Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Bahá’í international community representation

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IV

Bahá’í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION

1. THE Bahá’í FAITH AND THE UNITED NATIONS: SUMMARY OF THE YEARS 1947—1986

THE re1ationship Of the world Bahá’í community to the United Nations began in 1948, when the eight National Spiritual Assemblies then existing were recognized collectively by the United Nations Office of Public Information (0P1) as an international non-governmental organization under the name Bahá’í International Community. An official Bahá’í«United Nations relationship had actually started a year before—in the spring of 1947—~when OPI accredited the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada as a national non-governmental organization, qualified to be represented through an observer.

The next step in Bahá’í—United Nations cooperationwand a major one—took place in 1970, when the Bahá’í International Community was granted consultative status, category 11, with the United Nations Economic and Social Counci1 (ECOSOC). A few years later, in 1974, as an extension of this relationship in the economic and social fields, the Bahá’í International Community established an association with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Then, in 1976--—another important development—it was welcomed into consultative status with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In 1985, it formalized its representation with the United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS).

For detailed information on Bahá’í International Community activities With the UN. during this period, see earlier volumes of T he Bahá’í World.

The First Period: 1947—1970

Although limited to activities educating the public about the aims and programs of the United Nations, the first stage of Bahá’íUnited Nations cooperation allowed many opportunities for sharing the Bahá’í perspective, both through participation in numerous non-governmental conferences, and through the presentation to the United Nations of several important statements.

One of the most important contributions took place in 1947, when the United Nations Special Palestine Committee addressed a letter to Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, resident at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, requesting an expression of the Bahá’í attitude to the future of Palestine. Explaining that “Our aim is the establishment of universal peace in the world and our desire to see justice prevail in

every domain of human society, including

the domain of politics,” Shoghi Effendi enclosed with'his reply a summary of the history and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. Other presentations of note were: A “Bahá’í Declaration on Human Obligations and Rights” (1947); a study entitled

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“Proposals for Charter Revision,” circulated at a United Nations Conference for Revision of the United Nations Charter (1955); a statement endorsing the Genocide Convention, presented to the President of the Commission on Human Rights (1959); and a comprehensive statement to a meeting of the United Nations Office of Public Information to discuss problems of cooperation “with the United Nations family insofar as its program affects the new nations”, noting the “Vigorous assistance of Bahá’í communities” through the implementation of Bahá’í teachings and principles, to help the less developed peoples become integrated into the more developed society surrounding them (1960). The Bahá’í International Community was also able, even in the early years of its relationship with the United Nations, to assist in the protection and recognition of the Bahá’í world community. For example, appeals were lodged with the United Nations in 1955 and 1962 on behalf of Bahá’ís being persecuted in iran and Morocco, respectively, and in 1967 a special edition of The Proclamation ofBahd ’u ’Zldh was presented on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to fifty-six Heads of State, through their Permanent Representatives to the United Nations.

The Second Period: 1970—1986 These years witnessed a noticeable increase in the range and depth of Bahá’í—United Nations cooperation, as the Bahá’í International Community began the steady growth of its consultative relationship with ECOSOC and with UNICEF, and its associations with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS) while continuing its close cooperation with the United Nations Officeulater Department;Of Public Information. As it worked closely with ECOSOC, its functional commissions, committees and associated bodies, the Bahá’í International Community gradually explored new avenues of participation in United Nations social and

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economic programs. Not only was it represented at sessions of United Nations bodies concerned with issues of aging, children, crime prevention, disabled persons, disarmament, energy—new and renewable sources, environment, exploration and peaceful uses of outer space, the family, human rights, human settlements, law of the sea, narcotic drugs, population, science and technology, social development, status of women, the United Nations University, world food, and youth, but it also furnished information, submitted statements and published brochures on most of these subjects. In addition, the Bahá’í International Community participated in United Nations Years, in world conferences and congresses, in regional conferences and in seminars concerned with the socio-economic problems of our planet, as well as in preparation and follow—up meetings and activities.

When the Committee on Non—Governmental Organizations, the functional committee of ECOSOC in charge of fostering the United Nations relationship with NGO’s in the social and economic field, reviewed the work of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC during the years 1973—77, 197881, the Bahá’í International Community reports, showing an impressive number of activities recording warm cooperation with the United Nations, were approved without questions.

Most gratifying during this period was the increased participation of national Bahá’í communities, through their National Spiritual Assemblies, United Nations representatives and committees, in fostering the ties of the Bahá’í world with the United Nations. They not only organized national and local Bahá’í—United Nations activities, but also represented the Bahá’í International Community at Conferences, and offered the growing experience of Bahá’í social and economic development projects as applications of Bahá’í teachings to the solution of specific world problems. In addition,

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National Spiritual Assemblies in countries where United Nations conferences or meetings took place made a valuable contribution to successful Bahá’í participation, furnishing clear evidence that each Bahá’í community did, in fact, share in the consultative relationship of the Bahá’í International Community With ECOSOC and UNICEF.

The Bahá’í International Community worked closely, through its United Nations representative, with United Nations offices and officials at United Nations headquarters in New York, as well as in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi; and—through representatives from its member Bahá’í communities with United Nations field offices around the world.

In addition, under the direction and guidance of the Universal House of Justice, contacts were made on many occasions during this period With Missions to the United Nations and the United Nations Secretariat, to assist in the recognition of the Faith and the protection of Bahá’í communities. Here again, a growing understanding of the Bahá’í International Community, its

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non-partisan political nature, as well as its constructive contributions to the work of the United Nations resulting from its consultative status, made access to key United Nations officials easier when a clear presentation of the Bahá’í position was needed. This became especially important from 1981 on, since access to the United Nations human rights organs—the Commission on Human Rights and the Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities—becarne crucial in bringing the persecution of the Bahá’í community of him to the’ attention of the governments of the world, and curbing, to some extent, this flagrant case of religious discrimination.

It became clear during these years that, as government delegates and United Nations personnel increasingly witnessed the Bahá’í presence, through extensive Bahá’í representation and a variety of written and oral statements—many Of the written ones circulated as United Nations documents—they were becoming aware of a worldwide Bahá’í community committed to the spiritual and moral Vision of the unity of mankind.

2. THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF THE BAHA’t INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1986—1992

Overview

For more than twenty years, the United Nations Office of the Bahá’í International Community has sought, through its consultative and working relations With the United Nations’ specialized agencies, to support the work of the United Nations by sharing Bahá’í perspectives and experience. Daring the Six Year Plan, Bahá’í International Community representatives attended more than one hundred UN consultative sessions and international conferences. Many of the more than ninety statements and reports presented between 1986 and 1992 were based on the experience of Bahá’í communities

in such areas as fostering popular participation in development, enhancing the role of women, eliminating racial prejudice, and preventing drug abuse—all areas of intense interest to governments.

The Bahá’í International Community active1y participated in the activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) at the

United Nations, primarily in Geneva, New

Ybrk and Vienna, participating in numerous NGO conferences and consultations. It served as Vice president(1986~1988) and as secretary (1988—1991) of the Board of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) in Consultative Status

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with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In Geneva, New York and Vienna, its representatives also served as officers on NGO committees on human rights, the family, women, human settlements, development, youth, the Department of Public Information, and the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Bahá’ís around the world assisted the Bahá’í International Community to cany out its work. Volunteers in Nairobi, Rome and Vienna were appointed by the Bahá’í International Community to help strengthen ties with the UN Center for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAQ). In addition, volunteers were appointed to reprepresent the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations Regional Economic Commissions for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; for Latin America in Santiago, Chile; and for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand. Organizing the work by sectors allowed the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office to cover efficiently an immense range of overlapping issues. These sectors included advancement of women, education and social development, health, peace, human rights, and refugees.

Promoting the Advancement of Women

The Bahá’í International Community gave high priority to the advancement of women, participating fully in the work of the United Nations in this area, particularly the Commission on the Status of Women. The Bahá’í International Community was represented by both women and men at meetings called by the Commission, including global and regional conferences, seminars, and workshops, and worked closely with the

community of NGOs at the United Nations“

in Geneva, New York, and Vienna.

During the Six Year Plan, the work in this area expanded and diversified, as seeds sown during the Decade of Women (19761985) began to bear fmit. The Bahá’í Inter THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

national Community strengthened its presence at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Represented each year by an international delegation of women and men, the Bahá’í International Community presented more than fifteen statements, focusing on such topics as social and economic development, education, and the status of the girl child. Bahá’ís with professional expertise became more involved in the United Nations work related to women over these six years, representing the Bahá’í International Community at conferences, workshops, and symposia held at global and regional levels.

