"How to Protect Human
Rights?"
Lesson Plan:
The United Nations and the UN Specialized Agencies
by
Ewa Skoczkowa
Copyright by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Warsaw, 1997
The United Nations and the UN Specialized Agencies
A. The main Issues
These lessons are meant to summarize the information covered on the United Nations and to present the general activities of the UN, in particular, the specialized organizations and agencies acting within the UN structure.
B. Aims
By the end of the lessons, the participants should:
C. Comments
D. Didactic Materials
Supplies needed
E. Lessons
Introduction
1. Review the basic information on how the UN was formed (use the main text to help
you). You can show the fragment of the film, "The UN System of Human Rights Protection" from the scene which shows a screening of a documentary film on the history of the UN to the lecture on the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Remind the students about how the film ends, that the dentist is awaiting a response to his complaint submitted to the Human Rights Committee in Geneva.
Ask the participants to imagine the following situation:
Main Part
2. Hand out Supplement #1 and the chart ofelp of various Christian organizations
they stayed in Syria and Thailand. They then went to your country where they are now
hoping to be granted refugee status.
Supplement #7
Group III - Case #3 the UN Human Rights Bodies. (You can also
enlarge the chart and hang it on the wall).
3. Ask them to come up with a proposal of action for the dentist based on the materials and
their own knowledge, or to come up with a plan of action for a problem of their own.
4. Now collect the information on the agencies and organs that they worked out. Review
the information gathered and divide the participants into five groups. The assignment for each group is to make a poster promoting the activities of a given UN agency ( a poster or another artistic form)
For example:
Group I - designs a poster for UNESCO, Group II for UNICEF, Group III for WHO, Group IV for FAO, and Group V for the UN Volunteer Program.
You can either assign each group an agency or let them choose their own. After the exercise, hang the posters in a visible place. Now each group should give a brief presentation of their work.
Recapitulation
5. Now decide what you will do with the posters. Should they stay in the classroom?
Should they take them home? Thank the participants for their co-operation
Supplement #1
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on materials from the Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
The creation of UNESCO is provided for in the UNESCO Constitution
adopted at the UN Conference in November of 1945. UNESCO is to contribute to peace and
security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science,
culture and communication. One condition necessary for such development is a free flow of
information and ideas. UNESCO also emphasizes the need for the protection of cultural
heritage. UNESCO organizes research and educational programs, at times sponsors them as
well. One of the first aims of UNESCO was to fight illiteracy. An enormous amount of the
research inspired by UNESCO concerns human rights: the socio-cultural conditions necessary
for human rights realization, efforts to popularize human rights by bringing various
nations and cultures closer to each other. Above all, by a wide range of educational
activities, UNESCO aims to gradually even out the chances had by all people. The most
important organ within UNESCO is the General Conference which adopts conventions,
recommendations and declarations. The General Conference headquarters are in Paris. To
begin with, UNESCO adopted over 25 declarations and conventions, i.e. on the right of each
human being to a cultural identity and the obligation of the state to preserve cultural
traditions
UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, FRANCE
tel.: (33) (1) 45 68 10 00, fax: (33) (1) 45 67 16 90
Supplement #2
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on
materials from thelp of various Christian organizations they stayed in Syria and Thailand.
They then went to your country where they are now hoping to be granted refugee status.
Supplement #7
Group III - Case #3e Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
UNICEF - The United Nations Children's Fund
UNICEF was established in accordance with the decision of the UN General Assembly in December 1946. The man who came up with the idea was a Pole, Ludwik Rajchman, one of the greatest experts on health care during the interwar period. Rajchman was the only representative from Eastern Europe in the secretariat of the League of Nations.
At first, the main function of UNICEF was to help children in countries devastated by the Second World War. In the fifties, UNICEF started to lend its assistance to developing nations who are still today the greatest recipients of UNICEF funds, such as programs of technical assistance in the field of health care for children (vaccinations, medicine and medical equipment, personnel training, etc.) UNICEF also assists in building up a socio- educational infrastructure, provides relief services and delivers food.
In 1990 the UN General Assembly drew up the UNICEF Strategy of Action for the nineties. Included are the following goals: to decrease infant mortality of children under five years old by 2/3, radically reduce the frequency of respiratory illnesses and dysentery (primarily pneumonia and diarrhea). UNICEF is one of the more important organizations in the UN in providing aid.
UNICEF also publishes impressive reports which show that children are
the "forgotten part" of humanity. Many preventative campaigns aimed at child
prostitution and trafficking in children are also a part of UNICEF's work. According to
UNICEF estimates, from one-hundred million to two-hundred million children work illegally
and at high-risk jobs - in developing countries approximately 18-20% of children from the
ages of 10 to 14 - in India, Indonesia, Kenya and Brazil - up to 30%
UNICEF Palace des Nations, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
UNICEF Office in Poland: ul. Mokotowska 39, 00-551, tel.
048-22/629-06-76
Supplement #1
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on materials from the Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
WHO - The World Health Organization
Founded in 1946. WHO works towards the highest level of health care for the greatest number of people. WHO co-ordinates research in such fields as: epidemiology and immunology, environmental protection, genetics, drug and alcohol abuse, primary health care, education, preventative medicine, nutrition and food hygiene, and also publishes the findings of such research.
Technical assistance is aimed in two directions. The first is the improvement of sanitation and hygiene in developing countries. In many countries, WHO also is involved in the organization of the health care system by helping build and equip medical facilities and by training medical personnel.
