A/HRC/4/106
page 12
50.
In 2005 and 2006, NGO briefings were organized by the Department on such topics as:
United Nations reform: focus on peacebuilding and human rights proposals; Remembrance and
beyond (in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of
the Holocaust); Innovative initiatives for the elimination of racism (in observance of the
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination); the twelfth anniversary of the
genocide in Rwanda; the Secretary-General’s study on violence against children from the
perspective of children; Gender equality beyond 2005: building a more secure future (in
observance of International Women’s Day); Report on the Sudan: a UN/NGO perspective; and
Human rights challenges in the twenty-first century (in observance of Human Rights Day).
51.
The UN Works programme expands public understanding of the role that human rights
and development play in the experience of people around the world. It worked with MTV in
2006 to produce the 30-minute documentary Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, which was
aired on 179 MTV channels worldwide. Online educational resources and classroom materials
were distributed free worldwide, including to 80,000 schools and 300,000 teachers in the
United States.
52.
The Department’s booklet containing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(DPI/876/Rev.2) continues to be in demand. It was reprinted in English, French and Spanish
several times during the reporting period.
53.
The Department provided communication support for the launch of the
Secretary-General’s study on violence against children in October 2006 in collaboration
with the study secretariat. Guidance, press materials and two op-ed articles were sent to the
network of UNICs. Media outreach was conducted at Headquarters and two op-eds - by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the independent expert for the
study - were placed in 26 newspapers in 20 countries. The report gained significant coverage in
all regions.
54.
The Department has launched a new programme of outreach on the subject “The
Holocaust and the United Nations”, whose mandate is to warn against the dangers of hatred,
bigotry, prejudice and racism in order to help prevent genocide and to mobilize civil society for
Holocaust remembrance and education. It organized, for the first time, an observance of the
International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust in
January 2006. A logo and a website (www.un.org/holocaustremembrance) were created
as well as an award-winning commemorative poster in English and French designed by the
Graphic Design Unit. The Department also coordinated and launched a travelling exhibit from
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, and organized two
screenings of the movie Fateless, an NGO briefing and a candlelight vigil. The Day was
observed under the theme “Remembrance and beyond”. More than 2,400 people, including
Holocaust survivors, participated in the observance. UNICs and information components in
United Nations Offices also carried out special observances in Argentina, Austria, Bolivia,
Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Georgia, Italy, Kenya, Mexico,
Myanmar, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine and Zambia. In addition, the Department
hosted a number of workshops for civil society and educational institutions on tolerance and the
prevention of genocide. It produced an information card detailing the objectives of “The
Holocaust and the United Nations” programme and distributed it at special events and speaking
engagements; organized round-table discussions at Headquarters in May and September 2006;
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents