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United Nations Association Flanders Belgium (VVN) - A profile
Introduction
The United Nations Association Flanders Belgium, in Dutch "Vereniging voor de Verenigde Naties" (VVN), was established in 1976 in continuation of the former Belgian Association for the United Nations and has been active in Flanders and Brussels ever since. VVN's current president is Prof. Dr. Frank Maes. VVN's vice-presidents, other board members, honorary presidents and honorary members include persons with distinguished and extensive academic, civil society, diplomatic, policy and/or United Nations experience.
VVN has its own website (http://www.vvn.be/), where activities are announced, relevant information is made available, UN and VVN news articles can be consulted, and interested visitors are invited to join the Association.
Publications
VVN's periodical ‘Wereldbeeld. Tijdschrift voor de Verenigde Naties' publishes five issues a year, with articles, opinions and commentaries on various UN-related events and developments, as well as news on the relationship and interactions between Flanders, Belgium and the European Union with the United Nations and the UN system.
Since 2005, VVN publishes a series of monographs called ‘Wereldvisie'. The first monograph, "De Verenigde Naties: een wereld van verschil?" (The United Nations: A World of Difference?) was launched in June 2005 at a press conference with the Belgian Prime Minister, Mr. Guy Verhofstadt. It contains contributions from 30 experts on 60 years of UN. The second monograph, "Misdaden tegen de mensheid", (Crimes against Humanity)(2006), deals with crimes against humanity and the fight of the international community against impunity. Meanwhile, two other monographs have been published: "België in de Veiligheidsraad 1946-2006" (Belgium in the UNSC) and "Anders globaliseren" (Globalize differently), both in 2007. 2008 will see the publication of a fifth monograph, "Mensenrechten. Actuele Brandpunten" (Human Rights: Current Issues), at the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Another annual VVN publication is an informative educational brochure on a UN-related subject, for secondary school students in Flanders. From 1998 on, VVN has actively cooperated with UNRIC Brussels in the preparation of this document. Past issues include: "All Human Rights for all"; "The UN in the 21st Century"; "The UN and Racism"; "A new Development Project for the United Nations", "Child Trafficking", "Modern Forms of Slavery" and "Migration".
VVN regularly produces educational and information material, for instance a series of videos on the work of the Belgian Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva. VVN also recently published (April 2008) the English booklet "The UN Human Rights Council at work: from high hopes back to reality".
Activities and Events
VVN regularly organizes seminars, debates and colloquia on issues of special and current international interest. Recent activities focused inter alia on transnational corporate social responsibility, free trade agreements, "Delivering as One", UN reform, Belgium in the Security Council, etc. In addition, on or around 24 October (United Nations Day), VVN traditionally organizes an important colloquium on the work of the UN. Furthermore, on or around 10 December (Human Rights Day), it does so too with respect to a UN human rights topic.
Apart from these activities, VVN has a long tradition of organizing informal round table luncheon meetings where current problems and issues concerning the UN are discussed with top-level diplomats and UN officials. These events are organized in cooperation with, and often take place in the offices of, the United Nations Regional Information Office, UNRIC, in Brussels. Approximately 40 VVN members, members of Parliament, officials of the administration, and others, participate. Past speakers include the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Head of the National Red Cross, the Representative of ILO to the European Union, the Representative of UNDP to the European Union, Belgium's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Belgium's judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the UN Special Representative on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities.
In the past, VVN has frequently organized visits to United Nations Offices and Organs in New York, Geneva, Vienna, The Hague and Paris, in close cooperation with the former Brussels UNIC, the UN Department of Public Information and Belgium's Permanent Missions to the UN.
In the four main Flemish Universities, VVN has a long tradition of organizing cooperative projects with students on a subject concerning the UN. In a series of workshops during the academic year, several aspects of a specific subject are discussed. In this context, interuniversity study groups have studied (inter alia) "UN reform", "EU-UN relations" and "Global governance". Since 2005, VVN organizes on an annual basis a very successful interuniversity Model United Nations, which consists of a three days' UN Security Council simulation exercise. The participating students and university professors and assistants are from the four main Flemish Universities: Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven), Ghent University (UG), Antwerp University (UA) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB). The first edition dealt with Iran's nuclear programme, whereas the second Model UN (2006) focused on Darfur, the third (2007) on Kosovo and the fourth on Georgia/Russia. Recently, in december 2009, the fifth edition took place during which the students discussed the case North Korea.
VVN also organizes regularly educational and training seminars for officials, inspectors, teachers and high school students.
A youth and student branch of the VVN was created in late 2006: VVN Youth. Ever since, VVN Youth has continued to grow and develop and is planning to launch a variety of initiatives and activities.
Partnerships
VVN has traditionally enjoyed the support of, and active co-operation with, various UN agencies in Brussels, especially with the United Nations Regional Information Centre UNRIC.
VVN is very much aware of the growing role of the European Union in the UN and the UN system. It studies this role through the organization of colloquia (including a colloquium in May 2004 in which EU and UN officials based in Brussels were, for the first time, brought together) and lectures. The VVN President and other board members have published widely on EU-UN matters and give regularly seminars for EU officials.
Relations with the Belgian federal Government (the UN Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Government of Flanders (Foreign Policy Division) are mutually supportive. Senior diplomats keep VVN informed on, and discuss, Belgian UN policies. VVN has been invited to organize training sessions on UN affairs for Flemish administration officials. VVN enjoys a subsidy from the Flemish Government and receives, from time to time, funding from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other federal authorities for specific activities and projects.
VVN exchanges information on a regular basis with a number of other NGOs, inter alia those active in the areas of human rights, development cooperation and sustainable development. Members and Board members are mutually invited to attend meetings and activities of special interest to them.