UN Special , the former magazine of international civil servants in Geneva, was founded in 1949 and circulated uninterruptedly until December 2019. As of 2020, the staff associations of the two organizations that co-owned the magazine went their separate ways, each with its own publication. The use of the United Nations name, logo and emblems are retained by UN Today exclusively, however the pool of writers of NewSpecial includes UN Staff members, diplomats, and others.
32-700: The first issue of UN Special was published on 24 October 1949. It was handwritten and the cover was signed by the members of the Editorial Committee at that time. Among the articles, essays and UN announcements in this first issue under the Chief Editor R.J Spencer, are a welcoming address by Wladimir Moderow, the representative of the Secretary-General, the Director-General of the European Office of
64-521: A candidate been voted upon despite a UNSC veto. In 2016, the General Assembly and the Security Council sought nominations and conducted public debates for the first time. However, the Security Council voted in private and followed the same process as previous selections, leading the president of the General Assembly to complain that it "does not live up to the expectations of the membership and
96-670: Is also the chairman of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), a body composed of the heads of all UN funds, programmes, and specialised agencies, which meets twice a year to discuss substantive and management issues facing the United Nations System . Many of the secretary-general's powers are informal and left open to individual interpretation; some appointees have opted for more activist roles, while others have been more technocratic or administrative. The secretary-general
128-461: Is conducted near this Memorial in Ariana Park to honour more than 2,500 civilian and military personnel who have died in the line of duty since 1948. Near this Memorial UN colleagues vow to remember them, and pledge to carry on their efforts, to honour their memory and to ensure that their sacrifice will serve the cause of peace and stability in the world. Rice is life was selected as the slogan for
160-612: Is given to United Nations staff and international civil servants who lost their lives under the duties of the United Nations in different parts of the world. A special Memorial has been inaugurated at the initiative of UN Special with the support of the United Nations Secretary-General and under the auspices of the United Nations Office at Geneva Director-General to commemorate those who lost their lives for
192-448: Is often reliant upon the use of their "good offices", described as "steps taken publicly and in private, drawing upon his independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading". Consequently, observers have variably described the office as the "world's most visible bully pulpit " or as the "world's moderator". Examples include Dag Hammarskjöld 's promotion of an armistice between
224-583: Is part of the UNOG. United Nations Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations ( UNSG or UNSECGEN ) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat , one of the six principal organs of the United Nations . The role of the secretary-general and of the secretariat is laid out by Chapter XV (Articles 97 to 101) of
256-433: The 1981 selection , when China cast a record 16 vetoes against a third term for Kurt Waldheim . The selection process is opaque and is often compared to a papal conclave . Since 1981, the Security Council has voted in secret in a series of straw polls ; it then submits the winning candidate to the General Assembly for ratification. No candidate has ever been rejected by the General Assembly, and only once, in 1950 , has
288-672: The International Year of Biodiversity . Many activities were organized by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on the Place des Nations, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) opened its doors to the public for the first time. Based on an idea from UN Special magazine, and from its Editor-in-Chief, the event (also called UN Green Day ) was made possible through
320-791: The International Year of Rice 2004. The slogan illustrated the significance of rice across the globe, and its importance to nutrition, livelihood, culture, and the natural environment. On the occasion of the International Year of Rice decreed by the United Nations General Assembly , the UN Special magazine, together with the United Nations family, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) prepared an international cookbook Rice Around
352-559: The UN Special . Cultural and environmental World Heritage Sites (listed by UNESCO ), also found coverage in the magazine. In October 2009, the exhibition "UN Special magazine: History over 60 years" was inaugurated in the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The exhibition traced the development of UN Special from the first magazine in 1949, and highlighted key moments in the history of the United Nations as experienced and told by staff. The exhibition
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#1732875925736384-515: The UNICEF to help fight hunger. United Nations Office at Geneva The United Nations Office at Geneva ( UNOG , French : Office des Nations Unies à Genève ) in Geneva , Switzerland , is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNOG administrative offices are located inside the Palais des Nations complex, which
416-722: The United Nations Charter . However, the office's qualifications, selection process and tenure are open to interpretation; they have been established by custom. The secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council . As the recommendation must come from the Security Council, any of the five permanent members of the council can veto a nomination. Most secretaries-general are compromise candidates from middle powers and have little prior fame. Unofficial qualifications for
448-621: The Palais des Nations, normally in office spaces provided by the Swiss Government . UN specialised agencies and other UN entities with offices in Geneva hold bi-weekly briefings at the Palais des Nations , organized by the United Nations Information Service at Geneva . UNOG produces an annual report where it lists all major events and activities that happened through a year. The United Nations Library & Archives Geneva
480-594: The Permanent Missions of Brazil, Denmark, Italy, Japan and Rwanda and a large number of other partners. In addition to the opening of the Ariana Park, a multitude of activities for all ages, focused on biodiversity to mark the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, were held in the park, on the Place des Nations and at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Special attention and tribute
512-583: The UN peacekeeping operations and to honor the memory of those who died in the name of peace. Each year, at the end of May, UN staff and the Soldier for Peace International Association come to this Memorial to pay tribute to the women and men who serve, or have served, in United Nations peace missions across the globe, to salute their courage and commitment, their dedication and determination to serve fellow human beings in dangerous and difficult circumstances. Special ceremony
