October Meeting News– UN Update

Our speaker was ZCGS member and UN committee chairperson, Terri Goldstein.
BACKGROUND: Zonta has Consultative Status with the United Nations (UN) as a
Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) sharing the same goals such as: women’s rights and
universal freedom, justice was a natural partnership and Zonta International joined in 1946.
Today the UN is universally acknowledged as the premier world body to advance the status
of women and girls, promoting women’s rights and gender equality. Zonta International (ZI)
has a United Nations Committee and maintains representatives in New York, Geneva,
Vienna and Paris.Zonta as an accredited NGO is affiliated with the UN in different ways:
Through The Department of Public Information ( DPI) Zonta obtains information and reports
back to Zontians all over the world to enhance our understanding and to build support for the
UNs work. Through CONSULTATIVE STATUS with the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) Our purpose: Concerned with economic issues and trade issues that involve
women and children. Zonta is one of the six principal bodies carrying out the UN’s work.
There are several categories of NGO affiliation with the ECOSOC and Zonta International
has the most extensive Consultative Status. – GENERAL CONSULTATIVE STATUS. The
ECOSOC is responsible for 2/3rds of all UN programs and ZI is very honored to have such
high status with this organization.  Under the ECOSOC umbrella is (CSW) THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN is the leading policy body
concerned with Women’s Rights and Equal Status of women and hosts an annual conference. CEDAW’s key platform
is the UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimation against women and the human rights council.
UNIFEM - The UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR WOMEN
International service projects funded through ZI Foundation: SAY NO AGAINST VIOLENCE: Please GO TO WEBSITE
AND SIGN PETITION 1) $500.000 to SAFE CITIES for WOMEN PROJECT in GUATEMALA and SAN SALVADOR,
2) $430,000 Cooperation with Zonta International to STRATEGIES To END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN-
(ZISWAV) UN trust fund to end violence, 3) END BURN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN CAMBODIA, NEPAL
AND UGANDA, 4) $200,000 - SECURITY and EMPOWERMENT for WOMEN and their FAMILIES in HAITI, 3.
UNICEF- United Nation’s Chidren’s Fund $500,000, to the PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION
OF HIV and GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN RAWANDA, 4. UNFPA- UNITED NATIONS
POPULATION FUND $500.000 TO THE ELIMINATION OF OBSTETRIC FISTULA And
The REDUCTION OF MATERNAL AND NEWBORN MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN
LIBERIA.
UPDATES: 1) The formulation of UN WOMEN will be operational as of Jan 1, 2) OCT 11
The new executive director and Under-Secretary General for the UN is MS. MICHELLE
BACHELET and the UN Secretary General is BAN KI MOON 3. INTERNATIONAL DAY
FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NOV 25th.