One direct result of Bahá’í International Community involvement with the Commission was a project financed by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) entitled Traditional Media as Change Agent. A Bahá’í International Community statement to the Commission in 1988 suggested that permanent change in the status of women requires the support of the whole community. The Director of UNIFEM suggested that Bahá’ís develop a project for funding by UNIFEM to foster that community support. In cooperation over the next three years with the Bahá’í Office of Social and Economic Development, selected National Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá’í consultants, and UNIFEM, the Bahá’í International Community developed a project using traditional media, such as music and dance, to stimulate Village—wide discussions about women’s roles. The two—year project, which began to be implemented in Bolivia, Cameroon, and Malaysia, engaged entire communities in improving the status of women. Bahá’í communities in Brazil and Nigeria also joined the project. The joint Bahá’í International Community/ UNTFEM project marked a new level of

eooperation between the Bahá’í Interna tional Community and the United Nations’ agencies. '

The Bahá’í International Community Office of Public Information and the United

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Nations Office jointly sponsored a prestigious luncheon in Washington, DC, in 1988 for the Executive Board of the International Council of Women (ICW). The event, held to commemorate the centennial of the ICW, honoured Madame Laura Dreyfus Barney, known to Bahá’ís as the compiler of Some Answered Questions, and a distinguished member of the ICW. A reception to commemorate the life of Madame Barney was also held in New York, co—sponsored by the Bahá’í International Community and UNICEF.

Awakening policy-makers to the important role of women in achieving food security for Africa was also a major Bahá’í International Community focus. In 1988, the Bahá’í International Community began serving as convenor of Advocates for African Food Security: Lessening the Burden of Women, a unique coalition of international and national NGOS, United Nations agencies, and intergovernmental organizations. Convinced that women are the key to food security in Africa, where eighty to ninety percent of the food for domestic consumption is produced by women, the Advocates strove to raise the awareness of policymakers to this fact, and the importance of involving women in all levels of decisionmaking to end the food crisis. Annual symposia at the United Nations in New York were held; wide circulation was given to a survey on the status of food security in Africa, conducted by the Advocates in 1990 and compiled by a Bahá’í consultant; brochures and symposium reports were distn'buted, as well as a Video entitledA Day in the Life of an African Woman Farmer. In April 1992, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa participated in the first Advocates symposium held in Africa.

Gradually, the idea that the advancement of women is a prerequisite for peace and development became more widely accepted. The Bahá’í International Community, with its sustained involvement in this area and its uncommon emphasis on partnership

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between women and men, stood in the forefront of the movement toward equality in the international sphere.

Education and Social Sector

Education, always a primary concern for Bahá’ís, continued to be a priority for the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office. Preparation for and participation in International Literacy Year (1990) and the World Conference on Education for All (1990), both sponsored by the United Nations system, provided the focus for a variety of educational activities. The UN Office promoted the International Literacy Year by providing National Spiritual Assemblies with information about the year, by serving on the International Task Force on Literacy, and by attending five international meetings in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Bahá’í International Community also promoted “The Book Voyage”, a global project which collected the writings of newly literate men and women and compiled them into a ceremonial book. A special edition of this book was presented to the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, by a Bahá’í International Community representative and a literacy learner from Kenya at UN Headquarters during a ceremony coordinated by the Bahá’í International Community.

The Bahá’í contribution to the 1990 World Conference on Education for All, held in Jomtien, Thailand, and sponsored by UNICEF, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Bank, was notable. The Bahá’í International Community published and distributed Survey of Bahá’í

Education Programmes and contributed

foi'ir papers to the round-table discussions. In addition, , the Bahá’í International Community representative was asked to represent NGOs on the steering group for the conference. The New York Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office was

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instrumental in developing an Education For All Network. For the last two years of the Plan, this network encouraged NGOs to contribute to the achievement of the ambitious education goals adopted at the conference. The Bahá’í International Community representative attended regional meetings on education sponsored by the Network in Bangladesh and Chile.

Increased international attention to education is sues and the Visible contribution of the Bahá’í International Community strengthened its relations With UNICEF and made it better known to UNESCO. As a consultative NGO since 1976, the Bahá’í International Community addressed the 1991 meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board, supporting its emphasis on educating girls. The Bahá’í International Community also assisted With three major UNICEF conferences: one in Zimbabwe on Child Development in Africa and two in New York on Education of the Girl Child. Through these and other activities, local Bahá’í programs in education and the Bahá’í commitment to universal education became better known throughout the world.

The Bahá’í International Community’s dedication to children was not Timited' to

education. As participants in both United‘

Nations and NGO human rights working groups, Bahá’í International Community representatives helped draft the Convention on the Rights of the Chi1d, contributing notably to the text of Article 17. In addition,

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The Bahd ’z’ International Community was represented at the World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2 t0 14 May 1988. Shown at right,

Dr. Ethel Martens.

the World Summit on Children, held for Heads of State at United Nations headquarters in 1991, was attended by a Bahá’í International Community observer.

Health

In support of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of Health for All by the Year 2000 through Primary Health Care, Bahá’í communities around the world initiated hea1th projects, most emphasizing education for health. This increased activity encouraged the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office to intensify its own involvement With health issues.

In Geneva, WHO headquarters, the Bahá’í International Community became an active member of the NGO Primary Health Care Group in 1986. Bahá’í International Community representatives attended the annual sessions of both the WHO Executive Board and the World Health Assembly, and participated actively in Assemb1y Technical Discussions. The same year, the Bahá’í International Community established working relations With WHO and subsequently continued to strengthen cooperation With the organization. Primary health care activities at the grass roots level, many in cooperation With WHO, included the involvement of Bahá’í communities in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, India, Laos, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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The Bahá’í International Community supported education for health by distributing sample copies of Facts for Life, a publication sponsored by UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO, to forty-one National Assemblies and providing over five thousand copies in four languages free of charge to thirty national Bahá’í communities. The Bahá’í International Community also supported the development by Bahá’ís of a model community health workers ’ training program, based on the elements of primary health care, and adaptable to the needs of each community.

Peace The International Year of Peace (1986), pro claimed by the United Nations, was well underway when the Six Year Plan began, and the Universal House of Justice had already addressed The Promise of World Peace to the peoples of the world. The process of distributing that message to Heads of State, UN ambassadors, and officials, however, was just beginning. As a result of concerted efforts by the Bahá’í International Community and national Bahá’í communities around the world, by J anuary 1989 The Promise of World Peace had been translated into seventy-six languages and distributed to more than two hundred Heads of State, many through their Ambassadors at the United Nations, and to over two million individuals. A wide range of peace activities, centered around this message of hope, led the United Nations Secretary—General to designate the Bahá’í International Community and five of its affiliates—the National Assemblies of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Kenya, and Lesotho—as “Peace Messengers,” an honor bestowed on only three hundred organizations in the world.

The Bahá’í International Commfinity supported the many activities of the International Year of Peace Secretariat (later the Peace Studies Unit) and the UN Department of Disarmament Affairs. In addition, Bahá’í International Community representatives participated in major United Nations meetings

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on peace and disarmament, including the United Nations Conference for Promotion of International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, the UN Conferences on Disarmament and Development, and the Third Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament.

Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

Beginning in 1980, the Bahá’í International Community vigorously sought protection through the United Nations human rights system for the beleaguered Bahá’í community in Tran. It also actively promoted the human rights of all people.

The United Nations first intervened on behalf of the Bahá’í community in him in 1955. When persecutions began again in 1979, the Bahá’í community in Tran, having no recourse at the national level, once again appealed for protection to the United Nations human rights system. The 1980 Sub—Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, in response to a Bahá’í International Community request, issued the first of several resolutions asking the Iranian authorities to respect the rights of Bahá’ís. Subsequently, concern for the welfare of the Bahá’í community in Tran was expressed repeatedly in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and in the General Assembly.

At first, the resolutions by the Commission and Sub-Commission, the expressions of concern by the General Assembly, and the public outrage, particularly over the executions, seemed to have little effect In 1986, however, the Commission on Human Rights appointed Reynaldo Galindo Pohl Special

Representative of the Commission and

called on the Iranian government to cooperate by inviting him to Visit Tran. For two years the Iranian government refused, but in 1988 it agreed to accept Mr. Galindo Pohl’s Visit and to cooperate with his investigations.

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A year prior to Mr. Galindo Poh1’s Visit, the government began systematically to release Bahá’ís from the prisons and jails. Bahá’í children were re—admitted to elementary and secondary sohoo1s, and executions came to a halt in 1988. Although the worst abuses were coming to an end, discrimination continued and the Bahá’í Faith remained a proscribed religion.

Unable to meet With Mr. Galindo Pohl on his first Visit to Trén, Bahá’ís succeeded in meeting with him on Iranian soil in 1990. He subsequently made two more Visits to Train, and his reports, verifying and deploring the discrimination against Bahá’ís, became progressively more critical.

