
Disaster Preparedness and Management: Remarks by former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan
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Remarks by former Ambassador T.P.Sreenivasan at the UN Academic Impact
Seminar on 'Disaster Preparedness and Management' at the UN Headquarters in
New York. September 11, 2015.
Chairman Ramu Damodaran,
Panelists and
Participants,
I am delighted to be back at the UN, particularly in Conference Room 6,Ìýwhere I spent many days and nights, working on resolutions, which, weÌýbelieved, would change the fortunes of the world. Even the room has notÌýchanged, except for the multitude of electronic gadgets and audio-visualÌýequipment all around us. As for myself, I have lost touch with the UNÌýjargon and can speak only like an outsider.

Elyx Around the World in 70 Days: The UN's first digital ambassador
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In an exciting development, a digital ambassador for the United Nations has been appointed. Read from the :
For nearly a year, Elyx has been theÌý. With a light touch and good humour, Elyx has been working tirelessly with the UN family to spread the word on global issues and raise awareness on International Days.
Needing no words to communicate a view of the world, and having no race, age, nationality, or gender, Elyx, created by renowned FrenchÌý, serves as a universal messenger for the ideals of the United Nations.

What gets measured, gets done: How to track Universal Healthcare Coverage and make it a reality
The June 2015 report, , from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group (WBG) shows that 400 million people do not have access to essential health services. This report is a wake-up call demonstrating the need for universal healthcare coverage (UHC). UHC means all people receive the quality, essential health services they need, without being exposed to financial hardship. Over the past year, the world has witnessed the importance of strong health systems with the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. UHC is the foundation needed for resilient health systems which provide promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliation.

7th International Multi-Conference on Education, Training and Informatics: ICETI 2016
The will be held from 8 to 11 MarchÌý2016, in Orlando, Florida, USA, jointly with:
- The 7th International Multi-Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics: IMCIC 2016
- The 7th International Conference on Society and Information Technologies: ICSIT 2016
To find out more information, and to submit your article, please click the Authors tab on the .
Submissions for face-to-face and virtual presentations are both accepted.
The deadlines for this CFP are the following:

Events for November: WFUNA International Model United Nations (WIMUN) and UN DPI Model UN Workshop
The WorldÌýFederation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) is pleased to invite you to the second annual WFUNA International Model United Nations (WIMUN) programme.ÌýWIMUN is an extraordinary intellectual student seminar that brings together an amazing assortment of young minds from around the world to engage in cultural exchange, gain first-hand experience of negotiating process, and improve their knowledge of the UN system while enhancing their awareness of the most relevant international issues.
Over 700 young students coming from all over the world will attend WIMUN, an event with high symbolic value of education to international and intercultural dialogue. Students have a unique opportunity to improve their debating and negotiation under the simulation of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Sixth Committees.

Compete in the Peoples' Voices Challenge!
The Peoples' Voices Challenge offers individuals orÌýorganizations the opportunity to access the data collected through Global Conversation and to communicate findings to decision-makers as well as the general public.
Participants serve as a powerful link between the United Nations and the people in working towards achievingÌýthe proposedÌýSustainable Development Goals. This could be done by organizing a policy event, a social media rally or youth debates. The competitors will be able access the MY World Dataset which showcases the results of : the United Nations Survey for a Better World. The results from the Global Conversation have already informed Member States and United Nations discussions about the future development agenda, including the proposed Sustainable Development Goals.

Youth inspire hope at the United Nations
1,250 university students from around the world submitted 2000 word essays in a language other than their native tongue and different from the language of their studies in a contest co-sponsored by the United Nations Academic Impact and ELS Educational Services Inc., a major source of language instruction and the teaching of English as a second language. The seventy winners from 43 countries were organized into six groups based on the six official languages of the United Nations to prepare and present two-minutes speeches on themes related to the post-2015 global development agenda.

