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.

Update on 2010-2012 Zonta International Service Projects

After four months in the new biennium, we would like to update you on the status of our international projects and respond to some inquiries about promotional material. 

As you remember at the 2010 ZI convention, we agreed to the proposed International Service and ZISVAW projects for the 2010–2012 Biennium. As a result, Zonta International Foundation (ZIF) entered into negotiations with the UN agencies which will manage the projects. 

ZIF has been negotiating with the three UN agencies concerned and has reached agreement with UNICEF for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Gender-Based Violence in Rwanda project. 

The remaining four projects: 

• Elimination of Obstetric Fistula and the Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Mortality and Morbidity in Liberia UNFPA 
• Safe Cities for Women in Guatemala City, Guatemala and San Salvador, El Salvador UNIFEM part of UN Women 
• Comprehensive Strategy to End Burns Violence against Women in Cambodia, Nepal and Uganda UN Trust Fund/UNIFEM part of UN Women 
• Security and Empowerment for Women and their Families: Ensuring a Gender-Responsive Humanitarian and Early Recovery Response in Haiti UNIFEM part of UN Women 

are to be delivered by UNIFEM part of UN Women and UNFPA. UNIFEM is in the midst of a merger into the new UN Women organization which has delayed negotiations. We are still in negotiations with UNFPA for the obstetric fistula project. 

ZIF, exercising its fiduciary responsibility, will not make payments until the contracts have been signed. The ZIF Board recognizes the importance of resolving this issue quickly. 

We are committed to keeping you updated on the progress. In the meantime, a PowerPoint presentation on the Rwanda project will be posted on the website by 5 November so you may download these slides and notes and use them for your communications. 

Kind regards, 

Zonta International Board