The United Nations' International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed on April 4 each year. This day aims to raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication.
Background
On 8 December 2005, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared that April 4 of each year would be officially proclaimed and observed as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. It was first observed on April 4, 2006.
It called for continued efforts by states, with assistance from the UN and relevant organizations, to help establish and develop national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive war remnants constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of people, or hinders social and economic development at the national and local levels.
According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2005, 84 countries were affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which together kill or maim between 15,000 and 20,000 adults and children annually. The UN works together with countries to find and destroy these devices. It also helps to provide various mine-action services in many countries.
What do people do
Awareness programs and activities to mark the day take place in many countries around the world on April 4 every year. Activities for these awareness-raising events include photo exhibits, press conferences, film screenings, educational displays and community chats. Public events may include public statements from land mine surivivors, mine action theatre performances and mine risk education demonstrations.
The day aims to raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication. "Mine action" refers to a range of efforts to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war and to mark and fence off dangerous areas. It also includes assisting victims, teaching people how to remain safe in a mine-affected environment, advocating for universal participation in international treaties related to landmines, explosive remnants of war and their victims, and destroying landmines stockpiled by governments and non-state armed groups.
4 April 2009. On the occasion of International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called upon all country members to do everything possible to protect their citizens from dangers of explosive remnants of military conflicts.
UN Secretary-General Message:
“I have visited many countries that face the scourge of landmines. I have seen the devastation caused by these indiscriminate weapons, which hamper reconstruction, damage the environment and cause grievous injuries and death for decades after conflicts end. Conditions may vary from Iraq to Sudan, from Lebanon to Zimbabwe, from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. What doesn’t change is the threat to life and limb.
Facing these dangerous conditions, mine action workers risk their lives to rid land and roads of mines. Over the past two decades, United Nations assistance in mine action has reached more than 50 countries and territories. Recently, United Nations mine action specialists were among the first international workers to resume humanitarian activities in Gaza, where explosive remnants of war pose significant threats
Beyond removing weapons, mine action means ensuring a safe environment for civilians, developing local capacity and restoring dignity to survivors through job opportunities and other reintegration programmes.
Mine action also means adherence to the relevant legal instruments, including the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention, Protocol V on explosive remnants of war and the recently adopted Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Convention, to be held later this year in Cartagena, Colombia, offers an opportunity to renew commitment to the treaty and to mine action efforts around the globe.
My fervent hope is that the world will one day be free from the threats caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war. But it will take concerted collective efforts on all fronts to realize this goal. On this International Day, let us renew our commitment to carrying out this life-saving work”.
World Autism Awareness Day aims to increase people's awareness about people, especially children, with autism. The day often features educational events for teachers, health care workers and parents, as well as exhibitions showcasing work created by children with autism.
Background
Autism is a developmental disability that remains with a person for his or her whole life. This condition affects the brain's functions. The first signs usually appear before a child is three years old. People with autism often:
* Find social interaction difficult.
* Have problems with verbal and non-verbal communication.
* Demonstrate restrictive and repetitive behavior.
* Have a limited set of interests and activities.
Autism affects girls and boys of all races and in all geographic regions and has a large impact on children, their families, communities and societies. The prevalence is currently rising in many countries around the world. Caring for and educating children and young people with this condition places challenges on health care, education and training programs.
On November 1, 2007, the United Nations (UN) called for one day each year to be designated as World Autism Day. On December 18, 2007, the UN General Assembly designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. It was first observed in 2008.
What do people do?
Many events are organized on World Autism Awareness Day. These include:
* Panel discussions with autism experts, politicians and non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives.
* Informational events for parents of children with autism.
* Conferences and workshops for professionals working with people with autism.
* Artistic workshops for people with autism.
* Television and radio shows, as well as newspaper features, about people with autism and their lives.
* The launch of educational materials for parents and teachers.
* Exhibitions of art work by artists with autism.
* The display of posters and banners to increase public awareness of autism.
Special clinics are also organized for families dealing with autism to obtain consultations with pediatricians, educational psychologists and social workers.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:Message on World Autism Awareness Day, 2 April 2009
To Enable Children and Persons with Autism to Lead Full and Meaningful Lives is Not a Far-Off Dream
VIENNA, 2 April (UN Information Service) - By designating 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations General Assembly has helped to galvanize international efforts to promote greater understanding about autism. This year's observance is being marked with lectures, briefings, screenings, musical performances, video conferences, art installations and other activities carried out by the UN family and a full constellation of partners.
I welcome this growing international chorus of voices calling for action to enable children and persons with autism to lead full and meaningful lives. This is not a far-off dream; it is a reality that can be attained by promoting positive perceptions about autism as well as a greater social understanding of this growing challenge.
I have seen what caring people who work tirelessly for this goal can achieve. Last year, the United Nations hosted a rock concert by Rudely Interrupted, whose members have various disabilities, including on the autism spectrum. They brought the audience to its feet with warm, communicative songs and showed, through the sheer joy of their performance, how much people with disabilities can offer the world.
The words of lead singer Rory Burnside were especially inspiring. "My advice", he said, "to kids who have some form of disability is: don't let it stop you. Use it as your strength; don't use it as your weakness. One red light can lead to a whole bunch of green lights, with a few orange lights thrown in. And the red lights are just a bit of a test. There are definitely more green and orange".
On World Autism Awareness Day, let us capture and share this spirit, and let us intensify global efforts to ensure that children and persons with autism everywhere can benefit from the supportive environment they need to reach their full potential and contribute to society.