544-682: The United Nations (the nation of the United Nations Office at Geneva in 1949) and by Gunnar Myrdal , Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , UNECE . Another contribution was dedicated to the celebration of the United Nations Day , announcing the public reading of the Preamble of the UN Charter . This first issue contained 22 black and white pages without defined columns and without photos. Over
576-567: The World . Rice nourishes more than 3 billion people throughout the world, and many cities and countries, from the richest to the poorest, have their own way of accommodating the various types of rice. The book was prepared by the international civil servants and people from throughout the world. The so called "Rice Team" from the UN Special Editorial Board collected and compiled 300 recipes from over 100 countries. The benefits were donated to
608-419: The collective work of the colleagues who promoted Organizational values through the commitment of personal time and/or expertise to a deserving cause outside their job description. On 5 June 2010, the United Nations family invited the wider Geneva population to join in a big celebration of World Environment Day . A record number of 6,500 accepted the invitation to visit Ariana Park, which was also opened to mark
640-520: The dedicated efforts over less than six months of an organizing committee, drawn from all UNOG Divisions and Services and working in collaboration with UNEP and WIPO colleagues. On the day, over 90 volunteers from different parts of the United Nations donated their time. The event was also made possible through the contributions and assistance from the Swiss Confederation, the Canton and City of Geneva,
672-557: The high ideals of the United Nations.(see UN Special No.600). The Memorial to honour those who lost their lives for peace was inaugurated at the grounds of the Palais des Nations, in Ariana Park, in 2003. The Memorial in Ariana Park symbolizes all UN peacekeepers and a celebration of the International Day of the United Nations Peacekeepers takes place at the grounds of this Memorial to remember those who served in
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#1732875925736704-503: The job have been set by precedent in previous selections. The appointee may not be a citizen of any of the Security Council's five permanent members. The General Assembly resolution 51/241 in 1997 stated that, in the appointment of "the best candidate", due regard should be given to regional (continental) rotation of the appointee's national origin and to gender equality, although no woman has yet served as secretary-general. All appointees to date have been career diplomats . The length of
736-437: The new standard of openness and transparency". The role of the secretary-general is described as combining the functions and responsibilities of an advocate, diplomat, civil servant, and chief executive officer. The UN Charter designates the secretary-general as the "chief administrative officer" of the UN and allows them to perform "such other functions as are entrusted" by other United Nations organs. The Charter also empowers
768-573: The overall objectives". In summer of 2015, UN Special submitted the nomination for the United Nations Secretary-General Awards (UNSG Awards) that honour individual staff members or teams who promote innovation, efficiency, and excellence in the way the Organization delivers its programmes and services. On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, UN Special was shortlisted in the category: Staff Volunteerism, for
800-429: The secretariat; attending sessions with United Nations bodies; consulting with world leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders; and travelling the world to engage with global constituents and bring attention to certain international issues. The secretary-general publishes an annual report on the work of the UN, which includes an assessment of its activities and an outline future priorities. The secretary-general
832-417: The secretary-general to inform the Security Council of "any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security". These provisions have been interpreted as providing broad leeway for officeholders to serve a variety of roles as suited to their preferences, skill set, or circumstances. The secretary-general's routine duties include overseeing the activities and duties of
864-472: The term is discretionary, but all secretaries-general since 1971 have been appointed to five-year terms. Every secretary-general since 1961 has been re-selected for a second term, with the exception of Boutros Boutros-Ghali , who was vetoed by the United States in the 1996 selection . While the position does not have a formal term limit , incumbent secretary-generals have avoided seeking a third term since
896-600: The warring parties of Arab-Israel conflict , Javier Perez de Cuellar 's negotiation of a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq War , and U Thant 's role in deescalating the Cuban Missile Crisis . The official residence of the secretary-general is a townhouse at 3 Sutton Place, Manhattan , in New York City, United States. The townhouse was built for Anne Morgan in 1921 and donated to the United Nations in 1972. Formerly
928-526: The work of international organizations and governance, such as peace-keeping , poverty reduction , human rights , climate change mitigation , environmental protection , natural disaster management, and the status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The recent global discussions on greening the economy and enhancing sustainable development were reflected in the magazine due to the engagement within these topics of those contributing to
960-454: The years, UN Special became a professional 50 page-magazine with an average of 32 articles, mainly in English and French (the six official UN languages are English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese). Earlier, the content of the magazine tended to focus on UN staff issues, however, with its development and increase in outreach, the magazine covered a broad range of topics related to
992-793: Was originally constructed for the League of Nations between 1929 and 1938. Besides United Nations administration, the Palais des Nations also hosts the offices for a number of programmes and funds such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). The United Nations and its specialized agencies, programmes and funds may have other offices or functions hosted outside
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1024-653: Was visited by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon . The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Sergei Ordzhonikidze in his opening remarks to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN Special magazine noted: "I believe that UN Special embodies both the United Nations’ unique ability to facilitate cooperation between people of all backgrounds and its capacity to adjust to ever-changing circumstances – without losing sight of
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