Yearbook of United Nations 2006 Released

 

‘Delivering as One’ Theme of Sixtieth Yearbook

The United Nations issued today the sixtieth volume of the Yearbook of the United Nations, covering the activities of the Organization in 2006.  During that year, outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that “the only answer to this divided world must be a truly United Nations” and his newly appointed successor, Ban Ki-moon, urged the world “to work together for a United Nations that can deliver more and better”.  These thoughts are reflected in the subtitle of this Yearbook, “Delivering as One:  A Unified Response to Global Challenges”.

Published by the Department of Public Information, the 1,795-page volume is a comprehensive and authoritative reference work in which policymakers, diplomats, researchers, academics, journalists and other readers will find coverage of the main global political, economic, social and legal developments during the year.

The Yearbook is fully indexed and reproduces in their entirety the texts of, and votes on, all major General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions.  Its 33 chapters deal with political and security questions; human rights; economic and social questions; legal questions; and institutional, administrative and budgetary questions.

The volume, says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the Foreword, “depicts an Organization committed to keeping pace with changing times and an evolving global environment.  It highlights not only the progress achieved, but also the obstacles that arose.”

Despite higher world commodity prices, robust economic growth and new debt relief measures, developing countries made uneven progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  No progress was made in breaking the deadlock in the Doha Round on multilateral trade talks, and assistance to developing countries stagnated.  In response, the United Nations funds, programmes and agencies intensified efforts to address the development needs of Member States.

The year saw the establishment of the Human Rights Council as the primary mechanism for promoting and protecting human rights and for reforming the framework for doing so.  Two landmark conventions were adopted in 2006, advancing the rights of persons with disabilities and strengthening protection from enforced disappearance.  To support peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict, the Organization inaugurated the Peacebuilding Commission, assisted by the newly established Peacebuilding Fund.  Working closely with the Commission were 27 United Nations political and peacekeeping missions and offices, served by a record 99,355 uniformed and civilian personnel.

The Yearbook of the United Nations 2006 is available for $175 (Sales No. E.08.I.1 H; ISBN: 978-92-1-101170-8; ISSN: 0082-8521) from United Nations Publications, Two United Nations Plaza, Room DC 2-853, Dept. PRES, New York, NY 10017, United States.  For further information, tel.:  1 800 253 9646 or 1 212 963 8302, fax:  1 212 963 3489, e-mail:  publications@un.org; website:  https://unp.un.org.

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For information media • not an official record