Besides sensitizing the United Nations system, government missions in Geneva, and NGOS, the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office worked closely with National Spiritual Assemblies, providing periodic updates, and requesting their assistance. By bringing to the attention of their governments the plight of the Bahá’ís in Train, National Assemblies played a critical role in mobilizing the international community and strengthened relations with

their governments. In consu1tation with the‘

Bahá’í World Centre, the Bahá’í International Community office in Geneva also selected and translated relevant documents for submission to those in the UN system monitoring discrimination.

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A representative offlze ' National Spiritual Assembly offlze

’ Baird ’z's ofBrazz'l receiving the United Nations’ “Peace

M essengers ” award from Merida Morales O ’Donnel, clziefofthe UNHigh Commission for Refitgees, in Brazil on I 5 September 1987.

Violations of the rights of Bahá’ís in other countries were also reported to the UN human rights system. In addition, the Bahá’í International Community devoted considerable attention to promoting the human rights of children and minorities, supporting human rights education, cooperating with other NGOS and participating in the preparatory process for the World Conference on Human Rights to be held in 1993. The Bahá’í International Community presented approximate1y forty oral and written statements to the Commission and to the Sub-Comrnission on such issues as the need for religious tolerance and respect for the rights of minorities and the disabled, the right to development, the need to eliminate torture and racism, the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights, and the need for a more just international economic order. The Bahá’í International Community contributed to a UN study on minorities and to the draft declaration on the rights of minorities.

The Bahá’í International Community’s participation in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was, perhaps, its. most significant contribution. Bahá’í International Community representatives proposed. much of the wording for what became Article 17 of the Convention ensuring the access of children to appropriate information. Article 17 addresses the role of the media in disseminating to children

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information that promotes social, spiritual, and moral well-be1'ng and physical and mental health. The Bahá’í International Community attended the two meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights, contributing statements to both meetings.

Refugee Office In 1990, the Bahá’í International Refugee

Office, which had been established in Canada by the Universal House of Justice in 1986, was transferred to Geneva. This

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transfer facilitated closer interaction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva and with other organizations concerned with refugee matters. During the last year of the Six Year Plan, the number of refugees leaving Train decreased substantially. The Refugee Office continued to monitor the resettlement of refugees and to assist the National Assembly of Pakistan, the UNHCR and other relevant agencies in Pakistan, where most of the refugees had initially arrived, in processing Bahá’í refugee cases.

ANNEX 1

Special United Nations Conferences, Congresses and Seminars in which the Baha 1

’9'

International Community Participated 1986—1992

1. United Nations Seminar on International Assistance and Support to Peoples and Movements Struggling Against Colonialism, Racism, Racial Discrimination and Apartheid; Yaounde, Cameroon; 28 April9 May April 1986. Rep: Mr. E.O. Asare.

2.United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa; New York, U.S.A; 27—31 May 1986. Reps: Mrs. Mary Sawicki Power, Mr. Victor de Araujo.

3. United Nations Conference for Promotion of International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (UNCPICPUNE); Geneva, Switzerland; 23 March—lO April 1987. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Mrs. Machid Fatio, Mr. Gerald Knight.

4. United Nations International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (ICDAIT); Vienna, Austria; 17—26 June 1987. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Mr. Khashayar Forghani, Mrs. Neda Forghani, Dr. ‘Abdu’l Missagh Ghadirian, Mrs. Helene H6121, Mrs. Naghmih Mavaddat, Dr. Roland Philipp.

5.111temational Conference on the Relationship Between Disarmament and Development; New York, U.S.A.; 24 August—ll September 1987. REps: Mr. Victor de Araujo, Mr. Paul Ojermark.

6.111terregiona1 Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes; Vienna, Austm'a; 7—1 5 September 1987. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Mr. Paul Ojermark, Mrs. Neda Forghani, Mrs. Helene H6121.

7.United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Informa1 Consultation on the Drafting of the Convention

on the Rights of the Child; Geneva, Switzerland; 20—22 January 1988. Rep: Mrs. Machid Patio.

8. World Health Assembly (WHA) Technical Discussions on “Leadership Development for Health for All”; Geneva, Switzerland; 7—9 May 1988. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Dr. Ethel Martens.

9.Afriean Seminar on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Lomé, Togo; 5—7 April 1988. Rep: Dr. Akouété Akakpo—Vidah.

10. Third Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament; New York, U.S.A.; 8—16 May 1988. Reps: Mr. Robert White, Mr. Victor de Araujo.

11.European Workshop on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Past, Present and Future; Milan, Italy; 7—9 September 1988. Rep: Mr. Morten Bergsmo.

12.Fourth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women into the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Guatemala City, Guatemala; 27—30 September 1988. Rep: Mrs. Helen Mirkovitch de Sanchez.

13.United Nations Global Consultation on Racial Discrimination; Geneva, Switzerland; 3—7 October 1988. Rep: Mr. Wytze Bos.

14.United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Informal Consultation on the Drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; Geneva, Switzerland; November 1988. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos.

15.UN Seminar on the Teaching of Human Rights; Geneva; 5—9 December 1988. Rep: Mr. Wytze Bos.

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16.United Nations Commemoration of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; 12 December 1988. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio.

17.United Nations Commemoration of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sponsored by UNESCO; Paris, France; 8—10 December 1988. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Christine Samandari—Ḥakím.

18.1ntemationa1 Bureau of Education of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-IBE) International Conference on Education, 4lst Session; Geneva, Switzerland; 9—17 January 1989, Rep: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio.

19.United Nations Seminar on the Effects of Racism and Racial Discrimination on the Social and Economic Relations between Indigenous Peoples and States; Geneva, Switzerland; 1690 January 1989. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Maehid F atio.

20 .World Health Assembly (WHA) Technical Discussions on “Health of Youth”; Geneva, Switzerland; 11—13 May 1989. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Dr. Ethel Martens.

.International Conference on the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights; Beijing, China; 20-23 November 1989. Rep: Mrs. Nahid Mohajeri Eng.

22.Fourth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women in Development and on the Implementation of the Arusha Strategies fo’r the Advance of Women in Africa (ECA); Abuja, Nigeria; 6—10 November 1989. Rep: Mrs. Alasebu Gebre Selassie.

23. World Health Organization Consultation With International Women’s NGOs on AIDS Prevention, Control and Care; Geneva, Switzerland; 21—22 December 1989. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballen’o, Dr. Denise Belisle

24.UN General Assembly Special Session on Drug Abuse; New York City, U.S.A.; 20—23 February 1990. Rep: Dr. A.M. Ghadirian.

25. World Conference on Education for All by the Year 2000, sponsored by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Bank; Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990. Rep: Mr. Daniel Wegener.

26. Global Consultation on the Realization of the Right to Development as a Human Right; Geneva, 8—12 January 1990. Rep: Mrs. Machid Fatio.

27. Regional preparatory meeting -for *the United

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Nations Conference on Environment and Develop—., ment (UNCED); Bergen, Norway; 8—16 May 1990. Rep: Mr. Robert White.

28. United Nations Asian/Pacific Workshop on International Human Rights Issues; Manila, Philippines; 7—11 May 1990. Rep: Dr. Martha Taylor.

29. First Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session for the United Nations Conference on Environment and

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Development (UNCED); Nairobi, Kenya; 6—31 August 1990. Reps: Mrs. J 0y M ’boya, Mrs. Rose Akeeh, Mr. Greg Duly.

30.1ntemationa1 Bureau of Education of the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orga nization (UNESCO—IBE) International Conference

on Education, 42nd Session, Geneva, Switzerland;

3—8 September 1990. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio,

Mr. Daniel Wegener.

.Second United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development in the Least Developed Countries

(UNCTAD); Paris, France; 3—14 September 1990.

Reps: Mrs. Liesbeth B03 de Jong, Mr. Wytze B03.

32. UN World Summit on Children; New York, U.S.A.; 30 September 1990. Rep: Dr. Wilma Ellis.

33.Economie and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)/Non—'governmenta1 organization (NGO) Media Symposium on Communication for Environment; Bangkok, Thailand; 6—10 October 1990. Reps: Mrs. Samireh Smith, Mr. Husayn Anwar.

34. Second Ministerial session of the World Climate Conference sponsored by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU); Geneva, Switzerland; 6—7 November 1990. Rep: Mr. Lawrence Arturo.

35.UN International Seminar on Political, Historical, Economic, Social and Cultural Factors Contributing to Racism, Racial Discrimination and Apartheid; Geneva, Switzerland; 10—14 December 1990. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio.

36. First session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change; Washington, DC; 4-14 February 1991. Reps: Mrs. Mona Grieser, Mr. Richard Grieser.

37. The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Preparatmy Meeting for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); Mexico City, Mexico; 4—7 March 1991. Rep: Mr. Lawrence Arturo.

