thankyouseafarer o On pinterest, you can pin a picture of your chosen object with the caption “Day of the Seafarer” We invite participants to download the toolkits available here and join the campaign: Facebook.com/IMOHQ Twitter.com/IMOHQ (@IMOHQ) Twitter.com/SeafarerDay (@SeafarerDay) Pinterest.com/IMOHQ Youtube.com/IMOHQ ________________________________________________________ Thank you very much for your support. Join the campaign, follow us on social media and let us know on the 25th June, your favourite object that came by sea and that you can’t live without! For more information please contact: klangloi@imo.org

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE SEAFARER - June 25
25 June of each year is the "Day of the Seafarer", recognizing the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade and the world economy, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.

To participate, join us online:
facebook.com/IMOHQ
Twitter.com/IMOHQ
Pinterest.com/IMOHQ

United Nations Public Service Day - 23 June

"On the annual observance of Public Service Day, we honour those who accept the responsibilities of service to humanity and who contribute to excellence and innovation in public service institutions."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

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International Widows’ Day - 23 June

Secretary-General’s Message for 2012

Women can be exposed to extensive vulnerabilities when their husbands pass away. Far too many widows are shut out of any inheritance, land tenure, livelihood, social safety net, health care or education. Their children must cope not only with grief at the loss of their father, but also their own sudden loss of status and benefits in society.

At the same time, it is important to recognize the strengths and contributions of the world’s widows, who raise families, run companies and even head governments and States. Our challenge is to optimize this potential by removing discriminatory laws, policies and practices that impede widows from enjoying the dignity and equality they deserve.

Discrimination can take many forms. Widows are sometimes required to conduct their business through male guardians. Widows may be cast out from their communities, forced into marriage or physically abused with impunity. Their children are more likely to drop out of school and become trapped in intergenerational poverty.

I am especially concerned about the plight of widows in situations of conflict and natural disasters. At such times of violence and upheaval, many relatively young women find themselves suddenly widowed and victimized. We should do more than protect them; we should ensure they have the opportunity to participate in decisions on humanitarian relief and peacebuilding so they can help build a better future.
On this International Widows’ Day, let us resolve to end all discrimination against the world’s widows, and to enable them to enjoy their full human rights. The benefits will extend to their children, communities and society as a whole.

Ban Ki-moon

WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2012 - Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton

Protecting and Assisting Refugees Worldwide

The United States is strongly committed to protecting and assisting refugees and we offer resettlement to more refugees each year than all other countries in the world combined.

Remarks by Secretary Clinton: June 2012 » World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day

Press Statement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

June 20, 2012

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The United States joins the international community in commemorating the courage and determination of millions of refugees around the globe. The United States is strongly committed to protecting and assisting refugees and we offer resettlement to more refugees each year than all other countries in the world combined. Since 1975, more than three million refugees have made new homes in the United States, and nearly half of them have become U.S. citizens.
Refugees are contributing in ways large and small to business, academia, the arts, science and technology. Today we celebrate the success of refugees who have built new lives here and in other resettlement countries, but we also recognize the millions of refugees who remain displaced in camps, cities, and rural settlements around the world. We are proud to support the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the many other organizations that work on behalf of refugees worldwide, and recommit ourselves to provide protection and assistance to some of the world's most vulnerable people.

World Refugee Day: Video Message from WFP and UNHCR

They fled across the borders of Libya as the country slid into civil war. They ran for their lives through the dense bush in western Cote d’Ivoire, to reach shelter in Liberia. And, as famine loomed in Somalia, they poured into the camps of Dadaab in Kenya and Dolo Ado in Ethiopia desperate for food, water and medical attention.

ROME -- Of the 99 million people who received WFP food assistance last year, one in five was a displaced person.  Forced to flee across borders as refugees, or internally displaced within their own countries by fighting or by natural disasters, they are among the world’s most vulnerable people. Every year on World Refugee Day (20 June), we recognize their struggle.

WFP Assisting Refugees

In 2011, WFP provided food assistance to:
•    Refugees:  2,595,785
•    IDPs: 15,093,137
•    Returnees: 3,061,072

Unfortunately, many refugee crises continue for a long time. For example, WFP provides food assistance near the Sudan-Eritrea border in camps for Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees that were set up in the 1960s.
Today, among the newest camps are those in Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, where WFP is helping tens of thousands of Malians who fled their homes following a recent coup d’etat.
WFP works closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide emergency rations to new arrivals and longer-term food assistance once refugees are officially registered.
WFP also works with the International Organization for Migration and governments to assist ‘returnees’ with reintegration packages to help them get back on their feet when they finally go home. Today, WFP is assisting thousands of returnees who are going home to South Sudan, which became the newest country in the world last July.

3 places where WFP is assisting refugees right now:  

Mauritania (Malian refugees) | Watch the video
Jordan (Syrian refugees) | Watch the video
South Sudan (Sudanese refugees) | Watch the video