Statements and speeches
Statement
Creating New Opportunities and Rectifying Inequalities
20 October 2010
<p>UNFPA Excutive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid launched the State of World Population report in London stating that "it is time to tear down the false barriers between crisis, recovery and development. Investing in development softens the impact of crisis and natural disaster, and whatever is invested during humanitarian response can become a solid foundation for development and rebuilding a society."</p>
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Promoting Policy Attention to Older Persons and Population Ageing
07 October 2010
<p>Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director, spoke at a luncheon on the International Day of Older Persons in New York emphasizing that "while we must acknowledge the contributions that older persons make, we must also recognize their vulnerability. Older persons are among the most vulnerable members of society, and their rights and needs have to be addressed."</p>
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Promoting Human Rights Across Cultures
04 October 2010
<p>UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid gave a keynote presentation at a seminar on traditional values and international human rights.</p> <p>Ms. Obaid highlighted that "positive values exist in all countries and in all cultures, and there is a clear need to support communities as they work together to examine, contest, and negotiate around their own values and practices as they relate to human rights."</p> <p>The seminar was organized in in Geneva, Switzerland, by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RIghts.</p>
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Accepting MDG Lifetime Achievement Award
19 September 2010
<p>UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid received an MDG Lifetime Achievement Award for for her "exceptional achievements and lifelong contributions to the betterment of humanity." Ms. Obaid received the award in a ceremony held on the eve of the MDG Summit in New York.</p>
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Opening Statement at the World Youth Conference 2010
25 August 2010
<p>My first message is that NOW is the time to invest in young people. Now is the time, not sometime in the future. My second message is that NOW is the time to promote dialogue and understanding across cultures and generations, to advance human rights for all people, both young and old.</p>
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Young People Urged to Speak Out, Loudly and Boldly
23 August 2010
<p>Ms. Purnima Mane, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director (Programme), opened the World Youth Conference Social Forum in León, Mexico. In her speech, Ms. Mane encourage young people to make their voices heard in the conference: "Now it is your time to speak, so say it aloud and boldly! The world is listening."</p>
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Paying Tribute to Humanitarian Aid Workers
19 August 2010
<p>Today, on World Humanitarian Day, UNFPA pays tribute to humanitarian aid workers who risk their lives to save the lives of others. In the past 10 years, aid workers have come under increasing fire as they strive to provide assistance and support to individuals and communities affected by crisis.</p>
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International Youth Day - Embracing Youth Leadership
12 August 2010
<p>Statement of UNFPA Executive Director on the International Youth Day: "Today, on the International Day Youth Day, and every day, young people are searching for opportunities to pursue and fulfill their dreams. The world’s more than 1.8 billion people aged 10 to 24 yearn for a world where they have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to develop to their fullest potential."</p>
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Launching International Year of Youth
12 August 2010
<p>UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid presented a joint statement by 27 UN agencies at the launch of Internation Year of Youth in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York.</p> <p>Ms. Obaid stated that "we must increase our commitment to invest in youth and their development because doing so will unleash greater economic growth and promote social well-being for generations to come."</p>
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Reproductive Health and Rights: Perspectives for Further Development in Africa
27 July 2010
<p>"Although reproduction is surrounded by myths and taboos and often shrouded in silence and great privacy, it affects every single human being with a clear impact on the future prospects of individuals, communities and nations," said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Ms. Obaid gave a lecture at the university on the closing day of the 15th African Union Summit.</p>
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Towards Combination Prevention
22 July 2010
Good evening. It is an honour to make the first presentation of this important satellite session and I am delighted to see so many of you here. For me this great turnout shows that there is momentum…
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Youth in the Arab States: Changing the World for the Better
19 July 2010
<p>Ms. Purnima Mane, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director (Programme), gave opening remarks at the “Youth in the Arab States: Changing the World for the Better” Exhibition, in the XVIII International AIDS Conference"As we look towards the future, the stories told here show the enormous potential of the young people to initiate and lead the change that will contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals," Ms. Mane stated.</p>
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