38.Seeond Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session for the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); Geneva, Switzerland; 18 March5 April 1991. Rep: Mrs. Han—Ju Kim—Farley.

39. United Nations Consultation on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; Geneva, Switzerland; 8 May 1991. Rep: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio.

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40.United Nations Meeting of Peace Messenger

Organizations; Dagomys, U.S.S.R., 10—14 June 1991. Rep: Mrs. Machid Fatio.

41. Third Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); Geneva, Switzerland;

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12 August—4 September 1991. Reps: Mrs. Rebequa Getahoun Murphy, Mrs. Han-Ju Kim—Farley.

42. First Preparatory Committee session for the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; 9—16 September 1991. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Patio.

43. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization Sub—Regional Meeting on Literacy in Francophone Africa; Porto Novo, Benin; October 1991. Reps: Mr. Daniel Wegener, Mrs. Parvin Djoneidi.

44. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) South Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Social Welfare and Social Development; Manila, Philippines; 7~11 October 1991. Reps: Mr. Husayn Anwar, Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

45. United Nations Regional Symposium on Co-operation between the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOS) for Rural Poverty Alleviation; Bangkok, Thailand; 16—19 December 1991. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

46. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization International Consultative Forum on

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Education for All by the Year 2000; Paris, France; December 1991. Rep: Mr. Daniel Wegener.

47. World Health Organization International Forum on “Health: a Conditionality for Economic Development, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Inequity”; Accra, Ghana; 4—6 December 1991. Rep: Mrs. Beatrice Asare. ‘

48.Regiona1 Consultation on Education for All for South Asia; Dhaka, Bangladesh; 24—26 February 1992. Rep: Mr. Daniel Wegener.

49.Fourth Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); New York, U.S.A.; 2 March~3 April 1992. Reps: Mr. Lawrence Arturo, Mrs. Han-Ju Kim—Farley.

50. Second Preparatory Committee session for the United Nations World Cohference on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; 30 March—lO April 1992. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio.

51.United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Seminar on Strategies to Satisfy Basic Learning Needs; Santiago, Chile; 20—22 April 1992. Reps: Mr. Daniel Wegener, Mrs. Helen Mirkovitch de Sanchez.

ANNEX II

'3!

Statements, Reports and other Publications Presented by the Baha 1 International Community to the United Nations Riḍván 1986—Rigivén 1992

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.Statement to the 42nd Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Bangkok, Thailand, 22 April—Z May 1986.

.Statement to the Ninth Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements; Istanbul, Turkey, 5—6 May 1986.

.“Food Security: The African Woman Farmer,” a statement by Seminar Resource Person Paul Ojermark of the Bahá’í International Community at a symposium sponsored by the Advocates for African Food Security at UN Headquarters, New York, USA, 15 May 1986.

.“Help African Women”; 21 statement presented jointly by the members of the Advocates for African F 00d Security to the UN General Assembly Special Session on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa; New York, USA, 27—31 May 1986.

.“Conflict-Free Conflict Resolution: Concepts and Methods” a paper by Hossain Danesh presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the World Congress Devoted to the International Year of Peace sponsored by the World Association of World Federalists; Copenhagen, Denmark, October 1986.

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6.A Report to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Bahá’í International Community activities in support of International Youth Year, submitted 3 June 1986.

7.Report to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Bahá’í International Community consultative activities during the period January 1982/December 1985; submitted 20 June 1986.

8. “Education for Peace and Unity”; a statement submitted to the International Symposium “Education for International Understanding and Peace”; Barcelona, Spain, 7—12 July 1986.

9. “Persecution of the Bahá’ís in him 1979—1986. A 7Year Campaign to Eliminate a Religious Minority,” Second Edition. A booklet published by the Bahá’í

> Intematidnal Community United Nations Office.

10““Statement to the General Congress of the International Catholic Child Bureau; Rome, Italy, 1—~.3 December 1986.

11. “Prevention of Drug Abuse: A Bahá’í Perspective”, a paper by AM. Ghadirian, M.D., presented at the Interregional Conference on the Involvement of NGOS in Prevention and Reduction of the Demand for Drugs; Stockholm, Sweden, 15~19 December 1986.

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12.“The Family: A Bahá’í Perspective,” 21 statement to the consultation “The Family as the First Community,” sponsored by the New York NonGovemmental Organization Working Group on the Family; New York, U.S.A., 7 January 1987.

13. Statement submitted j ointly by several non-governmental organizations to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on the consultative role of NGOs in the implementation of the Commission’s future work and in the Commission’s efforts to integrate the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies into the Medium—Term Plan and into development programs; Vienna, Austn'a, 15 January 1987.

14.0ral statement to the 30th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development on trends and strategies for social integration through popular participation and policies for the advancement of specific social groups; Vienna, Austria, 23 February4 March 1987.

15.0ral statement to the 43rd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in him; Geneva, Switzerland, 21 January 1987.

16.0ra1 statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the status of the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. Geneva, Switzerland, January/ March 1987.

17.01‘a1 statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Question of the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in any Part of the World; Geneva, Switzerland, J anuary/March 1987.

18.Written statement to the 43rd session of the Commission on Human Rights on the Question of the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in any Part of the World, with Particular Reference to Colonial and Other Dependent Countries and Territories, circulated as UN document E/ CN.4/1987/23; Geneva, Switzerland, 28 January 1987.

19.0ra1 statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; Geneva, J anuary/March 1987.

20. Statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Implementation of the Declaration on the EhminEtion of All

Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based» ’

on Religion 01‘Be1ief; Geneva, January/March 1987.

.Oral statement to the 43rd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the Question of the realization in all countries of the rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Geneva, J anuary/March 1987.

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22.0w] statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Geneva, January/March 1987.

23. Oral statement to the 43rd session of the Commission on Human Rights on the role of youth in the promotion and protection of human rights; Geneva, January/March 1987.

24. Oral statement to the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in rebuttal of the charges made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of 1rén in his statement to the Commission on 5 March 1987; and in his reply on 9 and 10 March 1987. Geneva, March 1987.

25. Oral statement to the United Nations Conference for the Promotion of International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (UNCPICPUNE); Geneva, Switzerland, 23 March—lO April 1987.

26. Oral statement to the Tenth Session of the UN Commission on Human Settlements; Nairobi, Kenya, 6—16 Apn'l 1987.

27. Written statement to the 27th session of the United Nations Committee for Programme and Co—ordination on Recurrent Publications of the United Nations, circulated as UN document E/AC.51/ 1987/ 12; 28 Apri1—23 May 1987.

28. Oral statement to the United Nations International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; Vienna, Austria, 17—26 June 1987.

29. Statement on the Rights of Indigenous Populations presented to the 5th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission 0n the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, 30 July 1987.

30.Written statement to the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development, circulated as UN document A/ Conf.130/NGO/34; New York City, U.S.A., 24 August—ll September 1987.

31.Written statement to the United Nations Interregional Consultation on Development Social Welfare Policies and Programmes, circulated as UN document E/CONF.80/NGO.7; Vienna, Austria, 7—15 September 1987.

32. Oral statement to the UN Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes; Vienna, Austria, 10 September 1987.

33. The Bahá’í Statement on Nature, presented to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh when the Bahá’í Faith became the sixth major religion to join the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Network on Conservation and Religion on 5 October 1988.

34. Oral statement on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of ham presented to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly at its 42nd session during consideration of the Report of the Economic and Social Council; New York City, U.S.A., 12 October 1987.

[Page 531]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

35. Written statement to the 10th special session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Commission on Narcotic Drugs, circulated as UN document E/CN.7/1988/NGO.1; Vienna, Austria, 8—19 February 1988.

36. Oral statement on the implementation of the programme of action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination presented to the 44th session of the UN Commission 011 Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 10 February 1988.

37. Oral statement on the right to development presented to the 44th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 16 February 1988.

38. Oral statement on the elimination of religious discrimination presented to the 44th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 17 February 1988.

39.0ra1 statement on the elimination of torture presented t0 the 44th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 19 February 1988.

40. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in 1r2'm, presented to the 44th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 1 March 1988.

41. Written statement on equality presented to the 32nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, circulated as UN document E/CN.6/1988/ NGO/ 1; Vienna, Austria, 14‘23 March 1988.

42. Written statement on the problems of rural women, including food, water resources, agricultural technology, rural employment, transportation and environment, circulated as UN document E/CN.6/ 1988/NGO/ 13 at the UN Commission on the Status of Women; Austria, 14—23 March 1988.

43. Oral statement to the 44th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Jakarta, Indonesia, 11—20 April 1988.

44. Comments and views on a UN—commissioned study on the Achievements made and Obstacles Encountered during the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, submitted to the UN Centre for Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 23 June 1988.