Yoga: Stretching Across the Globe
'Yoga is mastery of the mind' -Patanjali
An article by UNAI Intern Achuth Krishnan who reports As an intern of the United Nations Academic Impact, I had the memorable opportunity to celebrate the first ever International Day of Yoga on 21 June, 2015 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
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UNAI-Amrita Conference on Technology for Sustainable Development
On 8 July at United Nations Headquarters, theÌýUnited Nations Academic Impact Initiative (UNAI)Ìýand Amrita University co-hosted a one-day conference on Technology for Sustainable Development. Over 700Ìýpeople joined in person as well as many others following online. Speakers at the event included United Nations Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark;ÌýChancellor of Amrita University, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi; His Excellency Mr. Kaza Imnadze, Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations;ÌýMr. Vijay Nambiar,ÌýSpecial Adviser to the Secretary-GeneralÌýon Myanmar;Ìýand UNAI's Ramu Damodaran.

Update from Central European University Budapest: Eye on Environmental Education and Eye on Access for All
United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) member Central European University (CEU), located in Budapest, Hungary, has taken a special role in two of Eye on Earth's special initiatives--Eye on Environmental Education and Eye on Access for All. In fact, the head of CEU's Environmental Systems Laboratory, Viktor Lagutov, has recently been appointed Chair for the Eye on Environmental Education. During the up-coming summit he will hold projects such as In Service ICT Training for Environmental Professionals, which will focus on bridging the gap between the technology/information sector and policy makers. Of course, other UNAI universities play an important role as well, as they provide essential research and help nurture the next generation of problem-solvers.

Countering destruction of and trafficking in cultural property: from lessons learned to implementation
by UNAI Intern, Achuth Krishnan.
With the hitherto unprecedented rise in the illegitimate trafficking and destruction of cultural property in the recent years, the ambassadors of Italy and Jordan came together to hold a conference on 3 June 2015 with the representatives of leading international organizations which address the problem, Ìýand the ambassadors of nations which share the same concern. As an intern at the United Nation Academic Impact (UNAI), I had the privilege of attending this critically relevant conference. This burning issue of today is important mainly for two reasons- it obliterates the unique character of a society and secondly, the money it generates often gets appropriated by terrorist organizations.

Youth empowerment a focus at the second annual UN Sustainable Energy For All Forum in New York City, 18 to 21 May.
Leaders from government, business and civil society gathered at the second annual UN Sustainable Energy For All Forum (SE4All) in May to share and advance sustainable solutions on energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy. A focus of the Forum was youth engagement and empowerment to ensure a sustainable energy future.Ìý
By Zinnia Batliwalla, UNAI Intern
Leaders from government, business and civil society gathered at the second annual UN Sustainable Energy For All Forum (SE4All) in May to share and advance sustainable solutions on energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy. A focus of the Forum was youth engagement and empowerment to ensure a sustainable energy future.Ìý

The Protection of Human Rights in Europe, a dialogue between Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Paris
(Photo: YannÌýToma, Paris-Sorbonne University)
On 30 May 2015, the UNAI Global Hub on Human Rights, the Paris-Sorbonne University, held a ceremony and panel discussion with the University of Cologne to celebrate the 25thÌýanniversary of their joint French German law degree (LL.B. Köln/Paris 1). In addition to the participation of several high-ranking judges from both countries,ÌýÌýthe French Minister of Justice, Christiane Taubira, and her German counterpart, Heiko MaasÌýÌýattended the anniversary of the Double–Maîtrise. The fully integrated 4-years-bachelor's degree exists since 1990, with about 60 students graduating each year.Ìý

Searching for Transcendence at the Hinge of History
In this article, the secondÌýin our academicÌýseries, scientist Stuart Kauffman and co-authorsÌýCaryn Devins, Roger Koppl and Teppo FelinÌýpresent their views on moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Hinge of History
Perhaps we are too brave to begin boldly by saying that we are, to use historian Thomas Cahill's evocative phrase, at a hinge of history. ÌýOur thirty or more civilizations around the globe are weaving together in untold and untellable ways. ÌýWe can, for the first time in history, truly afford sufficient wealth for all, even if opportunities and wealth are now grotesquely maldistributed. ÌýWe can, for the first time in history, dare to consider what a global interwoven set of civilizations might become, whose highest values are our living experience. ÌýWe must begin to think together, all of us, beyond our huge but more immediate issues.Ìý

Secretary-General appoints Nikhil Seth as Executive Director of the UN Institute for Training and Research
SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NIKHIL SETH OF INDIA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced on 8 June 2015Ìýthe appointment of Nikhil Seth of India as Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He will succeed Sally Fegan-Wyles of Ireland, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude for her dedication and commitment to the United Nations. Ìý