World Information Transfer Presents Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

A publication by WIT Summer Interns Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

Introduction During the course of WITs two-month internship program, a number of speakers from various professional backgrounds came to share their knowledge and experience with the interns. These individuals are leaders in their fields, and brought to light critical health, environment, and policy issues that relate to WITs work at the UN. The meetings with these distinguished guests are summarized below.

Table of Contents

H. E. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev...... 3 Ambassador Thomas Gass...... 5

Mr. Nikhil Seth...... 7 Mr. Igor Shpiniov...... 9

Mr. Ziad Mahmassani...... 11

Dr. Patricia Myskowski...... 13 Dr. Scott Ratzan...... 15

Dr. Mame Diouf...... 17

Mr. James Sniffen...... 19

Mr. Richard Katzman...... 21 Mr. Howard Margulis...... 23 Mr. Josh Cohen...... 25 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

H.E. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev

H.E. Yuriy A. Sergeyev has been the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations since 2007. Prior to this post, he served as the ambassador of Ukraine to UNESCO, France, Greece, and Albania. He also worked as the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine, where he addressed land border issues with Russia. Recent events in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine have raised an array of challenging issues related to self-determination, secession, international intervention, and annexation. World Information Transfer interns had the opportunity to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine with Ambassador Sergeyev. Ambassador Sergeyev addressed three thematic issues: the social, political, and economic implications that have emerged in Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion of Crimea.

Social ramifications were as follows:

 Ukraine would always uphold and respect human rights. Therefore, regaining Crimea by force was not an option, as it could lead to many causalities.  Major constitutional reforms in Ukraine would include decentralizing power to different regions.  The Ukrainian government remains committed to the idea of decentralization of power, and is ready to ensure a special status for Russian and other languages of national minorities.

Political problems were as follows:

 Ukraine and the international community face as Russia blatantly violates all norms and codes of conduct of the international order, which prevents a peaceful resolution.  Ambassador Sergeyev strongly posited that the referendum in Crimea was illegitimate, as it was inspired by Russia, and the plebiscite took place while Russian soldiers occupied the peninsula.

 In response to questions on UN Security Council reform, Ambassador Sergeyev stressed the need for reform of current veto power held by the permanent five members, US, UK, China, France, and Russia. He upheld the notion that the United Nations faces a crisis of structural reform that is most visible when the Security Council remains in a deadlock in times of need.

Economic responses were as follows:

 Russia is using its supply of gas as a tool for political coercion within the region. The current price of gas supplied to Ukraine has been deliberately increased to further destabilize the Ukrainian economy.

 Ukraine is committed to and is working on introducing a structured and more decentralized system to govern regions.

 Remembering the Chernobyl accident, His Excellency strongly re-affirmed Ukraine’s priority in safeguarding all nuclear reactors, and assured that all measures have been enhanced when in a state of crisis.

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 The government is exploring alternative sustainable options and re-evaluating their transition from an energy sector primarily based on gas consumption to one that utilizes electricity and alternative sources.

Overall, the level of discourse and the breadth of information disseminated by the His Excellency Ambassador Sergeyev helped the interns understand the Ukrainian crises from a first hand perspective. In conclusion, Ambassador Sergeyev thanked the interns for their insightful questions.

From left: Samantha Kong, Shan Cheema, Tracy Lau, Leslie Anokye, Apurv Gupta, Aslesha Dhillon, H.E. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev, Dr. Christine K. Durbak, Marli Kasdan, Sophia Griffiths-Mark, Nusrat Laskar, Zachary Halliday, Harrison Chung, Modou Cham.

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Ambassador Thomas Gass

Mr. Thomas Gass is the Assistant Secretearary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in UN DESA. With the ending of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many questions still remain about the future of the outcome document. Mr. Gass talked with the WIT interns about the SDG’s and the future of the post 2015 development agenda.

Mr. Gass began the discussion by saying that we are at a watershed moment in the history of humanity - for the first time, 10 days ago, 193 countries agreed on where they want to be in the next 15 years. During the OWG for the first time in history, member states, civil society, groups of experts, and ordinary people (via online contributions) gave their input, which through months of deliberations turned into the 17 goals and 169 targets of the SDGs. The question is what comes next?

Mr. Gass and Ms. Amina Mohammed (the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on post 2015 development planning) are in charge of preparing the report for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This report will help shape the future of the post 2015 development agenda, and will pave the road for where and how the outcome document of the OWG will be utilized. A formidable task, Mr. Gass asked the interns, “What do you think the Secretary-General should do now, considering the result of the OWG is not just an expert committee or informal group.”

The dilemma is what comes next. The Secretary- General’s report is not the end of the negotiations; rather it is just the beginning. The end of the negotiations will culminate in a resolution passed by member states in the General Assembly during Sept. 2015.The task before the governments is to keep moving forward.

There are still large debates over what is the most pressing issue for development. Some say industrialization is the answer, some put their focus on poverty eradication; still, others think education or proper nutrition is the way forward. There are so many different ways of seeing development, and the SDGs are a result of this diversity and complexity. If we want to present this document in a useful way for the whole global community, we need to try and appeal to the different perspectives we all have. Member States can choose which goals and targets are the most pertinent and transformative for their development. Countries can therefore prioritize the goals they see as most important.

