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NOTE AND RETURN NOTER ET RETOURNER
FOR INFORMATION POUR INFORMATION Thank you for sharing the attached letters with me. They all refer to am p< the reform process, and more ,/** "" 'N( specifically to the future of UN 1C f Since the SG has issued a spe®4,fjr.e press release on this issue, and since the letters were sent by individuals and NGOs rather than politicians or Member State representatives, I don't believe that individual replies are needed. You may, however, if you think it useful, send copies of the press release to these^people. Thank you. COM.6 12-78) J 15 July 1997 Secretary General Kofi Annan United Nations (212) 963-4879 FAX
Mr. Annan, I faxed you a few days ago (July 9) about preserving UNICEF intact. I attach a "letter to the editor" from myself published in the Ottawa Citizen on July 13 which also addresses the issue. By the way. I am a volunteer with an NGO working on development issues, RESULTS CANADA and learned about the potential annihilation of UNICEF at one of our meetings.
Yours sincerely, ^\ V Richard Ernst 'V\- — -^V-" x ^^^ ^ 6 Huntersfield Dr, Ottawa, Ontario K1T3E4 Canada 613-737-0685 messages remst@gsc .nrcan. gc . ca
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Secretary General Kofi Annan United Nations (212) 963-4879 FAX
Mr, Annan, The attached letter is being sent to several Canadian papers because I feel very strongly that itjyoujdjje a mistakejo m^^ejsulmerge)JUNJ[C^ along with UNDP,. WFP an^ suggested in the Track 2 initiative proposed by your special advisor Maurice Strong. I have also spoken to my local Member of Parliament, John Manley (Minister of Industry) about the potential loss of UNICEF and have asked him to raise the issue with Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs. I am hopeful that the Canadian government will adopt a similar attitude to that of Chair of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee who wrote to you recently to say that "Speaking for myself, I would find it extremely difficult to recommend the appropriation of any funds for a voluntary contribution to a United Nations Development Group if it meant the elimination of UNICEF in name or in fact". Please don't dismantle or merge UNICEF. It is not broken and does not need fixing or reforming.
Yours sincerely - Richard Ernst 6 Huntersfield Dr. Ottawa, Ontario KIT 3E4 Canada 613-737-0685 messages rernst@gsc .nrcan.gc. ca
--- «-«-*• -H-aeOHN ZZCI S66 £19 Tfd OT^TT 16/60/iO 9 July 1997
Dear Newspaper Editor, UNICEF is the best recognized UN agency, and is universally acknowledged as the most effective voice on behalf of children around the world. Without UNICEF there would probably have been, for instance, no World Summit for Children in 1990 with its year 2000 goals, no Universal Immunization Campaign, no Corridors of Peace initiative, no effective discussions on. die elimination of landmines, DO recent conferences on child labour/exploitation and so on. There would also be no Halloween fundraising campaign which gives Canadian childiea aa opportunity to contribute globally. I can't believe that the UN head (Seer- Gen. Kofi Annan) is currently considering a proposal to eliminate UNICEF in all but name as part of a restructuring that will dismantle and fold UNICEF into a UN Development Group. While the goal of restructuring the UN to save money is laudable, this aspect of the proposal stinks. It will lower the most successful UN agency to ike lowest common denominator. Secretary General Kofi Annan will make his recommendation to the General Assembly by July 16. So there is little time to act to prevent this tragedy. Please tell Mr. Annan that UNICEF needs to be preserved. He can be FAXED at (212) 963-4879.
