BKMC CEO Monika Froehler meets with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi

February 20, 2020

On February 18th, BKMC CEO Monika Froehler made an official visit to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna and met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.


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During this meeting, CEO Monika Froehler and Program Officer Julia Zimmerman briefed IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi and his team on the works of BKMC and discussed potential avenues of cooperation, particularly related to education and the empowerment of women.
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© Dean Calma / IAEA

CEO Monika Froehler speaks at UNODC Education for the Rule of Law: Advancing Engagement on Human Rights Conference

January 29, 2020

“Education in human rights and rule of law is wise investments for equipping future generations with a compass to navigate in an increasingly complex world,”

Yesterday, Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens CEO Monika Froehler attended and spoke at UNODC’s Education for the Rule of Law: Advancing Engagement on Human Rights event that took place in United Nations Headquarter in Geneva.

This event was co-hosted by UNODC and the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the UN in Geneva. Its aim was to explore the inter-linkages between human rights and the rule of law education and, particularly, to highlight the importance of empowering the next generation to uphold the rule of law and human rights.

CEO Froehler stressed the role of Education for Justice (E4J) in achieving the SDGs and promoting human rights. She said,

“there is a firm correlation between rule of law, human rights, education and the SDGs. It has been proven that those countries on track to achieve the Global Goals have all these in place. Their attainment is key.”

Stellar speakers who joined the event are:

H.E. Ali Al-Mansouri, Ambassador and Permanent Rep of the State of Qatar to the UN Geneva

“Doha Declaration was established to prevent crime and uphold rule of law. This promotes justice for each and every person and encourages building institutions to benefit all.”

 

Mr. John Brandolino, Director of the Division for treaty Affairs at UNODC

“Respect for one cannot exist without respect for the other. Educating youth on justice must consider the various dimensions of human rights that are intrinsic therein.”

 

H.E. Major-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Mal, Legal Advisor to the PM and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar

“Supporting and promoting the rule of law cannot be achieved without protecting human rights. Therefore, it’s critical that we look more at strengthening education around human rights.”

 

Dr. Najat Maalia M’jid, Special Rep of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

“Through education, we empower children and youth, including the most vulnerable, to leave no one behind…Nothing for them without them!”

Addressing education and preventing violence against children, she added, “when youth are provided with tools to reach their full potential they will be driving forces towards promoting a culture of lawfulness and achieving the SDGs.”

 

Mr. Ibrahim Salama, Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch at OHCHR

“If there is one single thing which links all changes, it’s education. If you speak about education and the role of law, you’re essentially speaking about human rights.”

 

Dr. Koumbou Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education

“It’s fundamental that human rights is integrated into education. If we want to change the world, we need to invest in education, which is free, quality and inclusive.”

 

Ms. Damaris Akhigbe, Education for Justice (E4J) Youth Champion

“Youth are tired of the way things are. We are now the drivers of change. We’ve seen it with Malala. We’ve seen it with Greta. Change is here.”

“Youth are ready to act for rule of law. Education for Justice provides the necessary platform to make world more peaceful, just and inclusive and implement the UN Youth Strategy and human Rights.”

 

Mr. Marco Teixeira, Global Coordinator for Global Programme for the implementation of the Doha Declaration at UNODC

“In Education for Justice, we work with young people. This is essential as they are agents of positive change.”

“Rule of law and promotion of human rights are very closely related. Education youth on rule of law issues has a direct bearing on building a next generation that will stand up for human rights.”

© UNODC

 

CEO Monika Froehler hosts a Panel at the 2020 RAUN Conference

January 16, 2020

2020 RAUN Conference kicked off in Vienna, Austria on January 15th. In cooperation with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, University of Vienna, and the International Security and Conflict Analysis Network (iSCAN), this 2-day annual conference was hosted by the Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN). This year, the conference had the theme of “Environmental and Socioeconomic Sustainability: How to Create Lasting Impacts,” and was attended by BKMC CEO Monika Froehler and COO Katrin Harvey.

Today, on the 2nd day of the conference, Froehler chaired a panel session on “Innovations for Sustainable Development.” During the session, two research groups actively presented their ideas and the research outcomes and raised critical questions, highlighting the importance of community engagement, needs assessment, clear communication, and courage.