Mr. Gass gave the commonalities of development in Switzerland and Nepal (two vastly different countries) as an example of how to bridge these gaps. Both countries face challenges of diversity when tackling the persistent problem of inequality in development.

Furthermore, the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities is very important. It’s important for the western world to understand that some countries feel a profound sense of injustice because they feel the industrialized countries have become rich by exploiting natural resources, and that the world has now reached its planetary boundaries and developed countries want to stop others from doing the same. In the same vein, when it comes to mitigating the effects of climate change and environmental degradation,

Page 5 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014 it is important to recognize which countries bear the largest burden of this problem, and to take into account the differing capacities of countries in tackling it. The poorest billion people in the world only produce 3% of the world’s carbon emissions. This stark inequality in carbon emissions, and consequent contribution to global warming, needs to be taken into account in the goals and targets on climate change in the SDGs.

Mr. Gass lastly talked about financing the SDGs and the post 2015 development agenda. Who’s responsibility is it to pay, and how much? This brings us back to the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities, with respect to which countries can afford to pay what. Mr. Gass believes that all OECD countries should try and reach the .7% target of GNI to be allocated as Official Development Assistance (ODA). However, despite their capacity, most developed countries are vastly below this target. The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing comes into the post 2015 development agenda with the task of coming up with a report for development financing options. Financing for development is one of the major challenges and unanswered questions of the outcome document of the OWG and the future of the post 2015 development agenda.

Concluding our discussion, Mr. Gass said that the only way to effectively increase financing for global sustainable development is to convince the populations of countries that they have a vested interest in doing so. The protection of our boarders and the stability of our countries in the developed world are heavily intertwined with the level of economic growth, security, and stability in developing countries. However, development cooperation is difficult and the learning process has been evolving slowly. In the realm of what comes next for the outcome document of the OWG in the post 2015 development agenda, finding ways to finance the SDGs are vital for their implementation, and equally as important as the future of what aspects of development will continue to shape them.

Sitting: USG Ambassador Thomas Gass and Dr. Christine K. Durbak

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Mr. Nikhil Seth

Mr. Nikhil Seth, Director of the Division for Sustainable Development for DESA, told the interns that one of DESA’s main objectives is the successful progression and incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs and post 2015 development agenda cover all issues included in the MDGs as well as new ones such as climate change, water, energy, and peaceful communities and societies. The Open Working Group (OWG) on the SDGs concluded on July 19th following eighteen months of hard work towards finalizing the SDGs, which will be the global development agenda post-2015 when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets end. The achievement of the SDGs will rely on indicators that reflect the measurability of change in countries. The member states reached a consensus on the 17 goals and 169 targets. The inclusion of sexual health and reproductive rights and language on the “rule of law” were among the most controversial and heavily debated issues. Since all 193 member states have an equal voice and ability to participate in this process, all states have a sense of ownership in this outcome document. All 193 countries want to be influential in establishing the developmental agenda for the future.

The document will be presented to the GA during the high level meetings in September during which time the GA has the option to take note of the document, decide upon a process for further revisions and deliberations, or accept the document. Mr. Seth believes that it is most likely that the GA will take note of the document and formulate a plan for further review of the post 2015 development agenda during the next session.

Mr. Seth elaborated on the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the SDGs. The social aspects focus on poverty eradication, racism, gender equality, and education reform. The economic aspects include sustainable patterns of consumption and production, industrialization, and decent work and employment for all. It also focuses on the cooperation of NGOs and private sector stakeholders in economic development. Cooperation between governments, agencies, and stakeholders is very important for the success of the SDGs. The environmental aspects include climate change, conservation of biodiversity, and sustainable use of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. There are many unknown challenges to the SDGs and the post 2015 development agenda, including the threats of drought, floods, loss of biodiversity, and famine. Also the issue of human rights will need further elaboration.

Financing the SDGs is crucial from both governments as well as the private sector in order to achieve the goals which were set up to create a balanced world by 2030. The financial aspects of the SDGs will also be supported through UN operational arms and agencies such as UNICEF, WHO, and environmental groups who spend money at the country level where they have established a presence and can advance the SDG strategies on the ground and local levels. Although funding for the SDGs will be drawn from all available sources, it may still not be as substantive as required for a transformative agenda. The final outcome document will face many challenges in its implementation. These challenges include data availability for meaningful analysis, corruption, and misappropriation of funds. Cooperation between governments and NGOs is vital, and the UN is fortifying these partnerships, which can bring together the many different players needed to move forward in achieving the SDGs. Page 7 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

Technological advances are particularly important for progress of the post-2015 development agenda, and the UN DESA resource platform is providing strategies for technology use in reaching them more efficiently.

Mr. Seth concluded, “Countries need to be able to prioritize and take action.” The next 18 months can not be like the past 18 months, member states need to agree on the changes, and be more effective in the implementation of the agreements contained in the document.