Sincerely,
Richard Ernst 6 Huntersfield Dr. Ottawa, Ontario KIT 3E4 CANADA 613-737-0685 phone
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'• CENTRE Mercredi 9 juillet 1997 jiJARTERS
Monsieur Kofi Annan Secretaire General des Nations Unies
Su-iet: La fusion de 1'UNICEF avec d'autres oraanismes de 1'ONU
Monsieur le Secretaire, Je travaille benevolement et contribue financierement, depuis plus de 20 ans, & differents organismes dont 1'objectif est de venir en aide aux enfants. L'UNICEF est 1'organieroe de reference pour tout ce qui concerne le bien-etre et 1'integrite physique et morale des enfants. Reconnu et respecte de part le monde c'est la seule voix officielle des enfants aupres des grands de ce monde. Fusionner 1'UNICEF a d'autres groupes serait lui enlever son autorite, sa credibilite, son efficacite. Fusionner 1'UNICEF c'est tue 1'organisme le plus accepte de tous les pays du monde. Fusionner 1'UNICEF c'est enleve aux enfants de cette planete leur meilleur outil contre la faim, les maladies infectieuses, 1'exploitation, les guerres etc.
Monsieur le Secretaire General, je ne connais pas entierement les raisons profondes qui ont conduit des personnes competentes a formuler une telle solution. Je sais que les enfants du monde ont besoin d'un organisme efficace, reconnu, competent, comrae 1'UNICEF actuel. S.V.P. veuillez ne pas 1'affaiblir par une dilution de ses prerogatives."UN TIENT VAUX MIEUX QUE DEUX TU L'AURAS"
Veuillez accepter. Monsieur le Secretaire General, mes salutations les plus distinguees. feluJ «-=a*l^s^- Andre Desilets 2760 Van Horne #8 Montreal Canada H3S 1P9
NBRE DE PflGES 01 Jul'. 7 '97 23:59 RESULTRTS/SflNCHEZ TRRDIF FRX 8197755409 P. 1
POUR CREER LA VOLONTF. POUTIQUE D'ELIMINER LA FAIM ET CREATING THE POLITICAL WILL TO END HUNGER ANDiA
Mr. Kofi Annan CONTACTS Secretary General The United Nations EXECUTIVE OFFICE EAST / EST BT FACSIMILE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Halifax SEP - 2 199'. Michelle Morgan- Coole (902)681-1524 Prince Edward Island Dear Mr. Secretary General: |.W. (Bill) Campbell (902) 894 - 9993 I am told that immediately after you were elected Secretary-General of the QUEBEC UN, you put in place a process to reform the UN with a. view to making it Bale des Chaleuis Nathalie Morin more efficient. The process is comprised of two "tracks". "Track 1" (418)759-3505 initiatives, which are of a simple, administrative/operational nature, are Lennoxvllle already being implemented. "Track 2" options, which are of a far-reaching Monlque Roy 323 Queen, Lennoxvllle structural nature, are currently being developed by Special Adviser Maurice Quebec J7M IKS Strong, and you will announce on July 16, 1997, which you Intend to Montreal pursue. Pamela Walcten Landiy (514)899-0399 One of the key "Track 2" initiatives proposed by Mr. Strong is the merging of Hull ; Jean-Francois Tardlf UNICEF with UNDP, WFP and UNFPA. While we support the general (819) 775-5409 objective of UN Reforms ~ a streamlining of the activities and their ONTARIO*. associated overhead — we are concerned that the current proposals could MANITOBA have some very negative consequences. London • . ^ . •. • (.>' Eileen McTavlsh (519)762-5201 Our key concern is that as we understand it, UNICEF will lose Its identity" ; Ottawa and its autonomy, the "brand name" being maintained for social marketing: Richard Ernst (613) 737-0685 purposes only. Toronto David Fingrut UNICEF needs to keep its distinct identity as the single agency in the UN • (416)603-4781 system that focuses on the well-being of the "whole child" and serves as the ' Winnipeg fenette Goodman leading moral force for the world's children. Unless there is a UN agency (204)478- 1Z7O that speaks specifically for children, there is a real danger that their welfare will be overlooked. Experience has shown that children tend to be placed at WEST / QUEST Calgary the bottom of the list of a country's development and human rights priorities, Don Munroe (403) 245 - 3441 UNICEF needs the ability to advocate and generate political will at the Edmonton Cyril KQnile highest levels of national governments, the capacity to cooperate freely arid' (403)437-4141 directly with governments in the development and implementation Of country Comox Valley programmes, the capacity to deliver identifiable essential services for .Linda Safford (604) 336 - 8429 children and the ability to mobilize resources. Vancouver Pat Leonidas (604)731 - 1675 Victoria Blalse Salmon #5O3 -49th Ave. S.W. Calgary AB, TZS lQ4*Tel &. Fax (4O3) 287 - 7Z1Z* [email protected]* Catherine Little. rr£sldenf(e) ' (604)384- 1842 http://'www.ualberta.ca/-ckunzle/results/
