UNRIC
The United Nations Regional Information Center for Western Europe (UNRIC), based in Brussels, is the UN's central information point in Western Europe. In Germany there is a UNRIC liaison office in Bonn .
The main tasks of UNRIC are to inform about the work of the United Nations, to raise people's awareness of UNO-relevant topics and to promote public dialogue. UNRIC publishes information material, reports, press kits and official documents in Western Europe. The reference library is open to the public and answers inquiries by phone and email. UN documents and publications are available in English, French and Spanish.
The UNRIC website is available in Danish, German, English, Finnish, French, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Dutch / Flemish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish and Spanish. UNRIC works closely with governments, the media, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and authorities. The information center is responsible for the organization of projects and campaigns in the area of press and public relations.
Regional jurisdiction
Since January 1st, 2004 the United Nations Regional Information Center is in Brussels for Belgium , Denmark , Germany , Finland , France , Greece , the Holy See , Ireland , Iceland , Italy , Luxembourg , Malta , Monaco , the Netherlands , Norway , Portugal , San Marino , Sweden , Spain , the United Kingdom and Cyprus .
UNRIC also works with the institutions of the European Union in the area of press and public relations.
Fields of activity
UNRIC supports the work of the UN system and the local UN offices. The main tasks include the initiation of information campaigns, the dissemination of information material and the publication of statements by the Secretary General and other UN representatives.
UNRIC is also responsible for organizing interviews, press conferences and seminars. Another field of activity of UNRIC is media monitoring and cooperation with civil society partners at national and regional level.
UNRIC library
The reference library contains UN documents and publications in English, French and Spanish. In addition, background information on UN-specific topics and general information material on the work of the United Nations is provided. The library is open to the public.
Campaigns and Projects
Cool Planet 2009
Cool Planet 2009 is a Europe-wide information campaign by the United Nations on climate protection . It is intended to arouse interest in the topic of climate protection in Europe, especially with regard to the climate conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 . The campaign was launched on January 26, 2006 by Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir . The project was initiated by the five Nordic Prime Ministers at the Globalization Forum in Iceland.
Cool Planet 2009 works with "Cool Friends and Partners", such as the environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand , the Náttúra, a non-governmental organization founded by the Icelandic singer Björk , and the three presidents of the "Weg nach Copenhagen" initiative: Margot Wallström , Vice-President of the European Commission, Gro Harlem Brundtland , former UN Special Envoy on Climate Change and Mary Robinson , UN Commissioner for Human Rights.
The European Cool Planet 2009 campaign is part of the UN's Seal the Deal campaign. In cooperation with the Belgian designer Jean-Paul Knott, Cool Planet 2009 supports the global UN initiative with the “Wear Seal the Deal” concept.
Seal the Deal 2009
The global UN campaign Seal the Deal aims to persuade governments to reach an agreement at the climate conference in Copenhagen. From December 7th to 18th, 2009, negotiations will take place in the Danish capital on a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. The campaign was launched on World Environment Day , June 5th.
The Seal the Deal campaign aims to raise public awareness of climate change. The aim is to use the public pressure generated around the world to induce governments to conclude a new climate protection agreement. The voice of the public is documented in an online petition that is presented to politicians. The petition calls for a climate agreement to be concluded in Copenhagen.
Human Rights Education
The UNRIC Human Rights Education campaign was launched in 2009 on the occasion of the International Year of Human Rights Education. The website of the online campaign is a place to exchange ideas from students and teachers. You have access to information material, can exchange experiences and receive information, for example on contact persons and links.
Cartooning for Peace
The concept of the Cartooning for Peace campaign was created by the French cartoonist Plantu . The campaign was launched on October 16, 2006 at the UN headquarters in New York. Twelve political cartoonists attended the two-day conference to tackle intolerance. The opening program was accompanied by an exhibition.
Development Policy Forum
The Development Policy Forum (DPF) is an amalgamation between the Brussels think tank "Friends of Europe", the World Bank , the United Nations, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the British Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Society for technical cooperation (GTZ). The forum is also supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a cooperation with the General Directorate of the European Commission for Development and Relations with the ACP States. The aim of the cooperation is to react systematically to upcoming challenges in development policy through debates and analyzes.
The goals of the DPF also include:
- To increase public interest in development policy issues.
- Promote discussions on current political, economic and social issues.
- To bring together political decision-makers, members of national, international and European development institutions, journalists and business people to discuss development issues.
UNRIC magazine
The UNRIC magazine publishes events and activities of the United Nations in Western Europe. It also publishes comments and articles by senior UN officials, the interview of the month, background information on current UN initiatives, articles by UNRIC staff, dates and reports. The magazine appears monthly.