Sitting: Mr. Nikhil Seth and Dr. Christine K. Durbak

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Mr. Igor Shpiniov

Mr. Igor Shpiniov is the Chief of Office of the Under-Secretary General for the General Assembly and Conference Management in the United Nations. He shared his personal views, experiences, and responsibilities within the UN system with WIT’s interns. He stressed that it is important for one to get different perspectives of what mankind is doing in different places, and this is what attracted him to join the UN. He started his career in the UN in 1989 as a translator, then moved to managing training of UN translators and other language professionals, conference affairs, and now currently his role and duties are more focussed on the support of the GA and the related conference services.

His interest in how the human language can be understood in terms of numbers to communicate with the computer led him to study linguistics in graduate school where he worked on a synthetic project with prominent linguistics in the field of semantics around the time of the crumbling of the Soviet Union.

Mr. Shpiniov highlighted the significance of research in the field of translation . The need to understand the concepts and context of translation can lead one into research. Thus, Mr. Shpiniov started looking around and deepening his interest in this field, which eventually led him to become the Training and Outreach Coordinator in order to prepare the next generation of linguists qualified to work for with the UN system.

Since translation is a very challenging job, the language professional exam has set its quality bar high in order to recruit the best professionals. The translators not only need to be able to translate from two languages to one, but also have to specialize in particular fields and be able to understand and use the associated terminologies. Mr. Shpiniov realized that the UN needed more qualified translation professionals and worked with top language universities to find out why graduates were not making it through the language professional exam. He discovered that there were several areas ignored by schools while preparing these candidates. One of the major drawbacks in their curriculum was that the students lacked full proficiency in their own language because the schools only focussed on foreign languages. He then helped to create a network of universities that were advised on changing the content of their syllabus accordingly to meet UN standards.

As Chief terminologist of the UN, he lead work in the area which codifies, researches, and makes sure that the official UN terminologies have the same meaning in all six official languages. He also initiated development of a system which recognizes every text that was previously translated and recognized by the UN. The purpose of this is to keep the core data isolated from the world data so that non-UN data does not contaminate the system.

Mr. Shpiniov then moved onto conference management, where his role involved understanding and implementing technical and political knowledge in the management of conference meetings. According to Mr Shpiniov, the Department of conference management is the core department for the UN mandates delivery. One third of the UN budget is set for conference management which serves the original mission

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of the UN - to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of the common ends (Article 1.4 of the UN Charter). It is the only global and truly universal organization with the highest convening power. The department of conference management makes this inter-cultural dialogue possible through linguistic and technical support and substantive advice provided to the member states. Therefore, the department is responsible not only in arranging the rooms, program, and agenda, but also for providing the secretariat support in working with the rules of procedure. The department’s staff members are equipped with the knowledge, practice, and interpretation of every rule. The secretary on the panel advises on these procedural rules, which prevent confusion and allow meetings to run smoothly. The other part of the department consists of translators, interpreters, and other language staff that support document processing. They are responsible for the substantial part of running the GA and ECOSOC and its committees.

Sitting: Mr. Igor Shpiniov and Dr. Christine K. Durbak.

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Mr. Ziad Mahmassani

Mr. Ziad Mahmassani is a Political Affairs Officer for the department of the General Assembly and Conference Management who enlightened the interns on the functions of his position within the UN, as well as on the path he took to get there. He provided details and distinctions between the six principle organs of the United Nations – the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat, the Trusteeship Council, and The International Court of Justice. Mr. Mahmassani first joined the United Nations in 2005 as a consultant for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He assisted UNFPA in the 2005 World Summit by concentrating primarily on covering the intergovernmental issues that arose. After five years with the UNFPA he applied to his current post in the General Assembly Secretariat. As a Political Affairs Officer, Mr. Mahmassani works in support of the intergovernmental processes. He is tasked with the preparation of parliamentary documentation, as well as with the preparation of reports on the respective processes of the Assembly. Through serving as the institutional memory of the GA, as well as advising on the rules, procedures, and practices, the GA Secretariat helps ensure negotiations can take place, and subsequently, agreements can be reached.

After a brief description of his role and path to the UN, Mr. Mahmassani continued his presentation by focusing on the six principal organs organized by the UN charter in 1946:

The General Assembly serves as the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. All 193 members contribute to the decision making process on a wide array of issues, including everything from the admission of new members to the budget. In contrast to the Security Council, the GA makes recommendations rather than binding proclamations. With universal membership and the lack of a veto power, the General Assembly represents the will of the international community.

The Security Council is arguably seen as the most high profile of the 6 organs, as it consists of only 15 member-states – the five permanent (P5) countries that include the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France. The P5 hold a veto power that is only present in the Security Council. This veto allows any one of the P5 to prevent the adoption of any resolution. The other 10 members are rotating members, elected to 2 year terms by the General Assembly. Elections to non-permanent seats in the Council are conducted by secret ballot, with 5 new members elected each year. The Security Council focuses on peace and security and oversees the peacekeeping operations. All decisions made in the Security Council are binding, and some are enforceable through sanctions and other means as stipulated in the Charter.

The Economic and Social Council serves as a floor for the debate of economic, social, and environmental issues, as well as a platform for internationally agreed development goals.