AUSTRALIA . GERMANY . JAPAN . MEXICO . UNITED KINGDOM . UNITED STATES . AFFILIATE / LESOTHO ALtSlRAUE.ALLEMAGNE . |APON . MEXIQUE .ROYAUME-UNI. ETATS-UNIS. CROUPE AFF1LIE / LESOTHO Jul. 3 '9? 0:01 RESULTflTS/SfiNCHEZ TfiRDIF FfiX 8197755409
I is my understanding that recent experience under "Track 1" shows that when UN services • .-ere merged at the country-operational level, the coordinator who was appointed to head the merged services, in all cases but two, was an official of an agency other UNICEF. It is also a known f .c* th; .t UNDP, the leading UN agency in the area of development, does have a dismal track record when it comes to priorizing basic social service expenditures. It is therefore clear that if UNICEF is dismantled and folded into a UN Development Group, expertise in children's issues will not be the priority and will not be a key criterion for the selection, or the appraisal, of decision-making personnel. It is also clear that efforts to track the fulfilment of the very specific World Summit for Children promises would be lost in the general UN rhetoric on development. As a matter of fact, the Summit itself would not have taken place without UNICEF's ability to speak directly -not through one or more layers of UN bureaucracy - to the top government officials. Nor, for that matter, would have the Universal Immunization Campaign, the discussions on the elimination of landmines or the recent conferences on Child Labour and exploitation taken place. Furtherr -.. 2, children themselves would not be attracted to the values of sharing in the world community as expressed in the Halloween campaigns, either. Finally, the disappearance of UNICEF, all but in name, jeopardizes one of UNICEF's largest sources of funds: funding by the various non-governmental National Committees for UNICEF. In summary, the proposal appears to lower the most successful UN agency to the lowest common denominator of the UN system. Children will be the losers.
not t® sum© ssaialti-prfoBity isateffmeaiate @sg,&ni&&il@n On behalf of the hundreds of volunteers of RESULTS Canada, who have generated thousands of published letters to the Editor and letters to their elected officials in support of UNICEF and the UN conferences of the 1990s, we want to tell chat we would find it difficult to encourage our government to maintain funding for a UNICEF that is not fully autonomous. We would actually recommend a redirection of that portion of ODA to other aid programming targeted at children. Please throw your support behind the UN's only longstanding success story. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter. Yours sincerely,
Jean-Francois Tardif National Coordinator .,. 7 July 1997 „ .^AC-QUARTERS JUL -8 P 3'- 02 Mr. Kofi Annan - Secretary-General gpp ,-, IQO, f <__, United Nations dD ^ ldjl > , New York, NY 10017 FOSG/CENTRAL .l Fax: 212-326-7758 ..„_——•
Re: UN Reform and UNICE1- I L ; JUL - 8 897 Dear Mr. Annan, ii umiiFXEcimvEOiwf ,0:.
My name is Sunnie Kim. and T have been volunteoring for tbo past 12 years in ending child hunger and poverty. I had spent countless hours organising caudle-light vigil before the World Summit for Children 1990 and Keepitxg QIC Promise caxnpaign in 1991 reminding \vorld leaders in keeping the. promises made at the summit prior year. I also have an enormous respect and appreciation for the work UNICHF has been doing in assuring survival of children who otherwise would be left to die in cruel world of indifference.