45. Oral statement on the evolution of standards concerning the rights of indigenous populations, presented to the 6th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the 40th session of the United Nations Sub—Commission on Prevent‘fon of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, 1—5 August 1988.

46. Oral statement on measures to combat racism and racial discrimination and the role of the Sub—Commission to the 40th session of the UN Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, August 1988.

531

47.Written statement on measures to combat racism and racial discrimination and the role of the SubCommission circulated as UN document E/CN.4/ Sub.2/1988/NGO/5 at the 40th session of the UN Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, 8 August 1988.

48. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in ham presented to the 40th session of the United Nations Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, August 1988.

49. Oral statement on human rights and disability presented to the 40th session of the UN SubCommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, August 1988. "

50.Written statement on human rights and disability,

circulated as UN document E/CN.4/Sub.2/1988/ NGO/4 at the 40th session of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland, August 1988.

.Oral statement to the Fourth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women into the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean; Guatemala City, Guatemala, 27—30 September 1988.

52. “Spiritual Foundations for an Ecologically Sustainable Society,” an essay by Robert White, originally published in The Journal ofBahd ’1' Studies (vol. 2, no. 1), issued as a monograph by the Office for the Environment as a contribution to the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

53. ONE COUNTRY, Winter 1989, Vol. 1, Issue 1, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “New Conservation Project Reaches out to Artistic World,” distributed to ambassadors, diplomats and other leaders of thought.

54.0ra1 statement on implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination presented to the 45th UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 8 February 1989.

55. Oral statement on the problems which the developing countries face in their efforts to achieve economic, social and cultural rights, presented to the 45th United Nations Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 1989.

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.56.0ra1 statement on a World Campaign for Human

. Rights presented to the 45th United Nations Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 15.February 1989.

57. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in 1ran presented to the 45th Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 1 March 1989.

58.0ra1 statement on implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance

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and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Be1ief, presented to the 45th Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 1 March 1989.

59. Oral statement on a Bahá’í development project for women in India, presented to the 33rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; Vienna, Austria, 29 March—7 April 1989.

60. ONE COUNTRY Spring 1989, Vol. 1, Issue 2, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. “Decade-long Effort to Promote Literacy Launched.”

61. Report to the United Nations Division on the Advancement of Women, on Bahá’í International Community Implementation of the Nairobi Forward—Looking Strategies; June 1989.

62. Oral statement on Bahá’í International Community Training Activities for Women in the Pacific, presented to the South Pacific Commission Interagency Meeting; Suva, Fiji, 31 July—4 August 1989.

63. ONE COUNTRY, June—August 1989, Vol. 1, Issue 3, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Simple methods, simple training are keys to primary health care in Villages.”

64. Oral statement on the evolution of standards concernng the rights of indigenous populations, presented to the 7th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 3 August 1989.

65. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in 1rén, presented to the 4lst session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 16 August 1989.

66. Oral statement on measures to combat racism and racial discrimination presented to the 4lst session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 21 August 1989.

67.013211 statement on the individual and contemporary International Law, presented in French to the 4lst session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 30 August 1989.

68. ONE COUNTRY, October—December 1989, V01. 1, Issue 4, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Anis Zunuzi School in Haiti emphasizes moral training and cooperation skills.”

69. Oral statement on the implementation of the Arusha Strategies for the Advancement of Women in Africa beyond the end of the United Nations Decade for

Women, presented to the 4th Regional Conference

on the Integration of Women in Development and on the Implementation of the Arusha Strategies for the Advance of Women in Africa, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa; Abuja, Nigeria, 6—10 November 1989.

70. “Survey of Bahá’í Education Programmes,” J anuary 1990, booklet published by the Bahá’í International

Community for distribution at the World Conference on Education for A11, Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990.

.ONE COUNTRY, January—March 1990, Vol. 2, Issue 1, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “A Visit to the Soviet Union, carrying a message of peace, evokes a warm response.”

72. Written statement on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/1990/ NGO/S at the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 25 January 1990.

73. Written statement on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discfimination, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/1990/NGO/7 at the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 25 January 1990.

74. Written statement on the Report of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its 4lst session, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/1990/NGO/6 at the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 26 J anuary 1990.

75. Oral statement on the right to development, presented to the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 1990.

76.0ra1 statement on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, presented to the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 12 February 1990.

77. Oral statement on the situation of the Bahá’ís in he'm to the 46th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, February 1990.

.Statement submitted by the Advocates for African Food Security and signed by several non-governmental organizations to the 34th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, on the negative effects of the international economic situation on the improvement of the status of women; Vienna, Austria, 26 February—9 March 1990.

79. Oral statement to the 34th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, on equality in political participation and decision—making; Vienna, Austria, 26 February-9 March 1990.

80. Statement on NGOs and Literacy: Meeting Basic Learning Needs—The Experience of Bahá’í Communities, presented to a round—table discussion at the World Conference on Education for All; Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990.

81. Statement on The Teacher’s Situation: The Determining Factor of a Quality Education for All, presented to a round—table discussion at the World

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Conference on Education for A11; Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990.

82. Statement on The Education of Girls: Constraints and Policy Measures, presented to a round—table discussion at the World Conference on Education for All; Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990.

83.Statement on New Delivery Systems for Basic Education, presented to a round-table discussion at the World Conference on Education for all; Jomtien, Thailand, 5—9 March 1990.

84. ONE COUNTRY, April—June 1990, V01. 2, Issue 2, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Among the Daga people in Papua New Guinea 3. newfound sense of cooperation emerges.”

85. Pamphlet describing the work of the Bahá’í International Community Office of the Environment.

86. Quadrennial Report to the Economic and Social

Council (ECOSOC) for the period January 1986

through December 1989, describing the work of the

Bahá’í International Community as a non-govern mental organization in consu1tative status.

Appendix I lists United Nations meetings attended;

Appendix 11 lists statements presented to United

Nations bodies.

“Women 2000 Report” submitted in response to a

questionnaire from the UN Division for the

Advancement of Women in Vienna, Austria, for

publication in the magazine, Women 2000. Also

used in the preparation of a background document on Machinery for the Integration of Women in

Development for the 1991 session of the UN Com mission on the Status of Women.

88. ONE COUNTRY, July—September 1990, Vol. 2, Issue 3, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Nur University: An educational Upstart Exceeds Expectations in Bolivia.”

89. Oral statement to the 8th session of the Working

Group on Indigenous Populations, addressing the

evolution of standards concerning the rights of

indigenous populations. Geneva, 23 July—3 August

1990.

Oral statement to the 8th session of the Working

Group on Indigenous Populations, on the promotion

and protection of human rights and fundamental

freedoms of indigenous populations.

. Statement by the Bahá’í International Community to the Baltic Sea Rally on Minorities and Human Rights, Bornholm 27 July 1990.

92. Statement on the importance of involvingrnongovernmental organizations (NGOS) in the process of preparing for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), presented to the first substantive session of the Preparatory Committee for UNCED; Nairobi, Kenya, 6—31 August 1990.

93.0ra1 statement on Protection of Minorities, pre sented to the 42nd session of the UN Sub 87.

90.

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94.

95.

96.

97.

98.

99.

100.

101.

102.

103.

104; 105.

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Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 15 August 1990. Oral statement to the 42nd session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in him; Geneva, August 1990.

Oral statement to the 42nd session of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on measures to combat racism and racial discrimination and the role of the Sub-Commission; Geneva, August 1990.

“The Common Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism and the Bahá’í Faith,” a paper delivered to the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace; Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, 16—25 September 1990. ONE COUNTRY, October—December 1990, V01. 2, issue 4, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Vocational training for rural women in India brings unexpected dividends.” Statement on the Proposed World Conservation Strategy for the 1990’s, delivered to the General Assembly of the World Conservation Union (IUCN); Perth, Australia, 26 November 1990. “Bahá’í Faith,” an essay published in The New Road, Issue No. 16, Oct—Dec 90, published by the World Wide Fund for Nature. This essay was submitted in response to “editorial requests to scholars within all major faiths for their stand on the population issue.”

ONE COUNTRY, January—March 1991, V01. 3, Issue 1, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Bolivian Environmental Research Center Focuses on Problems of the Altiplano.”

“A Bahá’í perspective on drug abuse prevention” an article by A.M. Ghadirian in Bulletin on Narcotics V01. XLHI, No. 1, 1991, published by the United Nations International Drug Control Program. Report on Bahá’í International Community activities in support of International Literacy Year, 1990, presented to the International Task Force on Literacy, 4—8 February, 1991, Bonn, Germany. “The Book Voyage,” a project of the International Task Force on Literacy in support of International Literacy Year 1990, which culminated in ceremonies at the UN in New York on 10—11 December 1990. Report presented to the International Task Force on Literacy, Bonn, Germany; 4—8 February, 1991.

