Programme of Work 2002 > Strategic Focuses

The United Nations Association in Canada has four principal strategic focuses for 2002, around which its activities, project, programmes and communications will revolve. They are: engaging youth, promoting sustainable development, strengthening the organization and increasing public profile. The objectives of each focus, and the plans for realizing them, are outlined below.

Focus 1: Engaging Youth

Objectives:

1. To increase the engagement of youth in UN issues
2. To empower youth to become active in areas of international concern
3. To promote the inclusion of youth in policy development and governmental/non-governmental consultations
4. To increase the ability of educators to teach about global and UN issues
5. To support youth-driven processes and initiatives on international issues
6. To enable youth to work for UN programmes and agencies
7. To appoint a youth member-at-large to the National Board of Directors

These objectives will be realized through:

• The Youth Agenda 2002 project
• The Youth Forums Against Racism project
• The Model United Nations project
• The “What Kind of World…?” project
• The “Refugees: A Canadian Perspective” Project
• The Youth International Internship Project
• The Youth International Alumni Association Project
• The HIV / AIDS Project ÿ Ensuring youth participation in all planned workshops, roundtables and consultations
• Building strong partnerships with youth-led and youth-focused organizations
• Making youth a key focus in new project development
• Increasing youth membership in UNA-Canada
• Producing a youth newsletter

Focus 2: Promoting Sustainable Development

Objectives:

1. To integrate sustainable development issues into all projects, programmes and activities
2. To mainstream sustainable development issues within the Association
3. To work towards establishing a high-level Canadian Committee for UNEP
4. To promote and educate about the three-pillar approach to sustainable development (encompassing environmental, economic and social issues)
5. To strengthen the organization’s focus on anti-poverty and development issues

These objectives will be realized through:

• The Youth Agenda for 2002 project
• Establishing sustainable office policies and systems
• Using the Association’s website to highlight sustainable development issues
• Promoting the World Summit on Sustainable Development
• Promoting the International Years for Eco-Tourism and the Mountain
• Issuing public statements and press releases in conjunction with the WSSD
• Developing a sustainable development logo that can be applied to letterhead, envelopes, etc.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with Environment Canada and the Earth Summit 2002 Canadian Secretariat
• Establishing a Canadian Committee for UNEP
• Ensuring that on-going project and programmes have a sustainable development focus
• Ensuring that new project development has a sustainable development focus

Focus 3: Strengthening the Organization

Objective:

To strengthen the organization at the branch, National Office and board levels in order to adequately fulfill our mandate.

This objective will be realized through:

• Improving communications
  • between branches
  • between the National Office and branches
  • between the National Office and the board
  • within the National Office
  • within the board
  • between the organization and the public
• Ensuring quality projects and programmes ÿ Nurturing existing partnerships and cultivating new ones
• Supporting and nurturing volunteerism
• Recognizing volunteers ÿ Establishing a high-level Advisory Panel on UN issues
• Building a stronger membership base
• Increasing employee satisfaction and building a strong staff team
• Securing a stable funding base and erasing the organizational deficit
• Developing strong organizational management and leadership

Focus 4: Increasing Public Profile

Objectives:

1. To become a well-respected source of public information and opinion on current global events
2. To become known for quality programmes and projects

These objectives will be realized through:

• Issuing well-researched and thoughtful press releases, public statements and opinion pieces on current global events
• Becoming more knowledgeable and informed about UN issues
• Redeveloping the Association’s website so that it is more attractive, easier to use and more informative
• Establishing more policy positions
• Ensuring consistent messaging by all parts of the organization
• Broadening our connections with other NGOs ÿ Becoming a leader in coordinating among UN agencies in Canada
• Participating in public events and conferences, when appropriate.
• Increasing efforts to engage the media in our work., when appropriate.
• Becoming a truly national organization.