Now I learned, that there is a possibihty^of_jnergjjaguof JlNjCEFjwith_ Other UN organizations such asUNDP> WTP andjJNFPA. Such merger could, spell disaster for the ima#^ r»? I I>jTr!p.F ancf IuYtHermf>fe undermine all 2ie gre^rt^oTRFacin^ The biggest conoerrffoFainsnchaTfhe^M^ will lose their voice all together. Given UNICEF is the only onj^vc can count on to make the children a priority at the UN, in the eveni of a merger, the welfare of children is likely to be pushed down further replaced by stronger richer business concerns.
As you may know, agency such as the UNDP does not have a track record of putting children's needs first in terms of prioutizing the basic social service expenditures.
If UNICEF disappears - or^watered down in any way, this will jeopardize the two largest sources of funds for XJNICEF; from private sector and from U.S. Government (as expressed by Mr. Sonny Callahan, the chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the U.S. House Appropriations committee). Please DO NOT make this cruel and unwise derision to water down UNICEF's effort or to eliminate it. If UN does not make the world's children it's priority, then it. is equivalent to making a statement, that UN does not. hold humanity's future a priority. I urge you to make a rational and compassionate decision NOT to
Sunnie Kim 556 Fortune Montreal, QC H3K 2R6 FROM : Ian Driscall & Holly Lorenz PHONE NO. : 403 229 0793 Jul. 08 1997 02:33PM P2 .v
2311 - 21st Avenue SW • Calgaiy, AB T2T QP4 • (403) 245-8040 • Fax: (403) 229-0793
EfflssowsOT^^ : July 7, 1997 J f I! ' SEP - ;• SQO ; Mr. Kofi Annan «ra««M=»™™_, „ ! \ii nn - n 1007 United Nations '$$" "^'~"" •" !-^- JUL y'^' NY, NY 10017 J™ USA
Dear Mr. Kofi Annan:
My profession, that of a teacher, speaks to my concern for children ail over th'o world (I spent two years teaching in Botswana, Africa). Through the years I have been a supporter of UNICEF and its honourable goal of helping those who are unable to help themselves; our children. I am extremely disturbed by a proposal which has come to my attention. I have recently learned of the new initiative to streamline theM UN,j;pecificaily the; Jtnerger of the UNDP, WFP, andJLJNFjPA. Although the actual streamlining of the UN's activities may be laudable some of the consequences of this particular initiative may be very negative.
I_am extreinelvjyncenied j[^jj^sjyejnfje^pected organization, which serves as the leading moral force "for" the world's children will dlisapj^earjnto oblivion if it. is lumped in with other funds. As UNICEF has a very high profile throughout much of the world, uniting it with other funds will lessen the profile of the UN as a whole. Let me remind you that without UNICEF the World Summit for Children would not have taken place. Nor would have the Universal Immunization Campaign, the Corridors of Peace initiative, the discussions on the elimination of landmines and the recent conferences on Child Labour.
This is not the first time that UNICEF has been threatened. In 1950 in the postwar period this organizations value was questioned. However's its importance as a distinct fund was recognized and UNICEF's ide.jit.ity and integrity was maintained. I hope and pray that in 1997, as in 1950, common sense will prevail and UNICEF will remain a distinct entity within the UN. FROM : Ian Driscall £ Holly Lorenz PHONE NO. : 403 229 0793 Jul. 03 1987 ^2:3--'
Page 2 July 6. 1997
Finally, I wish t.o point out. thai UNICEF operates on a budget half of that of CIDA and is a universally recognized success story. As I have outlined it definitely produces a "bang for the buck". I wish to close by reminding you that this matter is of extreme urgency"as it is expected that the UN General Assembly will by discussing this matter as early as July 16, 1997. Montreal, July?, 1997
Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary General of The United Nalions.