The Trusteeship Council was originally formed to deal with the advancements in the social, economic, and political aspects of life for the people of Trust Territories. The Council has been inactive since 1994, however, with the independence of the last remaining Trust Territory, Palau.

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The International Court of Justice serves as the sole judiciary force of the UN, most commonly settling disputes between states.

The Secretariat, which is headed by the Secretary General, services the other principal organs by implementing all of the decisions made by the others. There are 44,000 civil servants that ensure the Secretariat runs smoothly on a day by day basis. The geographical distribution of these servants is also equitable, as all countries have representation. Quotas built from factors such as country size, economy, andcontributions to the UN determine how much representation every nation is allotted. These civil servants have no bias or connection to their land of origin while serving at the UN, as they all swear to an oath to abide by this philosophy. Mr. Mahmassani’s presentation was very informative for anyone looking to join the UN work force. He highlighted the ever-changing nature of his occupation. He is constantly working on new issues and adapting to different perspectives. When posed with the question of how to prepare for a job at the UN, Mr. Mahmassani provided a very broad-stroked response stating that since there are so many different fields at the UN, an array of skill sets can be used to gain employment at the United Nations. He left the interns both very informed on the inner workings of the UN, and very intrigued about potential career paths as international civil servants.

Sitting: Mr. Ziad Mahmassani and Dr. Christine K. Durbak

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Dr. Patricia Myskowski

Dr. Patricia Myskowski specializes in Dermatological Immunology and Diagnostic and Laboratory Immunology in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is a Board member of WIT and has been talking to the WIT interns about skin cancer for many years.

Environmental Aspects of Skin Cancer Each year, more new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. than new cases of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. The host factors include skin color, family history, and environmental factors like exposure to radiation and chemicals.

Natural UV Radiation Dr. Myskowski noted that natural or solar radiation undoubtedly serves many important purposes. It is a natural source of vitamin D, kills pathogens, and plays a role in mood elevation. However, the effects of solar radiation on human skin may have long-term negative effects, in spite of the many other benefits of the sun. She said that exposure to UVB and UVA rays result in sun damage. Acute effects of exposure to UV radiation include sunburn, tan, and immediate pigment darkening. Some of the chronic effects are photo aging and skin cancer.

Types of Skin Cancer While explaining the three types of skin cancer, namely Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma, Dr. Myskowski highlighted that BCC is the most common skin cancer in the US, and an estimated 2.8 million people are diagnosed annually. Its incidence is associated with intermittent sun exposure and is increasing by 10% per year worldwide. SCC ranks second in terms of incidence, and approximately 700,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the US.

Risk factors for SCC include light skin, exposure to ultraviolet or ionizing radiation and chemical carcinogens, smoking, PUVA (photochemical therapy), heat injury, HPV viral infection, and many others. In developing countries like Bangladesh and India where populations are exposed to arsenic-contaminated water, a large number of cases of SCC in situ and BCC have been diagnosed. Skin cancers have caused 66,000 deaths worldwide, and 80% of these deaths are from melanoma. Dr. Myskowski said that skin should be regularly examined because the best way to detect skin cancer early is to recognize changes in skin

Page 13 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014 growths. To detect melanoma, the ABCD rule should be followed. The letters stand for asymmetric, border, color, and diameter. She said that an E, for evolution, should be added to this rule. Melanoma has genetic and environmental risk factors, which include fair skin, multiple moles (>25), genetic susceptibility, geographic latitude, cumulative and intermittent UV exposure, and a history of sunburns.

Artificial UV Radiation Dr. Myskowski also explained the adverse effects of exposure to artificial UV radiation in tanning salons. She said that it increases the risk of skin cancer two to eight fold. People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop SCC and 1.5 times more likely to develop BCC. People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk of melanoma by 75%.

Ionizing Radiation Radiation treatment for cancer, like Hodgkin’s disease, and benign dermatoses can result in BCC. Such patients are also at a high risk for SCC. Using the Chernobyl disaster as an example of accidental exposure to ionizing radiation, Dr. Myskowski said that exposure to large amounts of beta and gamma radiation caused skin damage, and contamination by beta and gamma-emitting isotopes affected the upper airways of the exposed population.

Prevention Sunlight is the only major implicated avoidable cause of melanoma, Dr. Myskowski said. Excessive sun, therefore, should be avoided, and sunscreens with SPF 30 or higher should be applied.

Sitting: Dr. Christine K. Durbak and Dr. Patricia Myskowski

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Dr. Scott Ratzan

Dr. Scott Ratzan is the Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs at Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABInBev) and an adjunct professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. A passionate advocate for health literacy, and a pioneer in leading private sector involvement in public health, Dr. Ratzan recounted the years he had spent in various positions of the health industry. He presented the interns with a picture of the many possible avenues for us to be of service to promoting sustainable development and to contributing to the world at large.Dr. Ratzan began with a note on health literacy and health diplomacy. He said that to achieve the latter, it is essential to give people outside of the health sector access to health literacy. Citing aid workers’ attempts to halt armed conflict in order to disseminate polio vaccinations, he commented on the significant effects that diplomatic interventions can have on improving health. . This is because “health is the common currency of all mankind”, and “microbes do not discriminate”.

