Key Role of Women in Rebuilding Post - Crisis societies focus of new un report

When disaster strikes, the lives of millions of people can change in a heartbeat. In our globalized world, every day we see images of earthquakes and floods… of war and destruction…of millions of people who desperately need help. "When I stood in a hospital next to women who’d been *** and set on fire two days earlier, they looked up to me and said, 'Please send the UN.' You’re their only hope." The United Nations sends humanitarian workers and emergency supplies to disaster areas around the world. It is the world’s only truly global organization with 192 member states. They meet in the General Assembly in New York, where every nation gets a vote. Fifteen of the member states form the Security Council which focuses on peace and security, takes action to avert war and resolve conflicts, and tries to achieve a safer world - free of nuclear and other weapons. "Peace is precious. It must be nurtured… maintained…defended. This is a job for all of us." Since 1945, the UN has brokered countless peace settlements and it now has more than 100,000 peacekeepers around the world…. From Haiti to Lebanon, from Timor Leste to Liberia, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Sudan, and in more than a dozen other missions around the world. Places where others cannot or will not go. And the UN takes care of people in crisis. 43 million people have lost their homes and need protection and a new beginning. "PLEASE STOP THE WAR FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN" In many countries the UN fights to free child soldiers and helps them to become children again. When conflicts are over, the UN helps to train the police and build the justice system. It supports democratic elections. But peace alone means little if people are still hungry. One out of six people on Earth lives on less than a dollar a day. That's why 10 years ago world leaders formed a global partnership that set eight goals to reduce poverty – they are called the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs. They call on the international community to end extreme poverty, combat disease and hunger and make the planet greener and more sustainable for us all. It may not all happen by the target year 2015 – but there has been progress: Already three million more children survive past the age of 5 every year, more than five million people in developing countries access to affordable drugs for ***/AIDS and millions more boys AND girls are going to school. But, more needs to be done. "1.1 billion people don't have access to clean water; 2.6 billion people, BILLION people, don't have access to clean sanitation; every 15 seconds a child dies from not having clean drinking water, those just staggering numbers." The UN and its agencies also raise awareness of climate change … set global standards for medicines and vaccinations to prevent pandemics … teach small farmers better techniques to improve their harvests. They give women loans and training to start a business…and so much more. We even have an Office that deals with outer space! They make sure that everyone can benefit from the satellite technology that lets us use cell phones, GPS, and space imagery. These communication tools are critical during emergencies and natural disasters. The UN touches everybody's life – the UN is 4 U !! For live video, visit: www.un.org/webcast