Dear Mr Annan,
1 understand that the_« Track 2. » proposal for the refpimMMjl^J^tjd,Njation5,.wqiijid include
You might well remember that it vvas Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney that served as co- Chair to the World Summit for Children in 1990 At that Summit., James Grant, then Director of UNICEF said; « It is within the power of those gathered here 10 make this Summit into a turning poini, not only for children, but truly for us all, for it is in how we bring up our children that our civilization is measured, our humanity is tested and our future is shaped. » . 1 trust UNICEF has the heart and ihe leadership to push so that the objectives, of the World Summit For Children become a reality.
As a citizen advocate for the end of poverty for over 13 years., I have read a lot of UNJCF.F material and heard many of its spokespeople such as our dear James Grant, Richard Jolly, Stephen Lewis, Peter Adamson and Carol Bellamy 1 have always seen UNICEF as the moral leadership in favor of children, as an unrelenting commitment, an inspiration and a hope for the world
No other organization to my knowledge has ever been of such value. Stephen Lewis said « UNICEF in itself alone justifies the existence of the United Nations. »
It is really a sad fact that another Canadian, Mr Maurice Strong, acting as Special Adviser to you, would 'want to dilute the efficiency and the leadei sliip of such a wonderful organisation as UNICEF
1 therefore urge you not to accept the proposed merger UNICEF must remain autonomous in fact
Respectfully yours,
Pamela Walden-Landry 1662 Lyall, Montreal H1N 3G3 07/06/97 20:05 'S BjOOl
"CQHi-i CENTRE .1EAOQUARTERS m July 7, 1997
Mr. Kofi Annan Q I $ ^ I' ^ Secretary-general !§ United Nations Hew York, New York 10017 JUL - T 1997
VIA FAX: (212) 963-4879 j ..jjFTffJJSIJJERALJ
Dear Mr. Annan I am writing to express my concern about the possibilitv of merging UNICEP into a larger UN Development Group Sat would include the UNDP, UHFPA and WFP. wouia UNICEF is a universally recognized success story. It has a distmct identity as the single agency in the UN systemthat focuses on the well-being of the child and serves as ?he leading advocate and moral force for the world's children. No othe? h SUCk Perlcno in serviceS^c«s S.thatt save d/*??! million• " s of childrens* ^ovidin1 liveg.g basic social
?!!^SF ±S al*°uni ?ue in that °ne of it's largest sources of pSSd^°SofS?IiSr PriVate3-to- The National Co^ittee,
rhJ?3I th*tt ±S -a DN a^ency that speaks specifically for children there is a real danger that their welfare will be f?e!:i00ve?: E*Penence has shown that children tend to be placed at the bottom of the list of a country's development and hurn^n ^?^S P"ori*ies- The lives of the world's Sost vSlneriblS ^a?rspe^ulative?ka%tes:. ^ ^^ ** ^ ^-organization
distinct Jrgani^at?^^ ^ UHICEP ^^ » "P«»t. and Sincerely
Patricia Leonidas #306 - 1286 West 14th Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V6H 1P9 Telephone: (604) 731-1675 =Maison St-Pierre-A. ; 7- 8-97 : 15=37 ; 5145Z40760-* 212 9634B79IS I/ 1 -07 J PEHTRE iiEAOQUARTERS pmJ«L-8!P 3--UM
S.Exc. Montn&a!, 7 juillet 1997 M. Kofi Annan rn'l IC ; Secretaire General i'f! i.! Nations Unies New York. USA. SEP - Z !9? UJXL1 JUL - 8 1997 Excellence:
______Permettez-moi de vous fairs parvenir une copie d'une demands adressee a mon gouvemement concemant larestructupation das agences des Nations-Unles, et plus particuH6r«ment I* fligtonnement de t'UNICEF avec d'autres agcnces. La raison de cette Initiative reside dans I'urgence de la demarche devanTla^iasTon qua yqu» davez prendra tr4s prgchainement.
Dans un contexte mondial de "reajustements", nous devons cralndre que I'emprlBe des preoccupattons administrativea el flnancidres acxaparent tenement I'attention qu'on en vienne a perdre la sfinSnitS creative qul nous ferait trouver les solutions moins excluaives et plus integralement humaines.