While Dr. Ratzan is known for authoring the American definition of health literacy, his later experience in bringing private sector innovations to solve public health problems is equally remarkable. In accordance with the surge in Mhealth or mobile health, Dr. Ratzan worked on the “Text for Baby” initiative, which provides mothers-to-be with updates about vaccinations and check-ups from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is even more notable that this initiative has been scaled up in developing countries, with voice messages replacing texts messages to accommodate the needs of at-risk populations. Furthermore, another initiative he developed was a “Digital Health Scorecard” that provides a single numerical indicator for members of the public to understand the state of their health for preventing non-communicable disease in a straightforward manner (Published in Global Heart July, 2014). Using these examples, he demonstrated how private sector innovation and expertise can help to advance social good.

Although there is increased participation from the private sector in the advocacy of sustainable development, Dr. Ratzan admitted that such contributions are far from unleashing the private sector’s full potential. While the business sector has been well consulted in the publication of the Green Paper on Health Diplomacy for Women and Children’s Health, the same level of engagement has not been seen in the discussions about the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, some companies have a rather lukewarm attitude about participating in such initiatives. In a discussion on improving road safety among automobile makers, many companies considered following industry standards for engineering and safety belts as adequate. But with a higher awareness of corporate social responsibility and a fundamental role of the private sector to advance a better world, Dr. Ratzan has led ABInBev's global corporate affairs with greater ideals for improving road safety. As road safety accidents are the #1 cause of death for 10-29 year olds, the Together for Safer Roads coalition assembles private sector actors to advance ways to improve

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traffic safety by finding solutions to prevent injuries and deaths, such as phone-locks, driver-education and other technological ideas such as self-driven cars. He believes that the pendulum is swinging to one side for the better.

In closing, Dr. Ratzan offered a word of advice to the interns on the future role we can play in global health and development. He started lightheartedly by saying that while it is uneasy to identify what one wants to do, one must also know what one does not want to do. He elaborated by stating that we must recognize the different ways of working in different sectors of development, whether it is in academia, the government, or the private sector. While joining the government may be the most direct way to fulfill one’s will to serve, he stated that changes in politics can be fast and sweeping, and can frustrate those on the frontline administering the policies. For instance, Dr. Ratzan witnessed the changes in USAID’s birth control policies in the days following the 2000 presidential election. Furthermore, he also mentioned the hindrance confronted by the private sector in promoting sustainable development. Citing The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refusal to have a logo listed jointly with Johnson & Johnson on the promotional materials of the “Text for Baby" initiative as an example, he said that government red tape and the public’s general negative impression of business makes the private sector’s role in fulfilling social responsibility more difficult. Dr. Ratzan said that as long as we keep a broad and general interest in a wide range of developmental issues, we will have sufficient room to maneuver and find out the right position for us to fulfill our aspirations to serve the greater good.

Sitting from left: Mr. Nick Maximiv, Dr. Scott Ratzan and Dr. Christine K. Durbak

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Dr. Mame Selbee Diouf

Dr. Mame Selbee Diouf is a Resource Mobilization Specialist in the Strategic Partnership Division of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). She introduced UN Women as a specialized entity of the United Nations (UN), created to provide a more coherent approach to deal with gender equality and women’s empowerment in the UN system. Prior to the creation of UN Women in 2010, the UN had various organizations that dealt with this significant issue: the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). She stressed that restructuring these agencies into a more holistic organization has proven to be very successful. Furthermore, Dr. Diouf stated that at the time of its creation, the initial funding target of $500 million to be achieved by 2015 had to be reviewed as a longer-term target to be achieved by 2017.

Dr. Diouf noted the main roles of UN Women as follows:  To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms  To help member states to implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society  To hold the UN system accountable for its own commitments on gender equality, including regular monitoring of system-wide progress

Furthermore, Dr Diouf highlighted UN Women’s main areas of work. First, working on women’s political participation on national and international levels. Second, advancing women’s economic empowerment. Third, ending violence against women. While this issue was missing in the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs), Dr. Diouf stated that it is on the table for the post-2015 agenda. Fourth, ensuring that peace and security and humanitarian action are shaped by women’s leadership and participation. Fifth, addressing gender relations through governance and national planning. Sixth, developing a comprehensive and dynamic set of global norms and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Next, Dr. Diouf stated that the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995 is one of the biggest commitments made by member states concerning the status and rights of women. It provides a very detailed text, and the aim of UN Women is to now focus on its implementation. She noted the two main strategies they follow for effective implementation:  Enhancing social mobilization: UN Women is creating a new precedent by going out of the UN and engaging with all of their partners. They promote member states to take ownership of the cause by encouraging them to organize conferences at regional levels.

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 National reviews: UN Women has received 90 national reviews of member states that will be featured in the Secretary General’s report.

WIT interns raised concerns about data manipulation to which Dr. Diouf responded by highlighting that they rely on national statistics, and UN Women encourages national offices to also focus on data. Furthermore, she stressed that the involvement of civil society is imperative, and that there is a need to create a stronger framework for accountability.