Statement on the International Year of the Family submitted jointly by several NGOs to the 32nd session of the Commission on Social Development; Vienna, 11—20 February 1991.

Written statement on the Rights of persons belong ing to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/ 1991/NGO/9 at the 47th Session of the UN

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106.

107.

108.

109.

110.

111.

112.

113.

114.

115.

116.

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Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, February 1991.

Statement submitted jointly by several nongovernmental organizations to the 47th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; Geneva, February 1991.

Oral statement to the 47th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in him; Geneva, February 1991.

Oral statement to the 47th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights on Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief; Geneva, Switzerland, February 1991. Statement submitted jointly by several NGOs to the 35th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, addressing the priority theme, Peace: Refugee and displaced women and children; Vienna, Austria, March 1991.

Statement submitted by the Advocates for African F ood Security: lessening the burden for women on behalf of several NGOS to the 35th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, on the implementation of the Nairobi Forward—looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women; Vienna, Austria, 27 February to 5 March. Statement submitted jointly by several NGOS to the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) for the UN Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) on the interrelationship between population and environment and development and the essential role of women in these processes; Geneva, 18 March—S April 1991. Comments on the Questionnaire annexed to the Special Rapporteur’s progress report on “Possible ways and means of faci1itating the peaceful and constructive solutions of situations involving minorities”; Geneva, March 1991.

ONE COUNTRY, April—June 1991, Vol. 3 issue 2, Bahá’í International Community newsIetter. Headline: “Earth Summit” in 1992 stimulates NGO activities worldwide.”

“Elements for Inclusion in the Proposed “Earth Charter,” suggestions offered to the 2nd Preparatory Committee of The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); Geneva, 5 April 1991. Statement on the girl child, presented to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEFf Executive

Board, under agenda item Women in development; ‘, .

New York, 22 April 1991.

“Culture and Development: A Survey of the Bahá’í Experience,” a talk given at a seminar on the UN World Decade for Cultural Development, sponsored by the NGO Committee for Sustainable Development and UNESCO at UN Headquarters; New York City, May 29, 1991.

117.

118.

119.

120.

121.

122.

123.

124.

125.

126.

127.

128.

129.

Oral statement presented jointly by the Bahá’í International Community and the NSAS of Brazil and Belgium to the Meeting of Peace Messenger Organizations; U.S.S.R., June 1991.

Proposal for the Improvement of the working methods of the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities with regard to the role of NGOS.

ONE COUNTRY, July—September 1991, V01. 3, Issue 3, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “New Survey of NGOs suggests root causes of African food problems.” Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in him, presented to the 43rd session of the UN Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; August 1991. “International Legislation for Environment and Development,” a statement presented to the International Environmental .Law Conference; The Hague, 12—16 August 1991. Also presented in a s1ightly modified form to Working Group 111 of the 3rd session of the Preparatory Committee for The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); Geneva, August 1991.

Oral intervention at the lst session of the Preparatory Committee for the World conference on Human Rights; Geneva, 11 September 1991.

ONE COUNTRY, October—Deeember 1991, V01. 3, Issue 4, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “On the Road to Rio: women’s voices are raised in Miami.”

“Women and Men: Partnership for a Healthy Planet,” a statement presented to the World Women’s Congress for a Healthy Planet; Miami, Florida, August 8—14, 1991.

Contribution to wording of the Report on Institutional Proposals by the Secretary General of the Conference, Paragraph 89, drafted 13 December 1991; presented to Working Group III of the 4th Preparatory Committee for UNCED; New York, 2 Mareh~3 April 1992.

RepOIt submitted to the UN Regional Symposium on Cooperation between the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for Rural Poverty Alleviation; Bangkok, Thailand, 16 December 1991.

ONE COUNTRY, October—December 1991, V01. 4, Issue 1, newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “Before it begins the Earth Summit chalks up successes.”

Statement on the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, submitted to the 48th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, February 1992.

Oral statement on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,

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131.

132.

133.

134.

The Bahá’í International Community was represented at the fourth Regional South Pacific

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

presented to the 48th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, February 1992. Oral statement on Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, presented under agenda item 22 to the 48th session of the Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, February 1992.

Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Bahá’ís in 1rén, presented to the 48th session of the Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 19 February 1992.

Written statement presented jointly by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and circulated as UN document E/CN.6/1992/ 1. at the 36th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women on priority themes: Equality (Elimination of dejure and defacto discrimination against women) and Development (Integration of women in the process of development); Vienna, Austria, 20 February 1992.

Statement on partnership between women and men for sustainable development, submitted to the 36th session of the Commission on the Status of Women; Vienna, Austria, March 1992.

Oral statement about the effects of gender discrimination on girl children presented under the priority theme equality to the 36th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women; Vienna, Austria, 17 March 1992.

135.

136.

137.

138.

139.

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Oral statement urging the inclusion of the principle of the oneness of humanity in the preamble to the Earth Charter, presented to Working Group III of PrepCom 4 for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); New York, 4 March 1992. Also circulated as a longer written statement.

ONE COWTRY, V01. 4 issue 2, April—June 1992, Bahá’í International Community. Headline: “The Legacy of Rio: A New Global Vision.”

Statement on the human rights of women presented by the Bahá’í International Community on behalf of several non-governmental organizations to the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights; Geneva, 6 April 1992.

Statement encouraging involvement of nongovernmental organizations (NGOS) in regional meetings, submitted jointly by several NGOs to the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights; Geneva, March 30—April 10, 1992.

Descn'ption of the Bahá’í International Community submitted for a Round Table on “Understanding the role of international non-governmental organizations: challenges and opportunities for the United Nations and Non—Govemmental Organizations,” hosted by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); New York, 9 April 1992.

M

Committee Conference ofPacific Women, held in Suva, F iji, from 1 7—23 September 1988. On the left: Mrs. Mary Sawickz' Power; on the right: Mrs. T inaz’ Hancock.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

ANNEX III

Relationship of the Bahá’í International Community With the

South Pacific Commission (Conferences Attended)

1. The 5th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) of the South Pacific Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia; 26—30 May 1986. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

2. The 26th Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Papeete, French Polynesia; 3-5 November 1986. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

3. The 7th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) of the South Pacific Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands; 18—22 May 1987. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Mr. Timoci Serevi.

4. The 27th Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia; 10—14 October 1987. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

5. The 4th Regional South Pacific Commission Conference of Pacific Women; Suva, Fiji; 17-23 September 1988. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Ms. Mary Sawicki Power.

6. The 28th Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; 10-12 October 1988. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Ms. Mary Sawicki Power.

7. The 10th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) Of the South Pacific Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia; 22-26 May 1989. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

8. South Pacific Commission Interagency Meeting; Suva, Fiji; 31 July—4 August 1989. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

9. The 29th Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Agana, Guam; 9-11 October 1989. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

10. The 30th Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia; 29-31 October 1990. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

11. South Pacific Commission Interagency Meeting; Suva, Fiji; 18-20 February 1991. Rep: Mrs. Audrey Hancock—Aumua.

12. The 12th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) of the South Pacific Commission (SPC); Noumea, New Ca1edonia;27—31 May 1991. Rep: Mrs. Audrey Hancock-Aumua.

13. The 313t Conference of the South Pacific Commission; Tonga; 28-30 October 1991. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.

Statements Presented to the South Pacific Commission and at Conferences in the Region

1. Statement to the Fifth Session of the South Pacific Commission. Committee of Representatives of Govemments and Administrations (CRGA); Noumea, New Caledonia, 26—30 May 1986.

2. Statement to the 26th South Pacific Conference; Papeete, French Polynesia, 3~5 November 1986.

3. Statement on health, education and the role of women presented to the 9th Meeting of the South Pacific Commission’s Committee of Representatives, Governments and Administrations (CARGA); Noumea, New Caledonia, 23—27 May 1988.

4. Statement submitted to the 28th Seith Pacific Conference (SPC); Rarotonga, 10—12 October 1988.

Cook Islands,a* V I

5. Statement to the 10th Meeting of the South Pacific Commission’s Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA); Noumea, New Caledonia, 22-26 May 1989.

6. Statement on Bahá’í International Community Training Activities for Women in the Pacific, presented to the South Pacific Commission Interagency Meeting; Suva, Fiji, 31 July—4 August 1989.

7. Statement to the 29th South Pacific Commission [SPC] Conference; Agana, Guam; 9—11 October 1989.

8. Statement on Health and Nutrition presented to

the Committee of Representatives of Governments

and Administrations (CRGA) of the South Pacific

Commission (SPC); Noumea, New Caledonia,

27-31 May 1991.

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3. THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION

THE Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information was one year old when the Six Year Plan opened at Riḍván 1986. Established for the purpose of promoting a favorable and accurate image of the Bahá’í Faith internationally, the Office disseminated information, produced resource materials, corrected inaccuracies and misperceptions, developed collaborative relationships with like minded groups, and provided assistance and advice to National Spiritual Assemblies and their information agencies.