Since 1955, WHO has been conducting a global campaign to fight contagious diseases, such as tuberculosis, cholera, malaria and black small-pox. In 1984 WHO began a Global Program to Combat AIDS.
WHO also conducts global campaigns aimed at popularizing their activities, such as World Health Day (April 7), World No-Tobacco Day(May 31), World AIDS Day (December 1).
A fundamental sphere of activity is prevention, thus the WHO
distributes publications which propagate nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. WHO is also
the sponsor elp of various Christian organizations they stayed in Syria and Thailand. They
then went to your country where they are now hoping to be granted refugee status.
Supplement #7
Group III - Case #3of drawing competitions for children. The
topic of these competitions is connected with prevention and a healthy lifestyle.
WHO 20 avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
tel.: (41) (22) 791 21 11, fax: (41) (22) 791 07 46
Supplement #1
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on materials from the Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
Created in 1950, FAO's initial agenda was to inform, advise, and promote scientific research. In 1960, FAO adopted a program for technical assistance to assist development in under-developed countries. At the same time, FAO's initiative led to the creation of a Committee to Combat Hunger which co-ordinates the flow of food aid to Asian and African countries. Three years later, FAO along with the United Nations drew up the World Food Program (WFP) which with time became the most important institution within the UN structure conducting food relief operations.
FAO is above all involved in activities which aim to increase the output of farmlands, forests and fisheries, and to raise nutritional levels and standards of living. A long-term goal of the FAO is to eliminate famine areas and ensure a basic standard of nourishment for all human beings. Their research on new technologies of nutrition is highly advanced.
Furthermore, FAO is involved in publishing. Their texts on problems
of nutrition, hunger, and farming as well as posters, films and other advertising
materials are widely distributed.
FAO Headquarters, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00-100 Rome, Italy
tel.: (39) (6) 57971, fax: (39) (6) 57973152
Supplement #1
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on materials from the Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
ILO - The International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization was established in 1919, under the Treaty of Versaille, as an autonomous institution associated with the League of Nations. It was given the task of raising world standards of life and work and its goal was to eliminate social injustice for working people everywhere. ILO began by concentrating on standardizing the legislation of States-Parties via recommendations and conventions. The ILO's activities in this area are diverse and encompass such topics as: social policy, improvement of working conditions by initiating international labour standards, improvement of management techniques, collective bargaining, protection of children, women and special occupational categories, labour law, etc.
The highest organ of the ILO is the General Conference, called to
session once a year where it adopts conventions and recommendations. The organizaelp of
various Christian organizations they stayed in Syria and Thailand. They then went to your
country where they are now hoping to be granted refugee status.
Supplement #7
Group III - Case #3tion's secretariat is the International Labour Office headed by the General Director.
It is important to point out that the ILO has an effective control mechanism for realizing its signed conventions, and that means that it has real influence on the realization of its recommendations. A Special Commission of Experts evaluates the differences between norms created by the ILO and regulations in force in States-Parties.
The Commission of Norm Application discusses specific cases and creates a list of states which are not respecting or applying the recommended provisions. In the case of a complaint submitted by one State-Party about another State-Party, an Investigative Commission is formed whose recommendations are legally binding for member states.
Complaints concerning violations of union rights are considered by the Committee for Free Unions. It is a rarely used procedure, however, in the case of Poland it protested the de-legalization of NZSS "Solidarity" and in effect, forced Poland to resign from the ILO in 1984.
International Labour Organization,
4 route des Morillons,
CH-1211 Geneva 22,
Switzerland
tel.: (41) (22) 799 61 11, fax: (41) (22) 798 86 85
Supplement #1
SELECTED UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
(descriptions based on materials from the Warsaw bureau of the UNDP)
United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
The United Nations Volunteers programme was established in 1970 by the General Assembly in 1970and is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is funded by the UNDP and UN agencies, as well as by donations from governments.
Some 6,000 volunteers have taken part in the program since its beginning. Right now over 2,000 volunteers of over 100 nationalities are in the programme.
UNV is active in various sectors and employs specialists of 115 different occupations. The most need occupations are: nursing, farming, agronomy, electronics, statistics, economics, education, organizers of work for disabled persons. Volunteers are also involved in humanitarian relief work (i.e. in Iraq, Sudan and Honduras) in areas hit by armed conflict, natural disaster or hunger. Volunteers make up 10% of the UN civilian personnel employed in such cases.
UN volunteers are active in 130 countries: half of this number are in Africa, 1/3 in Pacific Asia, and the rest in Arab countries, and Central and South America.
Work as a UN volunteer can be a real adventure for young people; people more experienced professionally can even make it a way of life. The minimum age is 21, and there is no upper-age limit (there are seventy-year-old volunteers). In addition to the appropriate educational background and work experience, UN volunteers also need to have a particular motivation to perform this kind of work.
Work as a UN volunteer is not highly profitable, however, enormous moral satisfaction is to be gained by it. Furthermore, volunteers do not work without pay -they receive a living allowance, and numerous benefits such as free transportation, housing, medical care and can also bring their families with them.
You can find out more by contacting the UNDP in Poland.
UNDP Al. Niepodleg?osci 186, Warsaw, POLAND
Electronic Resource Centre for Human
Rights Education:
Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights - How to Protect Human Rights