In conclusion, Dr. Diouf highlighted the three core aims of UN Women at the ground level: fight for gender equality, enable capacity development, and sustain women’s rights for the long term.

Sitting: Dr. Christine K. Durbak and Dr. Mame Selbee Diouf

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Mr. James Sniffen

Mr. James Sniffen has been the Programme and Liaison officer in the New York office of UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme, since 2006. His responsibilities include administrative and budgetary matters, media relations, and civil society outreach. He also represents UNEP in various subsidiary bodies of the UN General Assembly and ECOSOC. UNEP and UN-Habitat are the only two UN system entities stationed in a developing country. As part of the Secretariat, UNEP answers to the Secretary-General, and reports to the budget committee on a regular basis. The chief income comes from the voluntary contributions to UNEP’s Environment Fund, while the rest are from the UN (4% from UN regular budget), trust funds, and earmarked contributions. Since 1972, UNEP has undertaken many different capacities, but the lack of environmental data is still on the table and needs to be addressed. The governmental bodies of UNEP meet annually in Nairobi on a ministerial level. The UNEA (United National Environmental Assembly), with 193 UN member states participating, was launched in response to the Rio+20 in order to strengthen and upgrade UNEP as the leading global environmental authority. The expansion of universal membership for the 2013 session paved the way for UNEA to assemble all UN Member States, Observer States, and other stakeholders to catalyze actions. The implication of this assembly is to provide the world’s environmental ministers with the highest-level global platform to define international action on the environment for the first time.

Key responsibilities of UNEP  Build capacity UNEP’s mission statement is a manifesto for capacity building. In order to further build capacity, the Global Environment Outlook 5, a series of reports on the environment issued every five years, is the latest edition in response to the Rio+20 outcomes.  Raise awareness on environmental threats Mr. Sniffen underlined the global environmental movement and the new momentum gained in 1962 with the publication of Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” before UNEP was established. Since then, increase in attendance of the world’s environmental ministers has been recorded at the Global Ministerial Environment Forum. Today, the presence of senior environmental officials in every environmental cabinet marks the success of raising awareness.  Mainstream environmental components into UN activities There has been a mixed record regarding this. One tangible manifestation is the reconstruction project of the UN landmark building with better energy efficiency and cooling systems.

Seven priority focal areas of UNEP 1. Climate change: As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Secretariat, UNEP publishes IPCCs report every five or six years, presenting scientific knowledge, impacts, and possible solutions and mitigations to climate change. Mr. Sniffen commented on the necessity to fully address impacts within the report. Furthermore, some places in the world, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, small island developing countries, delta regions, and even some regions in the USA, are prone to heavy impacts Page 19 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

from climate change. Industrialized countries need to bear a greater responsibility. 2. Disaster Risk Reduction: UNEP works in post-conflict situations such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, and in countries affected by major disasters, such as Pakistan and Indonesia. It works closely with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to offer recommendations when dealing with environmental emergencies, including crisis response and recovery, disaster risk reduction, environmental peace building, and impact/damage analysis. Furthermore, UNEP has carried out an independent post-conflict assessment in Sudan. It was well received, which led to capacity building of the national and local governments, as well as to the reconstitution of legislation and institutions. 3. Ecosystem Management: UNEP monitors the status of the global environment by providing scientific information when addressing forest, ocean, and biodiversity concerns. 4. Environmental governance: This includes developing international environmental law at the national level, educating and training legislators with scientific information, and strengthening partnerships among UN entities, international organizations, national governments, Non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and civil society. 5. Chemical treaties and waste: This priority area focuses on making guidelines for waste management, and building national capacities for the clean production, use, and disposal of chemical and hazardous wastes. Mr. Sniffen mentioned how the Minamata Convention on Mercury had successfully prepared a global, legally binding instrument on this harmful substance. 6. Resource sufficiency: UNEP promotes sustainable consumption and production to pave the way for a green economy. This is an economy which uses opportunities for clean investment and green jobs to address poverty and enhance human well-being. 7. Environment under review: This priority area involves monitoring the global environmental condition with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) sensing and topography mapping. Some environmental research centers make their ecological surveys available to UNEP and also to developing countries for free. In return, UNEP brings in technicians from developing countries to learn cutting edge technology, and allows them to bring the knowledge and skills back to their home countries.

Sitting from left: Mr. Modou Cham (WIT’s Administrator), Dr. Christine K. Durbak and Mr. James Sniffen

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Mr. Richard Katzman

Mr. Richard Katzman, currently a private investor with extensive experience, came to share with the WIT interns his knowledge of social entrepreneurship. Following his graduation from Brown University, Mr. Katzman, went into the family business, Kaz Inc., a multinational consumer appliance company. He was the Chairman and CEO of the company. Under his leadership, the company grew from $4 million in annual sales to $500 million, with offices around the world, including in Europe, China, Hong Kong, etc. He sold his company three years ago and began investing in early stage companies and working with various groups and organizations. For example, he works closely with the student-run entrepreneurship program at Brown University in supporting new start-ups. While discussing his interest and knowledge of social entrepreneurship, he explained that, “Social entrepreneurship is the process of pursuing innovative solutions to social problems. More specifically, social entrepreneurs adopt a mission to create and sustain social value.” He explained that social enterprises rely heavily on both social responsibility and social impact, which is completely different from the traditional for-profit organizations that he ran for a couple of decades. In contrast, the traditional ones mainly focus on maximizing the profit within a short period of time.

