Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Subscribe for only $6/Year
  • Login
  • Register

Editor in Chief: Giampaolo Pioli

VNY La Voce di New York

The First Italian English Digital Daily in the US

English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro

  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY
  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY La Voce di New York
No Result
View All Result
in
U.N.
June 24, 2016
in
U.N.
June 24, 2016
0

Irina Bokova, Front-Runner for UN Top Job

Is Irina Bokova, candidate for the next United Nations Secretary-General, a woman the world can trust?

Lorraine FarquharsonbyLorraine Farquharson
Bokova-SG

UNESCO Chief Irina Bokova answers questions after her speech at the International Peace Institute's (IPI) Global Leaders Series. (Ph: VNY)

Time: 3 mins read

This year the new Secretary-General for the United Nations will be elected, succeeding Ban Ki-moon whose term ends on the last day of 2016. Irina Bokova is one of the nine contenders – four of which are females – vying for the position. Of the nine, seven candidates are from Eastern Europe, yet Bulgarian-born Bokova holds some very strong tendons over all of them. Her radical communism and family ties, however, may override her humanism and active membership to many expert international networks.

Woman-of-power Bokova, who is the current chief of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), gave a very formidable presentation at the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) Global Leaders Series earlier this week to a packed audience – 70% filled with females. “The UN is for everybody. It is not about geographical rotation even though that fact plays a huge role in the decision process,” Bokova said. “We need more women. It’s a good method of policy. I was the first woman voted into leading UNESCO,” she added.

And as far as she sees it, her goals for advancing overall quality education, gender equality, cultural dialogue, scientific cooperation for sustainable development, and being a global advocate for safety of journalists and freedom of expression have played out well so far. She shared her hopes that the changes she made at UNESCO upon her arrival in 2009 will reflect positively on her being voted in as UN SG in September.

“By putting emphasis on girls’ education there has been an increase in women participation – from 24% to now 47%, and the aim is for a full 50-50,” she said. “But formal education is not all there is. Learning and knowledge media are all out there nowadays [via the internet]. Knowledge can break apart all these challenges of today. It is all about human rights and dignity.” Bokova expressed her aim for allotting children the knowledge they need now in order to handle the future. “I just started tweeting two years ago when children can already do that. They are tired of hearing that they are in the future. I have heard them say, ‘We want to be in the now.’”

In highlighting her experiences and the part they played in informing her vision of the future of global politics and the UN, Bokova focused specifically on the issue of peacekeepers and their acts of sexual violence toward women. “Such actions lower the credibility of the UN,” she said, adding that in times of war, women and children are the most vulnerable and most abused.

“But on the other side, we need women to be a part of the peacekeeping and negotiation process. Only 5% pf the peacekeeping force are women and only 10% of UNESCO’s police forces are women. There will be much more success if more women are allowed to participate in the peace process as they will be more trusted by the victims. Sustaining peace across the borders means being accountable for any type of relapse.” Also stating her belief in multilateralism and the strengthening of preventive roles of the UN, she emphasized that sustaining peace is one of the biggest challenges.

But Bulgarian critics have conveyed total disquietude surrounding Bokova’s campaigning. As news has it, she doesn’t just have openly touted communistic ideologies, but critics also say that they shudder at the idea that her win would slowly intertwine her “former” communist “security” agents onto the walls of the UN’s inner organs, lining the walls of its stomach, vetoing every single resolution and putting up their own ‘red tape.’  That would create far greater controversy inside the UN organization, to the Western World and to small vulnerable countries, rather than make it more efficient as Bokova claims.

But is this enough to cost Bokova the seat? As the world sees it, communist roots run way deep. Some say it’s not all bad, for communist ideology advocates for equality—no one is hungry, everyone is educated and has a place to live. Plus, it teaches discipline and removes selfishness from society. Utopia, right? Let’s keep on the look-out for September’s announcement.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Lorraine Farquharson

Lorraine Farquharson

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Civilisations Enter the Abyss of Disruption and Displacement

Civilisations Enter the Abyss of Disruption and Displacement

byLorraine Farquharson
Bokova-SG

Irina Bokova, Front-Runner for UN Top Job

byLorraine Farquharson

A PROPOSITO DI...

Tags: Irina BokovaUN Secretary GeneralUNESCOUnited Nations
Previous Post

Trump, Brexit e lo scacco “da sinistra” a Obama e Clinton

Next Post

A VC in an RV

Discussion about this post

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

WHO estimates that at least 51 hospitals have been damaged or partially destroyed over the past six months due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen. (WHO Yemen)

Get That Saudi Story Straight at the UN: The Yemen Crisis’ Most Placid Peacemaker or Biggest Belligerent?

byLorraine Farquharson
UN Photo/John Isaac

70th Year of the UN: Ban Ki-moon Points Toward Reaching a More “Blue” Future

byLorraine Farquharson

Latest News

Usa 2024, DeSantis: vincerò se avrò la nomination repubblicana

DeSantis in Iowa per provare a ottenere i voti dei MAGA

byLa Voce di New York
La Camera approva l’aumento del tetto al debito americano

La Camera approva l’aumento del tetto al debito americano

byMassimo Jaus

New York

Pump the Brakes, New Yorkers

Pump the Brakes, New Yorkers

byLa Voce di New York
A New York strade intasate per assistere alla meraviglia del “Manhattanhenge”

A New York strade intasate per assistere alla meraviglia del “Manhattanhenge”

byLa Voce di New York

Italiany

Made in Italy come sinonimo di qualità: all’ITA si confrontano gli imprenditori

Made in Italy come sinonimo di qualità: all’ITA si confrontano gli imprenditori

byLa Voce di New York
Intervista a Luisa Todini: “Con il Made in Italy possiamo conquistare gli Stati Uniti”

Intervista a Luisa Todini: “Con il Made in Italy possiamo conquistare gli Stati Uniti”

byNicola Corradi
Next Post
Gianluca Dettori barcamper

A VC in an RV

La Voce di New York

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli   |   English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro   |   Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli
—
English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro
—
Founded by Stefano Vaccara

  • New York
    • Eventi
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Voto Estero
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • People
    • Nuovo Mondo
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
    • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • Mediterraneo
  • English
  • Search/Archive
  • About us
    • Editorial Staff
    • President
    • Administration
    • Advertising

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023 — La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017
Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023
La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017

Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • New York
  • Onu
  • News
    • Elezioni 2022
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • Arts
    • Speciale Venezia
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
    • Cucina Italiana
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • English
    • Arts
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Wine
    • Letters
    • Lifestyles
    • Mediterranean
    • New York
    • News
  • Subscribe for only $6/Year

© 2016/2022 VNY Media La Voce di New York

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In
By clicking on "Create my account" or by registering, you accept the Term of Service and the Privacy Policy.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?