Development of Branch Offices

The Office was created with its headquarters at the World Centre and a branch office in New York City. Late in 1988, a third office was established in Paris to give greater attention to supporting the work of the Bahá’í’s United Nations Office in Geneva, and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by collaboration with European National Assemblies and francophone National Assemblies elsewhere. The following year, March 1989, a fourth office was opened in Hong Kong. lts mandate was directed principally to assisting the public information work of National Assemblies in countries with large Chinese-speaking populations.

During this period, a Public Information Officer was also appointed to coordinate activities in London. In due course, the Public Information Officers in Paris, Hong Kong, and London were each asked by their respective National Assemblies to serve also in a similar national capacity, thus ensuring maximum collaboration between the Faith’s national and international interests. The three National Assemblies also made office and other facilities available.

Development of Supplemental Resource Materials

The task of creating resource materials to supplement those produced by National Assemblies was undertaken principally by the Haifa Office. Economies offered by the opportunity to design and produce materials centrally were especially attractive in the area of pamphlet literature. In 1987, a program entitled the Perspective Series was undertaken to make available to National Assemblies high quality literature on major subjects of public concern. Multi-language editions meant that such brochures could be sold at prices below what could be achieved if such items were produced by individual National Assemblies.

An agreement was made with the United Kingdom Publishing Trust to handle production, marketing, and distribution, with the Office of Public Information taking responsibility for the production of the copy, artwork, and design. The collaboration resulted in three separate titles being produced: The Bahá’í Faith, Social and Economic Development, and Education: A Bahd ’z' Perspective. By the end of the Plan, the series had appeared in twenty-one different language editions, and had sold nearly 800,000 copies.

The Office also promoted the production of audio-visual presentations. In 1988, it sponsored the production by a private firm of a documentary film on the Bahá’í Temple in India, The Heart of the Lotus. A few

months later it produced a retrospective on

the'development of the Cause between 1983 and 1988, T he'Fourth Epoch Opens. In collaboration with the World Centre’s AudioVisual Department, it supplied materials and advice, and provided liaison assistance for a number of other productions. Just before the

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conclusion of the Plan, the Office began working with two private Bahá’í-owned firms on the production of a film documentary on the Mission of Baha’u’llah.

Another major concern of the Office was the production of statements on subjects such as capital punishment and the role of women in the Bahá’í community for the assistance of national public information offices.

In December 1990, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, the Office of Public Information wrote and produced an introduction to Bahá’u’lláh’s life and mission. This statement, entitled simply Baird ’u ’lláh, was translated into a large number of languages.

Media Activities During the Six Year Plan fourteen major

press releases were issued to the international media by the New York office, which established the position of Information Officer in April 1987. This office also prepared a number of other press releases for use by national Bahá’í information offices around the world. Membership in the New York Foreign Press Association and the Religious Public Relations Council also strengthened relations with international news media.

Paris was also extremely active in this area, developing contacts with both print and television media that led to coverage of the Faith in such programs as the prime—time Le Sphinx. The Hong Kong office energetically pursued the development of relations with the media on the Chinese mainland. Programs covering educational and cultural exchanges were extremely well—received and proved very useful in highlighting the international image of the Faith. -*

Throughout the Six Year Plan, largelyv

because of the energetic efforts of National Assemblies around the world, as well as the branch offices of the Office of Public Information, a growing number of media representatives began Visiting the World

THE BAHA’t WORLD

Centre. Among the contacts that led to articles or programs were Visits by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s World Service, France’s TF1 and FR3, Germany’s ZDF, Bulgarian Television, World Television News, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and a number of newspapers and television stations in the United States.

The New York office undertook a campaign to secure maximum coverage of the award—winning New Delhi House of Worship prior to and during its dedication in December 1986. Information kits were prepared and distributed to architectural magazines throughout the world, resulting in several hundred articles, many of them with full color reproductions and design drawings, a number of them featuring the Temple on the magazine’s cover.

For the 1988 International Convention in Haifa, a video cassette of brief news clips of the event was produced, duplicated in all three of the major international formats (PAL, NTSC, SECAM), and supplied to each national delegation at the end of the Convention for broadcasting immediately upon the delegation’s return home. The appearance of the clip on South Africa’s national television within 48 hours of the end of the convention was particularly gratifying.

In London, the efforts of the representative of the Office of Public Information were rewarded by an invitation for her to join the Foreign Press Association, giving her unusual access to publicity opportunities. In New York, the Public Information Officer secured membership in the Foreign Press Association as a journalist, and also won the distinction of being appointed Press Officer of the US. Public Relations Council.

Building Relationships

A good deal of energy was devoted throughout the Six Year Plan to the development of contacts with leaders of thought and collaborative relationships with like-minded organizations. Formal association was

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inaugurated with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conference for Religion and Peace, and practical assistance was given to the Bahá’í International Cornmunity’s United Nations Office and to a number of National Spiritual Assemblies in the promotion of cooperative activities with various other agencies.

Paris proved to be a particularly important centre for this area of the Office’s work, with some thirty private receptions being held for prominent personalities, over fifty official meetings, and participation in some eighty international events. The Paris office also took the lead in coordinating the participation of the National Spiritual Assemblies of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany in the World Centre for Peace and Human Rights at Verdun, which included a Bahá’í exhibition.

In Haifa, the growing recognition of the Faith around the world produced a steady increase in the number of distinguished Visitors to the World Centre: diplomats, academics, parliamentarians, and officers of various international organizations. An estimated 450 receptions for distinguished Visitors were organized during the course of the Plan. (See also section 111.1)

Significant events included the co-sponsoring in October 1988 of “The Arts for Nature” program in support of conservation, an initiative launched at Sion House in London, with Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum and His Royal Highness Prince Philip as guest speakers. The following year the World Forestry Charter Gatherings, an institution established by Richard St. Barbe Baker in 1945, was revived in London, in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program. (See also subsection 4, starting on p. 541) .1

In 1991, Bahá’ís were invited to attend the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) held in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia, from 18 to 23 September. Han-ju Kim-Farley, the only woman speaker during the Conference, presented the principle statement of the

539

Bahá’ís, which was entitled “The Common Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism and the Bahá’í Faith.” The statement had been translated into Mongolian, and approximately two hundred Mongolian and two hundred English copies were distributed. (See also p. 209)

One Country From its inception, a goal of the Office of Public Information was the publication of a newsletter addressed to influential non-Bahá’í circles. By the beginning of 1989 preparations were complete, and the first issue of the English language edition of One Country was published that February. In all, sixteen issues were produced during the remaining years of the Six Year Plan; the last issue during the Plan was mailed to nearly 12,000 prominent individuals, nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, academic institutions and media in over 180 countries and territories. The New York Office received a total of six hundred responses from recipients, almost all of which were very positive.

The French language edition was launched in October of 1989 by the Paris Office. Ten issues had appeared by the conclusion of the Plan, the final going out to nearly 2,000 people in over 50 countries. As with the English language edition, there were seventy-four letters of appreciation, the maj ority of them requesting additional information about the Faith and its activities. A Chinese language edition followed in June of 1990, eight issues appearing during the Plan. The mailing list included nearly 2,000 addressees in over 30 countries, and the Hong Kong Office reported a similarly appreciative response from the recipients.

- During the Plan, the English edition received two significant awards for quality: an “Award of Merit” for excellence from the U.S.—based Religious Public Relations Council (April 1991); and the “Grand Award” in the APEX 1991 awards for publications’ excellence. The French edition had

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540

the distinction of special mention in Le Mamie Diplomatique’s July issue, among international reviews that were recommended to the readership. Stories from both the English and French editions have been reprinted in a number of other pubhcations.

As the Plan ended, the first issue of the new Russian—language edition, launched through the intermediary of the Paris Office, had just come off the press in Moscow.

Consultation With National Spiritual Assemblies

One of the most important tasks of the Office of Public Information was its ongoing service as a consultant and source of information to National Spiritual Assemblies and their public information agencies. By the end of the Plan the Haifa Office’s correspondence alone had reached nearly one thousand items a year, and the branch Offices contributed significantly in providing information and advice by mail. The director of the Office travelled extensively for the same purpose, and a number of significant projects resulted from these consultations With National Spiritual Assemblies. A public information manual was prepared by the Haifa Office and distributed to the International Network. The New York Office developed a media training workshop for national public information officers, and assisted in organizing training sessions in Switzerland (1988), India (1990) and South Africa (1991).

Late in 1991 the Universal House of Justice created the International Advisory Group with the Office of Public Information as its executive agency. The Group’s mandate was to help coordinate Bahá’í advice and assistance to governments and non-governmental organizations, particularly those

functioning in countries of the former Soviet

Union and the neighboring republics.