Mr. Katzman introduced various basic terms that are commonly used in the business sector: Impact Investing serves as a guide for various investment strategies. It mainly focuses on financial return and positive social impact. He illustrated the concept of impact investing by talking about a regular venture capital fund called City Like Capital, which specifically invests in three major sectors: education, security, and environment. The fund mainly invests in small businesses that have a high potential to grow in the long term. Hybrid businesses not only create their own revenues, but also do social good for the community. For instance, Newman’s Own donates money to foundations; Runa LLC develops a growing economy in Ecuador, provides fair trade prices for the crops, and creates education and other benefits. Mr. Katzman highlighted these two examples of accomplishing social value in alternative ways.  Newman’s Own – The unique hybrid business strategy put them on the list of “Marre’s Giving is Winning” companies. It is successful because it combines business with a social cause, and is a great example of what giving can do for business strategy. What sets Newman’s Own apart from other companies is that 100 percent of profits are donated to charities. Most remarkably, since 1982, over $300 million have been given to thousands of charities.  Runa LLC – Two graduates at Brown University did a study abroad project in Ecuador and found a tea-like plant called Guayusa - a naturally caffeinated tree leaf brewed like tea, consumed early in the morning to help interpret dreams, and late at night to provide energy and clarity while hunting in the jungle. They then developed farms in Ecuador, which educated and provided training for the farmers. Part of their mission is to improve the quality of life in Ecuador.

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Proceeding to another level of investment, peer-to-peer lending is the practice of lending money to unrelated individuals, without going through a traditional financial institution. Mr. Katzman briefly introduced two examples.

 Grameen Bank Project – Professor Mohammed Yunus pioneered microlending when he established Grameen bank in Bangladesh. This micro-credit institution aims at lending cash to poor villagers so that they can invest in the livestock and materials they need to make money of their own.  Kiva – A microlending company on a peer to peer basis, where lenders choose a business and make a loan by using a credit card online at the Kiva website. Kiva then transfers the loan proceeds to local partners, who distribute the loans to the businesses. The purpose of Kiva is to connect people with third world businesses looking for loans.

In conclusion, Mr. Katzman pointed out the traditional non-profits and NGOs, like World Information Transfer. These organizations donate their time and expertise for the common good. In addition, as an experienced entrepreneur supporting numerous early stage start-ups, Mr. Katzman explained the difficulty in judging the feasibility of a social enterprise and its commercial venture. The commercial ones generally tend to be more focused on their business plans. As for the social ones, it is always hard to weigh their profitability versus their social impact. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of having a feasible business idea and a good team, due to the fact that money in social entrepreneurship is invested to help people, instead of for the business plan itself.

Sitting from left: Mr. Roman Kyzyk, Dr. Christine K. Durbak and Mr. Richard Katzman

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Mr. Howard L. Margulis

Howard L. Margulis is Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of MaxEn Capital Advisors, Ltd. Mr. Margulis, a lawyer and investment banker, works on technologically advanced renewable energy projects around the world. Mr. Margulis began his presentation with an interactive demonstration. He asked a few WIT interns to stand up from their seats and assigned them various energy sources. Some of these included coal-fired, gas, nuclear, and renewable power generation. Mr. Margulis’ introductory exercise depicted the growing trend of renewable power generation, which fosters greener, more efficient, and cleaner energy, and will eventually grow larger and compete equally with non-renewable energy options (hydrocarbons, etc.). With this theme in mind, the World Information Transfer interns engaged in a very interesting discussion with Mr. Margulis. While working at his prior law firm (Skadden, Arps) Mr. Margulis wrote legislation that covers several enactments, including amendments to PURPA, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, which created the independent power production (IPP) sector in the energy industry in the United States. He explained that after the birth of IPP’s, many state and federal laws were implemented enabling IPP’s and renewable energy companies to develop with large utilities. These include FERC Order 888 (Power Line Transmission System Open Access), and statutes such as the New Jersey utility restructuring legislation, “Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act” of 1999 (N.J.S.A 48:3-49 et seq.), which allowed for stranded cost recovery for utility-owned generation plants and required renewable energy development as a part of the law. Mr. Margulis’ firm was a principal drafter of Order 888. Furthermore, Mr. Margulis was a principal drafter of the New Jersey Statute, as well as similar laws in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, and Connecticut. Mr. Margulis career gave him the opportunity to also work on the first waste-to-energy Hong Kong Project, which consisted of taking trash and changing it into electrical power by converting its heat (btu) into electricity. This project produced much cleaner power than standard diesel generation in the past. He also helped create a plant at Hong Kong airport to create jet fuel out of waste. Since Asia does not have equal distribution of fuel, creative steps are required to have renewable energy throughout the continent. Innovation and creativity have become trends in creating renewable energy throughout the developing world, and Mr. Margulis is working on achieving similar results in Africa. For example, he worked on a project in the northeastern part of Ethiopia where workers took underground steam locked in subterranean aquifers and created electricity. Mr. Margulis explained that the United States does not have a national energy policy, despite the environmental and economic implications of power generation. This is something he would like to see changed as other nations continue to implement sustainable practices. In America, every state has its own policies and laws about which resources should be utilized. In contrast, members of the European Union established a mandate requiring that all member states work toward having 20% renewable energy by the year 2020. This created many technological advancements and job opportunities in those countries. According to Mr. Margulis, the U.S. has the technological capacity; it just needs a unified policy. The main barrier in implementing a unified renewable energy plan in the US is public acceptance. Public acceptance is a key component to implementing and enforcing legislation, such as building wind turbines in certain areas. Page 23 Summer Speaker Series June/July 2014