CEO Monika Froehler said,

“RAUN research groups looked at sustainable development and innovation through the lens of cities and SMEs. One group explored best practices in Vienna, Hamburg, and Prague. The other explored SMEs in Vietnam and how the 4th Industrial Revolution impacts them.”

Learn more about RAUN 2020: http://ra-un.org/2020-raun-conference.html

© RAUN

CEO Monika Froehler holds a meeting with Ambassador Prakash Kumar Suvedi of India

January 16, 2020

Yesterday, Ambassador Prakash Kumar Suvedi of the Embassy of Nepal to Austria visited the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.

In his meeting with CEO Monika Froehler, Ambassador Suvedi was briefed on the work of the Centre. Then they talked about the challenges and pressures existing in Nepal, including the climate issues, natural hazards and issues with a good number of qualified workers leaving the country. Ambassador Suvedi also introduced SAGARMATHA SAMBAAD, a permanent global dialogue forum initiated by the Government of Nepal.

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler’s remark on the 2nd Anniversary of the Ban Ki-moon Centre

January 3, 2020

Celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Ban Ki-moon Centre on January 3rd, 2020, CEO Monika Froehler shared her remark:

“On January 3rd, 2018, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens was officially inaugurated at the Austrian Chancellery. What a journey it has been since then?”

“We supported our co-chairs’ leadership, built lasting partnerships across the globe, spread the information on the SDGs and their implementation, and most importantly, touched the lives of hundreds of women and young people to support them and give them a voice, a seat at the table, and opportunities they did not have before.”

“We are grateful for all the support we received on our journey and are humbled by the vast tasks ahead to enhance global citizenship. But as an old Chinese proverb says, ‘No road is too long with friends at your side.’ Thanks to all global citizens for being with us on that journey!”

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler Attended FIA Environment and Sustainability Commission Meeting

December 3, 2019

Today, FIA’s Environment and Sustainability Commission came together during the Annual General Assembly that is taking place in Paris, France.

At the meeting, delegates discussed its aims to strengthen the FIA’s environmental sustainability credentials across its two pillars of Sport and Mobility by advocating for a cleaner, safer and more sustainable urban mobility as their core agenda. And this year’s agenda was on FIA E&S Commission’s support for UNFCCC’s “Sports for Climate Action Initiative.”

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler spoke highly of the role of FIA in the field and said,

“IOC and FIA are both important champions in this sport for climate action initiative…We are glad to see President of FIA Jean Todt, E&S Commission Chair President of Mexico Felipe Calderón and other high-level representatives of sports and mobility at FIA taking the lead on contributing to climate action in their respective fields.”

During the meeting, FIA’s Environmental Delegate Garry Connelly said,

“We need to be more vocal also about the positive contribution of motor sport and mobility for the environment and society at large: more efficiency for combustion engines, fuels, oils, less fuel consumption and other technological spin-offs.”

© BKMC / FIA

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler Attended SDG Forum 2019

November 30, 2019

On November 29, BKMC CEO Monika Froehler attended SDG Forum 2019 held in University of Vienna.

Organized by SDG Watch Austria, the forum was dedicated to discussing Austria’s progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals together with all relevant actors in politics, administration, science and industry.

At the forum, Minister for Sustainability and Tourism Maria Patek opened the SDG Forum highlighting the pioneering role of the Ministry of Sustainability in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She said, “In the summer we presented our SDG Action Plan 2019+, which summarizes all initiatives of the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. If we all persistently and committedly implement the measures in our sphere of influence, we will reach our goal more quickly. The realization of the UN SDGs is a shared responsibility that we must take on for the next generations.”

Thomas Alge, CEO of ÖKOBÜRO – Alliance of the Environmental Movement and co-founder of SDG Watch Austria, also a gave a welcome remark and said,

“The climate crisis, species extinction, poverty and inequality are highly interconnected. Climate change particularly affects agriculture. It leads to harvest losses and intensifies insect killing. Drought and other climate catastrophes are forcing people from the most affected regions of the world leave their country. The new government must therefore quickly face these challenges and make the implementation of the 2030 Agenda a top priority. Coherent implementation of the Global Sustainable Development Goals can effectively address many of the big challenges of the time.”