Preparation for the Holy Year

The Office of Public Information became extensively involved in various aspects of

THE Bahá’í WORLD

plans for the Holy Year. At the World Centre, a campaign was organized to include international media at the Commemoration of the Centenary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah. The Haifa Office also was involved in the planning and preparation of the program for the World Congress. After assisting in the development of the central theme, the Office prepared a “treatment” for each of the four days of the main event at J aVits Center, for the consideration of the World Congress Program Committee. Once the program had been finalized, the Office undertook to produce one of the four major audio-Visual segments and to serve as consultant for the production of the other three.

Starting in April 1991, the New York Office was appointed as the executive arm of the Congress’ Media Task Force, devoting approximately ninety percent of its time and resources to Congress publicity. Conferences were organized for media professionals, an international media campaign was developed, a promotional Video produced, and regional meetings organized in several parts of the world.

More than one hundred and seventy Bahá’ís from twenty-two countries, most of them employed in journalism, broadcasting, film—making, advertising, and public relations attended two-day conferences held in Los Angeles and New York during the spring of 1991. The purpose of the conferences was to develop ideas for reaching the media With the story of the Second Bahá’í World Congress.

After many months of consultation, the Task Force produced a Global Media Campaign which was approved by the Universal House of Justice and disseminated to the Bahá’ís worldwide.

One result was the development and expansion of the International Public Information Network, originally set up by the Haifa Office and devoted totally to the publicity needs of the Congress beginning in November 1991. Regional meetings to bring together National Public Information

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Officers, Task Force representatives,

National Assembly representatives and Continenta1 Counsellors were held in Brazil,

541

Canada, Fiji, Germany, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Turkmenistan, and Zimbabwe.

Amatu ’Z—Bahd Rúḥíyyih Khánum presenting the Bahá’í' Statement on Nature to HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on the occasion of the Bahd ’z' Faithjoining the Network on Conservation and Religion of the World Wide Fund for Nature. 3 October 1987.

4. THE BAHA’t OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Relations With United Nations Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations The Bahá’í International Community has been associated with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) since 1974. Ties with UNEP were strengthened during the Six Year Plan through Visits by Bahá’í representatives to senior UNEP officials, and through Bahá’í attendance at three sessions of the UNEP Governing Council. The Bahá’í International Community also established relations in the early 19803 with the Environment Liaison Centre International.

Connections with other environmental NGOs reached a new stage when the Bahá’í International Community became a Working Partner of the Centre For Our Common Future and a member of the Network on Conservation and Re1igion of the World Wide Fund for Nature. A ceremony marking the Bahá’í Community’s formal affiliation with the Network took place in Winchester, England, on 3 October 1987, after which a front page story on the event was printed in the World Wide Fund for Nature publication, The New Road.

Bahá’í International Community representatives met several times with top officials from the World Wide Fund for Nature to discuss potential areas of collaboration, and the Bahá’í International Community provided articles for The New Road on Bahá’í perspectives and conservation projects. National Spiritual Assemblies were also encouraged to explore cooperation with the World Wide Fund in their respective countries.

In October 1988, the Bahá’í International Community and the World Wide Fund co—sponsored a fund-raising banquet and reception in London to launch “Arts for Nature”. The program was conceived by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as a means of drawing on visual and performing arts to enlist public support

'for. critical environmental needs around the

werld. The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l—B aha Rúḥíyyih Khánum, representing the Bahá’í International Community, addressed the two hundred guests, among whom were influential figures in British public life and leading European artists.

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On 11 September 1989, the Bahá’í International Community hosted a one-day symposium entitled “Africa—Environment and Development: NGO Perspectives for the 19903.” Held at the Bahá’í International Community Office in New York in collaboration with the United Nations Nongovernmenta1 Liaison Service and the Club of Rome, the event was planned to present an African perspective on environment and development issues to representatives of Western donor countries, donor agencies, and NGOs.

The Bahá’í International Community also collaborated With a number of environmental organizations to reinstitute the annual World Forestry Charter Gatherings. These Gatherings had been founded in 1945 by Richard St. Barbe Baker, a well—known Bahá’í who had founded Men of the Trees. For more than two decades he had sponsored an annual luncheon at which representatives of national governments and other influential persons were apprised of the current situation of the world’s forests. The tradition was revived on 15 December 1989 in London, with a gathering attended by ambassadors or their representatives from fifteen countries. The event was co—sponsored by the UNEP, the United Nations Development Program, Men of the Trees, the World Wide Fund for Nature, Living Earth, and SOS Sahel.

Creation of the Bahá’í Office of the Environment

To support this ever-increasing Bahá’í work on behalf of the environment, and immediately following the October 1989 release by the Universal House of Justice of a new compilation entitled “Conservation of the Earth’s Resources” preparegl by the

Research Department of the Bahá’í WO'rld‘

Centre, the Bahá’í Office of the Envirorrment was created with its headquarters in New York City. It was to represent the environmental interests of the Bahá’í International Community externafly and to

THE Bahá’í WORLD

encourage sustainab1e deve10pment activities within the Bahá’í community, taking over responsibility for environment—related activities from the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations Office and

Office of Public Information.

Participation in the Earth Summit Process Three months after the creation of the Office

of the Environment, the United Nations General Assembly mandated the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, better known as the Earth Summit, to be held in early June 1992 in Rio de J aneiro, Brazil. The hope for this conference was that heads of state would be able to set aside their differences for the sake of future generations and establish a new international framework for sustainable development.

The process of planning and preparing for the Earth Summit, which took place on all continents, provided excellent opportunities for Bahá’í International Community involvement both within and outside of the United Nations system. Representatives of the Community—many of whom were V01unteer consultants in the field—mattended forty-three conferences and gatherings, scores of receptions, and over fifty meetings of other non-governmental organizations. In addition, the Office of the Environment was a member of five Earth Summit—related NGO working groups/networks, and signed two joint NGO statements.

Bahá’í principles relating to the environment and development were shared with many United Nations officials, members of government, NGO representatives, academics, and individuals. Five different displays were created by the Office of the Environment for use at conferences, and five

oral and eight written statements were pre sented on_ various aspects of the environment and development, each of which focussed on an essential Bahá’í principle such as the oneness of humanity and the equality of men and women.

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The response to the Bahá’í perspective was very positive, with Bahá’í principles being discussed extensively as part of the Earth Summit process. Many United Nations’ governmental, and NGO documents carried direct quotations or paraphrases of Bahá’í principles as they appeared in Bahá’í International Community statements.

Participation of N ational Spiritual Assemblies in the Earth Summit Process The Office of the Environment worked with National Spiritual Assemblies in their respective national preparatory processes for the Earth Summit, providing them with information and advice on environmental and developmental issues. Four National Spiritual Assemblies—Brazil, Iceland, Singapore, and the United States—became officially accredited to the Earth Summit. In addition, the Office of the Environment worked very closely with the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil to plan activities to take place during the Global Forum—the NGO conference held concurrent with the Earth Summit. Among these activities were eleven different cultural events and the presentation, as a permanent gift to the people of Rio de J aneiro, of a Peace Monument inscribed with the following words: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. —Baird ’11 715211”.

Supporting National Bahá’í Conservation Activities

Twenty~five circular letters were sent during the first two and a half years of the existence of the Office of the Environment encouraging national communities to consider initiating conservation projects and activities, and providing them with copies of the eight Bahá’í International Community statements on the environment. As a result, scores of Bahá’í communities took part in commemorating Earth Day International, at

543

least fourteen National Spiritual Assemblies established National Desks or Offices of the Environment, and many local communities established such Desks or Offices.

The Office supported these national and local activities with information and materials, some developed in collaboration with the Bahá’í Office of Social and Economic Development. Thousands of letters and phone calls requesting information and advice not only from Bahá’í institutions but from NGOs, government officials, universities, and institutions were answered. In addition, the Office hosted more than three hundred and fifty visitors from various organizations.

Correspondence, reports, and interaction with Bahá’ís indicate that many communities have undertaken small-scale environmental service projects, and that Bahá’í communities are studying the environmental and developmental issues and the principles of the Faith that most directly relate to them.

Publications

Written materials offering the Bahá’í perspective on the environment and development were both created and encouraged by the Office of the Environment during the last half of the Six Year Plan. Three Bahá’í statements on the requirements for sustainable development were published as brochures and translated into French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The Bahá’í International Community newsletter, One Country, carried conservation-related articles in each edition, and an article which appeared in the Journal of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, entitled “Spiritual Foundations of an Ecologically Sustainable Society,” was reprinted jointly by the Association for Bahá’í Studies and the Office of the Environment and translated into Portuguese for distribution at the Earth Summit in Brazil.