Unfortunately, it is not part of the US culture to enforce renewable energy; therefore, Mr. Margulis does not think that the United States can achieve the EU goals for 2020 by even 2030. However, he does have a lot of confidence in the renewable energy industry as well as in the technological advancements that the United States has to offer. He pointed out, “We were always leaders in technology and we will be again.” Mr. Margulis then stressed that we need renewable energy to create more jobs and reduce energy emissions. Thus, the states that decide to join will reap all of these benefits, while the states that do not will miss out. This incentive approach was brought up by Gore in 1996 and was resisted, but now more and more people believe that it is the best method. In response to questions about fracking, Mr. Margulis responded by saying that fracking is necessary for more domestic oil and gas production, thus it cannot disappear. However, many technological innovations have been established to minimize the harmful effects of fracking. For example, halloysite clay (inert, organic) is used to feed down fracking holes, and other new technologies have been created for cleaning the water that comes up during the fracking process. Mr. Margulis’ presentation was informative, engaging, and inspiring. He contributes to the sustainable development of our world and sets an example for future business and law professionals.

Sitting from left: Mr. Howard L. Margulis and Dr. Christine K. Durbak. Standing first from left: Mr. Roman Kyzyk

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Mr. Josh Cohen

Mr. Josh Cohen is the Managing partner and co-founder of City Light Capital, a chief investment officer for Tyden ventures. He is on the Board of HeroX, a joint venture with the X Prize Foundation, and he is also on the Advisory Boards of 2U and StraigherLine. He recently co-founded The ImPact, whose mission is to increase the pace of solving social problems by improving the flow of capital to businesses creating measurable social impact.

Mr. Cohen, an English Literature graduate from the University of Michigan, chose the career path of an investment banker. His key area of interest and work is investing in technology. He noted that it is very important for investors to capture the emotional connectivity to an investment. Personally, like many others, he was deeply affected by the 9/11 attacks. Thus, he looked for entrepreneurs who were finding solutions to avoid any such future incidents.

From the years 2004-2008 he conducted various experiments. In 2006 he invested in Shotspotter, a system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapon fire to the police, using acoustic sensors and a series of microphones. Mr. Cohen noted that according to the statistics less than 20% of the gunshots are reported. On average, cities using Shotspotter for at least a year, experience a 35% reduction in gun crimes.

In 2009, he raised a venture fund that had a specific goal of finding entrepreneurs who aimed at developing smarter, safer, and sustainable products. In the sector of education, his projects focused on reducing drop out rates and increasing access and portability of learning resources. Furthermore, he highlighted the HeroX project, which is a platform for running competitions (using price incentives) to solve local and global problems. He also spoke about the Giving Pledge, which is a moral contract started by Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffet. A large number of billionaire families signed up to give half of their money to charity.

Previously, investment was not something people used to represent their values with. However, the new generation, in his opinion, has a strong level of intrigue and passion to act differently than the previous generations in investment. Currently, most investment is in developing countries, as it is easier to raise money for the developing countries than for the US. Nevertheless, Mr. Cohen invests in the American market, specifically in areas he is concerned about.

Although it is difficult to find investors, he noted the work of Jeff Canada in ‘Harlem’s Children Zone’ for grouping people of common interests together i.e. for-profits and not-for-profits working together. He further stated the importance of technology in impact investing.

 Internet crosses the geographical boundaries and unlocks potential. For example, people with disabilities have been able to run very successful businesses on eBay. The competitive environment of the market did not allow them to flourish. However, technology gave them that opportunity.

 It is a cost effective way to scale.

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On questions raised by WIT Interns concerning how, as an investor, he differentiates between the pretentious and genuine “social impact” projects, Mr. Cohen said it ultimately boils down to the evidence and data. Furthermore, on the future of the impact investment sector, he noted that there is a lot of interest, however, very little implementation. Traditional investment advisors are taught not to take risks. However, it is important to capitalize on investors’ areas of concern and passion. This requires a high degree of customization and convincing.

Finally, Mr. Cohen used an analogy of cell phones to explain the potential and future of impact investment: when cell phones were launched only a handful of people in the world owned the ‘big bricks,’ however, today they are owned globally. He envisions the future of impact investment to take a similar route of development.

WIT Interns standing with Mr. Josh Cohen (Centre), Sitting, Dr. Christine K. Durbak

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The Summer Speaker Series If you enjoyed what you read, check out the is published by World Ecology Report World Information Transfer

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