World Press Freedom Day is annually observed on May 3 to inform the international community that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights. This day reminds people that many journalists brave death or face jail to bring daily news to the public.
Background
World Press Freedom Day was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1993 as an outgrowth of the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. This seminar took place in Namibia in 1991 and led to the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media.
The Windhoek Declaration called to establish, maintain and foster an independent, pluralistic and free press. It emphasized the importance of a free press for developing and maintaining democracy in a nation, and for economic development. World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on May 3, the date on which the Windhoek Declaration was adopted.
Although World Press Freedom Day has only been celebrated since 1993, it has much deeper roots in the United Nations. Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that everyone “has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".
Each year since 1997, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is awarded to honor the work of an individual or an organization defending or promoting freedom of expression, especially if it puts the individual’s life at risk. The award is named after a journalist murdered in 1986 after denouncing drug barons. Last year it was awarded posthumously to a Russian investigative reporter who was murdered in a contract-style killing in 2006.
What do people do?
World Press Freedom Day gives people the chance to pay tribute to media professionals who risked or lost their lives in the line of duty. Many communities, organizations and individuals take part in this day through various events such as art exhibitions, dinners featuring keynote speakers, and awards nights to honor those who risked their lives to bring news to the world.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: Message on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2009
"Let Us Proclaim Again Our Commitment to Free and Independent Media"
VIENNA, 3 May (UN Information Service) - Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers". On World Press Freedom Day, we reiterate the central importance of this right - and the need to protect the journalists and media outlets on the frontlines of exercising it.
Attacks on journalists remain shockingly high in number. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 11 journalists have been killed in the line of duty so far this year. Among them was Lasantha Wickrematunge, a prominent Sri Lankan journalist assassinated in January on his way to work. I call on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible for his murder are found and prosecuted. UNESCO has honoured Mr. Wickrematunge posthumously with its World Press Freedom Prize for 2009, to be presented in a Press Freedom Day ceremony in Doha.
The CPJ also reports that as of 1 December 2008, 125 journalists were in prison. Some have been incarcerated for years - and some for more than a decade. Three countries - China, Cuba and Eritrea - account for half of those cases. I urge all Governments that have detained journalists to ensure that their rights are fully respected, including the right to appeal and defend themselves against charges.
Murder and detention are only the most blatant ways that journalists are silenced. Often, fear leads journalists to censor themselves. This, too, is unacceptable; journalists must be able to do their job free of intimidation and harassment.
I am also concerned that some Governments are suppressing Internet access and the work of Internet-based journalists and others using the "new media". Not surprisingly, blogging has flourished in countries where restrictions on media are toughest. Now, according to the CPJ, some 45 per cent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers. I urge all governments to respect the rights of these citizen journalists, who may lack the legal resources or political connections that might assist them in gaining their freedom.
The annual observance of World Press Freedom Day is also an opportunity to reflect on the important role of the media in addressing global problems. This year the focus is on the media's potential to foster dialogue, reconciliation and mutual understanding. Indeed, the press plays a vital role in challenging entrenched attitudes about religious, political or other differences among people. Media can also give voice to minorities and marginalized groups, thereby enlarging and even reframing debate within a community or across communities. In societies struggling to rebuild after conflict, free and responsible news media are essential for good governance and to promote confidence and trust between leaders and the public. Governments that stifle or otherwise obstruct this work are acting against their own best interests and that of their societies.
On World Press Freedom Day, I pay tribute to all those who work in difficult conditions to ensure that the rest of the world can have access to free and unbiased information. Let us renew our resolve to protect their freedom and safety, and let us proclaim again our commitment to free and independent media as an essential agent of human rights, development and peace.
April 23 marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of well-known writers, including Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Maurice Druon, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Haldor Kiljan Laxness, Manuel Mejía Vallejo, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and William Shakespeare. For this reason, UNESCO's General Conference chose this date to pay tribute to books, the authors who wrote them, and the copyright laws that protect them.
Background
The year 1995 was named the United Nations Year for Tolerance and UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris, concentrated on this theme. The delegates voted to establish an annual occasion to carry the message of tolerance into the future, in the form of a day to celebrate books, authors and the laws that protect them. The date was chosen because April 23 marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of internationally renowned writers and because of the Catalan traditions surrounding this day. In Catalonia, a region of Spain, April 23 is known as La Diada de Sant Jordi (St George's Day) and it is traditional for sweethearts to exchange books and roses. World Book and Copyright Day has been held annually since 1995.
Purpose of the day
World Book and Copyright Day is an occasion to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors and to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading. It is hoped that this will lead to the renewed respect for those who have made irreplaceable contributions to social and cultural progress. In some years, the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance is awarded. It is also hoped that World Book and Copyright Day will increase people's understanding of and adherence to copyright laws and other measures to protect intellectual copyright.
Symbols
Each year a poster is designed and distributed around the world. It features images designed to encourage people, particularly children, to read books and appreciate literature. There is also a logo for World Book and Copyright Day. It features a circle, representing the world, and two books, one of which is open.
What do people do?
A range of activities to promote reading and the cultural aspects of books are held all over the world. Many of these emphasize international cooperation or friendships between countries. Events include: relay readings of books and plays; the distribution of bookmarks; the announcement of the winners of literary competitions; and actions to promote the understanding of laws on copyright and the protection of authors' intellectual property.
In some years, the Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance is awarded. This is a prize for novels, collections of short stories or picture books that promote tolerance, peace, mutual understanding and respect for other peoples and cultures. There are two categories: one for books aimed at children aged up to 12 years; and one for those aimed at young people aged 13 to 18 years.
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