Sami Pirkkala, Advisor to Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, also presented about Finland’s efforts in implementation of the SDGs: launching a voluntary commitment platform towards the SDGs and gathering more than 1,600 commitments from companies, education sectors, cities and individuals.

Chairman of Austrian Partner Universities Uninetz, Franz Fehr illustrated strategic goals, milestone and daily work of Uninetz and indication of which university leads which subject area of the SDGs. 

A panel discussion on “Where Do We Stand on the SDGs in Austria,” focusing mainly on ways in which Austria’s new administration can adopt the 2030 Agenda and take a leap toward the SDGs implementation, was moderated by Nina Thüllen and featured stellar panelists including:

Parliamentarian Michael Bernhard;

Parliamentarian Josef Moser;

Ambassador Sylvia Meier-Kajbic;

Councilor for Environment and Women Judith Schwentner;

Secretary-General Thoams Weninger;

Managing Director Anja Appel.

© SDG Watch Austria 

BKMC Holds the Reception marking the Launch #OrangeTheWorld Campaign in Austria

November 26, 2019

November 25 marks the International Day for the Eliminating of Violence against Women and the start of 16 Days of Activism to put an end to violence against women.

Every year, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens cooperates with UN Women Austria, Soroptimist International Austria and HeForShe Graz to implement the global #OrangeTheWorld Campaign in Austria to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence.

On November 25, BKMC successfully launched the campaign of 2019 in the Centre. Co-chair Heinz Fischer and CEO Monika Froehler delivered welcome remarks, while Co-chair Ban Ki-moon sent words of appreciation with a video message.

Representatives of the co-organizers Eliette Thurn from Soroptimist International Austria and Marcela Muniz Pivaral from UN Women Austria stressed the urgency of raising awareness for this topic.

Head of HeForShe Graz, Bernhard Gollob, moderated a panel discussion with representatives from Austrian Victim Support Groups, entities that are based in Austrian hospitals and that are essential for detecting and preventing violence against women.

We were grateful to our partners without whom it would not be possible to achieve such a large-scale contribution on behalf of Austria to this global campaign.

© BKMC / Eugenie Berger

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler delivers a keynote at the OSCE-wide Youth Forum in Bratislava

October 28, 2019

On October 28-29th, young women and men from across the OSCE region and beyond gathered in Bratislava to discuss how to best engage youth for a safer future by 2030. The two-day OSCE-wide Youth Forum brought together young people, ambassadors, diplomats and experts for an inter-generational dialogue under the OSCE’s flagship Perspectives 20-30 initiative, a key priority of Slovakia’s OSCE Chair. Among the youth participants was the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens’ Communications Officer Minji Kwag who attended the Forum as a delegate from South Korea.

Opening the event, OSCE Chairperson and Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák noted that young people are still not always invited into the rooms of decision-making or given a seat at the table:

“This, simply, does not make sense. It is young people who are driving the changes we all need. They are acting as watchdogs for human rights and fighting corruption. They are finding niche ways to boost and expand our economies. They are speaking truth to power when it comes to climate change. And, they are out there, in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, engaging in their communities to build peace — even when this puts them at risk.”

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger spoke about the significance of the Forum as part of a wider effort to integrate youth voices into the work of the OSCE.

“This event is part of a process, and not a one-off event. Its outcomes will be presented in a side event at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava in December, and will hopefully provide fresh food-for-thought for our debates. So, I encourage you to take the outcomes of this process seriously and to take these perhaps unconventional ideas back into our discussions in the Hofburg. We are also exploring ways to give continuity to the Perspectives 20-30 initiative in 2020 and beyond,” he said.

The main focus of today’s discussion was a ‘food-for-thought’ paper, Perspectives 20-30: Providing for a Safer Future, which was drafted by a Core Group of Experts made up of young people from across the OSCE area. Ideas in the paper were drawn upon by various speakers today, including issues such as gender equality, technology, education, conflict prevention and non-discrimination.

Speaking about the paper, OSCE Chairperson Lajčák said:

“It tells us — and this really caught my eye — that multilateralism is at risk. And that the only way to rebuild trust in institutions is to open them up; to better communicate what we are doing; to include more voices than ever before.”

