Summer 2010
The UK’s general election on 6 May 2010 was the first since 1974 to produce no clear majority, and commentators fiercely debated the prospects for the coalition government. At the United Nations, compromise and cooperation are also the order of the day. Hannah Davies describes the UN’s recent budget negotiations – an example of the challenge of ‘multilateralism in action’, and we report on the ongoing discussions about a new UN women’s agency.
The value of the UN was not an issue of controversy in the UK election. Support for an effective UN is, thankfully, a policy objective of all three main parties, whose leaders continue to serve as UNA-UK’s honorary presidents. Britain’s role at the UN must remain above party politics and be about how best to deliver tangible action on peace, development and human rights.
This New World also places a spotlight on finance for development as we pass the ten-year mark in the time frame for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, an issue that will be highlighted at our major UN Forum event on 12 June 2010 in London. We are delighted that Helen Clark, Mary Robinson and Hans Blix will headline this free one-day conference. Over 1,000 people have already registered – see page 35 for details on how to secure your place.