2006 Annual Review

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2006 Annual Review CHILDREN’S HEALTH WOMEN & POPULATION ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP 2006 Annual Review UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION & BETTER WORLD FUND Working in Mile. Eastern Chad. July 2004 “In an interconnected world, our fates and futures are tied together. That's why we need to work with the United Nations, the world's platform for peace and progress. The United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund were created to build bridges and foster partnerships that strengthen the UN and support its causes.” —Ted Turner, Founder and Chairman TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 LEADERSHIP LETTER 4 AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR WORK 6 The UN Foundation & Better World Fund 11 2006 HIGHLIGHTS 12 Facilitating Partnerships with the UN 14 Involving the Public in the UN's Work 17 Fostering Creative Solutions to Global Challenges 18 Advocating for the UN 21 FINANCIALS 22 2006 Financial Report Building Bridges When disaster strikes, the world turns to one organization for hope, help, leadership and coordination – the United Nations. When there is peace to keep between warring factions, the world asks the UN to mobilize peacekeepers and oversee the difficult return to stability and elections. When transboundary challenges, like global warming, are identified, the United Nations provides the platform for international cooperation. The United Nations is the only organization capable of marshalling global solutions to the global problems that are at the forefront of the 21st century agenda. The United Nations Foundation helps to link the UN’s work with others around the world, mobilizing the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help the UN tackle issues like climate change, children’s health, peace and security and poverty eradication. We believe that catalyzing positive change on the critical issues facing the world requires engagement by all countries and all sectors. The UN provides the platform for cooperation amongst governments, while the UN Foundation helps bring the talents and expertise of individuals, corporations, and NGOs into the UN. Together we can help to prevent malaria, eradicate polio, confront climate change, respond to natural disasters and promote human rights. With each passing day, our world becomes more interconnected. The fates and future of humanity are linked as never before. International cooperation through the United Nations is no longer a wishful dream, it is an urgent necessity. The United Nations Foundation is honored to work with you and the United Nations to help foster a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. Thank you for your commitment to a better world and for helping us help the UN make a real difference in our world. Sincerely, Ted Turner Timothy E. Wirth Founder and Chairman President 2 LEADERSHIP LETTER SECTION 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR WORK 6 The UN Foundation & Better World Fund 8 Our Relationship with the United Nations 9 Our Campaigns The UN Foundation & Better World Fund OUR MISSION The United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund were created in 1998 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner. The UN Foundation works to support and strengthen the United Nations. We build partnerships to help the UN address the world's most pressing problems and work to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The Better World Fund, the Foundation’s sister organization, coordinates advocacy and partnership efforts that advance UN causes. OUR BOARD Our work is governed by a distinguished Board of Directors spanning geographic and substantive backgrounds. We were proud that one of our founding Board members, Muhammad Yunus, was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Professor Yunus and the Grameen Bank, which he founded in 1976, were honored for their pioneering work on microcredit, and their inspirational work developing a business model that prioritizes poverty alleviation and human progress over profit. We were also pleased to welcome Her Excellency, Queen Rania of Jordan, to the Board in 2006. 6 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AS OF 12/31/2006 Ted Turner (USA) Her Majesty Queen Rania Chairman of the Board Al-Abdullah (Jordan) Chairman, Turner Enterprises Chair, Jordan River Foundation Founder, CNN Gro Harlem Brundtland Ruth Cardoso (Brazil) (Norway) Chair, Comunidade Solidaria Director-General Emeritus, Former First Lady of Brazil World Health Organization Former Prime Minister, Norway Graça Machel (Mozambique) N. R. Narayana Murthy (India) Chair, Foundation for Chairman and Chief Mentor of Community Development Infosys Technologies Limited Hisashi Owada (Japan) Emma Rothschild (UK) Judge, International Court of Director of the Centre for History Justice and Economics at King's College, University of Cambridge and Harvard University, and Professor of History at Harvard University Nafis Sadik (Pakistan) Timothy E. Wirth (USA) Special Advisor to the President, UN Foundation UN Secretary-General and Better World Fund Former US Senator (Colorado) Andrew Young (USA) Muhammad Yunus Chairman, Good Works (Bangladesh) International Founder, Grameen Bank of Former US Ambassador to UN Bangladesh Learn more about our Board of Directors at www.unfoundation.org/about/board.asp 7 OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED NATIONS The United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund are guided by the key priority of the UN: fostering international cooperation in service of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. We are honored to work closely with the UN’s effective leaders, in the Secretariat and across the UN system. Our work supports these leaders and the priorities set by Member States. To foster an effective, streamlined channel for collaboration with the UN, the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) was established as our strategic partner. UNFIP is a liaison between our work and that of the UN system and acts as a channel for our financial and other contributions to the UN system. Together, we work to foster new partnerships in support of UN causes. OUR FOCUS AREAS In consultation with UN partners, the Board of Directors has determined that our work should focus on the following priorities: Children's Health Women & Population Our objective is to help the UN reduce We work to advance the internationally childhood mortality and disease by adopted goal of universal access to strengthening public health systems, and by reproductive healthcare by 2015, as eliminating or controlling infectious diseases established at the International Conference such as polio, measles and malaria. on Population and Development. Biodiversity & Sustainable Energy & Climate Change Development To address the challenge of global climate In the interest of global biodiversity and change, we work with the United Nations, sustainable development, we work with the governments, NGOs, and the private sector UN to protect World Heritage sites and to to develop and implement sustainable, clean help surrounding communities develop energy solutions. sustainable livelihoods. Technology for Development Peace, Security & Human Rights We develop and support initiatives that The UN was founded as a platform for harness information technology to augment collective security and global peace. We UN efforts to provide humanitarian support the UN's peacekeeping and post- relief, health data collection, and access to conflict reconstruction efforts. communications. Telling the UN’s Story We help communicate the UN's value and accomplishments as the world's platform for peace, prosperity, and justice. 8 AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR WORK OUR C AMPAIGNS The UN Foundation and Better World Fund are engaged in a variety of campaigns designed to engage the public in the UN's work, build new coalitions in support of UN causes, leverage business expertise and involvement, and amplify the UN's impact and voice. Key campaigns we supported in 2006 include: Strengthening the relationship between the A nonpartisan alliance that seeks to bridge United States and the United Nations through the differences among business, labor, and advocacy, communications, and outreach. environmental groups and identify energy www.betterworldcampaign.org policy options with broad political support. www.energyfuturecoalition.org A grassroots campaign to educate and engage A long-term partnership among leaders in travelers and supporters about the public health that supports the goal of importance of protecting World Heritage sites reducing global measles deaths globally 90% for current and future generations to enjoy. by 2010. www.friendsofworldheritage.org www.measlesinitiative.org A grassroots campaign to save lives by raising A discussion series through which young funds for the purchase and distribution of people from around the world can participate anti-malarial bed nets for children in Africa. in a dialogue on important global issues. www.nothingbutnets.net www.thepeoplespeak.org The largest public health initiative the world A partnership with members of the travel has ever known to ensure that no child will industry and UNESCO to support ever again know the crippling effects of polio. conservation, sustainable tourism, and local www.polioeradication.org economic development for communities in and around World Heritage sites. www.worldheritagealliance.org 9 UN FOUNDATION AT A GLANCE SECTION 2 2006 HIGHLIGHTS We support the work of the United Nations in the four ways outlined below. Following are some highlights of our work, and the work of our many partners, in 2006. 12 Facilitating Partnerships with the UN 14 Fostering Creative Solutions to
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