Je veux joindre ma volx a tous ceux qul, commc moi, ne veulent pas voir lea enfante du monde 6tre depouilles de leur unique voix "offldelle" au sein des Nations Unies. Et a'il faut des ajustementa adminislratita, qu'ils n'aillent en aucune fagon porter atteinte a Vautononro de ce porte- parole efficace. Car redulre oette autonomle signifierait un reel desengagement pratique dana la cause des entente deja tres menaced par la miaere et I'hedonisme contemporains.
Falsant appal a votre large conscience humanltalre, je vous prierals de ne pas accepter une uhm^pj^araH^lu^ommag qu© profitable a oette maprite de I'humanite -que sont tos entente etjea fejrimes- et qur sent lesl^cTimeTreTpTu^iral}ieTablOTr-~ ----- — — —
Confiarrt en votre grands segesse. recevez, Monsieur le Secretaire, I'hommage de ma plus haute consideration et ('expression de mes sentlmentfttrespectueux.
De: Guy Boulanger 1710 rue Cartier Montreal, Qc. Canada, H2K4E2. Tel: (514) 598-0784 Telcople: (514) S24-0760 j- % H. Dr. Kofi Annan Secretary-General United Nations JUN,2 7 1997 Mew York E/;:cii'iiv£ OFFICE 27 June 1997 -ECE- Dear Mr. Secretary-General, We yrite to express our support for the United Nations reform process . clearly , "
hroughout the world. We represent a collective budget of over $2 billion US per year, serving and saving the lives of millions of children and their families and communities, in many places, not only the development but the very survival of children depends on our efforts.
For us, UNICEF is unique. Its commitment is not to one technical area which benefits all age-groups and sectors of society, but to putting the human development focus on the future, on !?'£* children* Our overriding concern is to ensure that the interests and needs of children are heeded at the global level* We have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with UNICEF in our endeavours to address child-related issues. Host recent examples include: the development and implementation of tbe Convention on the Rights of the child, the World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of children, the girl child and the Graga Machel UN Study on Children in Armed Conflict.
UHICEF has been more successful than any other. agency in forging aworking partnership with the non-governmental sector. The^ recogriltion that democratic governance is an *# essential condition for improving the lives of ordinary people, means that the UN should be working more than ever with the institutions of civil society at the international, national and community level. Ho other part of the UN can compare with UNICEF*s proven and long-standing commitment to civil society.
He believe firmly that there is a strong need for an independent voice for children within the United Nations- both for the benefit of our joint work for children, and because of UNICEF *s special links with civil society. The effectiveness of UHICEF as a leading moral authority for children- who need an informed EMft voice at the international level- must be safeguarded. Please accept, Mr. Secretary-General, the expression of our highest consideration. IS Michelle Poulton Erie Director, Europs Office SHreetor, intarasrtiQimi ChrlBtiam dsiltoKrt'B Fund, 2uc, World Vialon International Geneva Geneva on behalf of;
Association for Childliood laternational BahB'i Interiiatioaal Cosmiraiity Childiiope Poundafcioa Christian Children's Fund Defence for ChildreB International European Children's Trust iMternafcional Abolitionist Federation International Catholic Child Bureau International Federation of Educative Conanmities Interimtioaal Fadajration of Social Worfeere Isaternatioiial Federation! Terre deg Hommes International League of Pereon^ with SSeatal Handicap International MovemaBt AID Fourth World international Movement of Apostolafce of Childreu International planned Parenthood Federation International Social Service Kids Meeting Kids Can Make a DifferancQ Plan International World Alliance of Ycrang Men's Chjrietian Associations World Association of Children's Friends World Federation off Methodist and Uniting Church Women World Organization of the Scout Movement World Vision International Save the Children Federation
CHRXSTX&H CHXMJSEN'S POTTO-ISO Route de Fenaeyj 1202 Geneva Tel. (41-22) 786.9077 - Fax. {41-22)788,9083