Providing concrete input on how to further develop the paper, keynote speaker Monika Froehler of the Ban Ki-moon Centre urged participants to take the discussion paper as a first step in the right direction which now has to be followed by action. She called on all participants to capitalize on their own, individual capacities to drive change.

“Don’t ask what the OSCE can do for you, but what you can do for the OSCE and for the region,” she stressed.

Speaking on behalf of the Perspectives 20-30 Core Group of Experts, Katarina Kertysova underlined that youth currently constitutes one of the most under-represented groups in the political sphere.

“This week’s Forum is a powerful engagement tool and an opportunity for us – the youth – to take ownership of the solution,” she said. “We hope this will serve as an example for other organizations to follow.”

Participants of the OSCE Youth Forum continue to exchange their perspectives, facilitated by the two Special Representative of the Chair on Youth and Security Alba Brojka and Samuel Goda, and youth, peace and security experts from the OSCE, on the steps needed to secure a safer future through in-depth discussions on the rule of law, building peace, new technologies, environmental change, human rights, and education as a catalyst for change.

More information about the 20-30 Perspectives project can be found here: www.osce.org/youth

Source: OSCE Secretariat

BKMC and SDSN Youth announced the launch of the SDG Students Program Certificate at The Vatican!

October 17, 2019

“As Ban Ki-moon said, we do not have a Plan B, we only have Plan A. In my opinion, this plan A is the SDGs.” 

– Monika Froehler during the Vatican Youth Symposium 2019

On October 16, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) co-hosted the annual Vatican Youth Symposium at the Casina Pio IV, Vatican City. 

At the symposium, Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens and SDSN Youth announced the launch of the SDG Students Program Certificate, a component of the SDG Students Program. 

Jointly developed by Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens, SDSN Youth, and the SDG Academy, the Certificate aims to encourage university students around the world to learn about, engage with, and take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Certificates are signed by Co-chair Ban Ki-Moon; Ms Chandrika Bahadur, President of the SDSN Association; and Mr Siamak Sam Loni, Global Coordinator of SDSN Youth.

“Today, more than 207 million students are enrolled in higher education. Young people have the energy, ideas, and determination to improve our communities, and we need to give students a platform to learn about the Sustainable Development Goals and take action in their local communities.” co-chair Ban said. “Through the creation of SDG Student Hubs on universities around the world, SDSN Youth is creating spaces for students to learn about, engage with, and take action to achieve the SDGs.”

The SDG Students Program is an initiative of SDSN Youth that aims to engage students in higher education in the global effort to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, as well as empower them with the knowledge, skills, and pathways to action to be effective agents of change today. Through the creation of a global network of hubs of learning and engagement for the SDGs on universities worldwide, the Program ensures that students from all walks of life have the opportunity to become drivers of new solutions to the problems that surround them.

“We need to make sure we raise the new generation of leaders that knows the SDGs and questions we currently have to tackle.”

– Monika Froehler during the Vatican Youth Symposium 2019

“We are excited to be partnering with SDSN Youth to launch the SDG Students Program Certificate, and to be an endorser of the SDG Students Program,” CEO Monika Froehler remarked at the launch. “By incorporating the content that the Ban Ki-moon Centre is producing into the SDG Students Program, we hope to give university students all over the world a foundational knowledge of sustainability that will aid them in all their future activities.”

In order to attain the Certificate, students need to complete several tasks across the three pillars of “learn about”, “engage with”, and “take action” on the SDGs. One of the core requirements for attaining the Certificate involves the completion of “Sustainable Development in the 21st Century with Ban Ki-moon”, a course co-developed by the Ban Ki-moon Centre and its partner the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment (IGEE) at Yonsei University. 

“Designed to be completed over the course of an academic year, it is our shared hope that when students achieve the Certificate, they will gain the foundational knowledge of sustainability and skills they need to be advocates for sustainability in the diverse occupations and industries they will enter,” Project Leader of the SDG Students Program Yi Jun Mock shared at the launch. 

“Moving forward, the SDG Students Program will remain a core element of SDSN Youth’s global programming for young people, and we are excited to continue deepening our cooperation with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens and the SDG Academy to reach an  even wider audience of university students around the world,” SDSN Youth Global Coordinator Siamak Sam Loni concluded.