Join us for an evening with
AMBASSADOR ANNE ANDERSON
Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations
AMBASSADOR LUIS ALFONSO DE ALBA GÓNGORA
Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations
AMBASSADOR MANJEEV SINGH PURI
Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
AMBASSADOR CARSTEN STAUR
Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations
Moderated by
AMBASSADOR THOMAS MAYR-HARTING
Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations
6:30 to 7:00 p.m. | Registration and Reception
7:00 p.m. | Presentation
8:00 p.m. | Reception
Columbia University Club of New York
15 West 43rd Street
New York, New York
ADMISSION
UNA Members: FREE
UNA Student Members: FREE
Guests and Non-Members: $15
All MEMBERS must make a reservation to attend
All NON-MEMBERS must pay in advance to attend
(NO payments at the door)
As a house with many rooms, the EU is often misunderstood. Even more mysterious is how the EU's foreign policy works. This evening's special panel discussion and debate features a select group of participating Ambassadors from several countries, including Denmark, which will hold the Presidency of the EU Council for the first half of 2012.
Tonight we will explore the following issues and questions:
What is the EU External Action Service?
How does the European Union engage with the United Nations and how does the EU manage its external relations?
How do other countries interact at the UN and with the European Union?
How do powerhouses, such as India and Mexico, appraise the European Union's actions on the international stage?
Both the economic and euro crisis has impacted decision making in Europe, but what of their impact on the EU's external relations?
Join us for a fascinating and high-level debate on the role of the European Union in international affairs and on its interactions at the United Nations.
Guest Speakers
AMBASSADOR ANNE ANDERSON
Until her 2009 appointment, Ms. Anderson was her country's Ambassador to France since July 2005; and concurrently since January 2007, as non-resident Ambassador to Monaco.
From 2001 to 2005, Ms. Anderson served as Permanent Representative to the European Union in Brussels; before which she was Ireland's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, where her responsibilities also included Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (1999-2000); Vice-President of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (1997); and Chair of Trade Policy Review Body, World Trade Organization.
During her long diplomatic service, and having entered the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1972, she has also served as Assistant Secretary General, Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs (1991-1995); Counsellor, Anglo-Irish Division, Department of Foreign Affairs (1987-1991); Press Attaché, Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C. (1985-1987); Economic Attaché, Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C. (1983-1985); First Secretary, Political Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs (1980-1983); First Secretary, Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva (1976-1980); First Secretary, Economic Division, Department of Foreign Affairs (1974-1976); and Third Secretary, Economic Division of the same Department (1972-1974).
Born in July 1952 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ms. Anderson studied at Dublin's University College, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in history and politics, and at Kings Inns where she obtained a diploma in legal studies.
AMBASSADOR LUIS ALFONSO DE ALBA GÓNGORA
Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba Góngora is currently the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, a position he assumed in September 2011. He previously served as the Special Representative and Chief Negotiator for the Climate Change summit in Cancun in 2010.
Between March 2004 and July 2009, he served as the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, and during his time in Geneva he was designated as the first President of the Human Rights Council, a position he held from June 2006 until June 2007.
A career diplomat since 1983, Ambassador de Alba served as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States and Director-General for the United Nations, as well as other relevant positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Born in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, he is married and has three children.
AMBASSADOR MANJEEV SINGH PURI
As India's current Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Manjeev Singh Puri (born 1959) joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982, after completing his Masters in Management Sciences and BA (Honours) in Economics.
In the course of his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Puri has served twice in Germany (in Bonn from 1984-86 where he was closely involved with India's largest trade exhibition as the partner country in the Hanover Trade Fair 1984, and at Berlin from 1991-94, where he coordinated the Festival of India and set up the Indian Cultural Centre), Bangkok (1986-89 where the Indian Embassy is also accredited to UN-ESCAP and deals with the regional offices of various UN organizations), Caracas (1989-91), Cape Town (1998-2002) (as Head of the Indian High Commission's Office) and Muscat (2002-05) (as Minister in the Embassy of India). He has served in the Ministry of External Affairs from 1994-1998 as Deputy Chief of Protocol in-charge of high level visits.
He was Joint Secretary (United Nations – Economic & Social) in the Ministry of External Affairs from March 2005 to March 2009 prior to taking over his present assignment in New York. His charge included dealing with UN and multilateral bodies involved with economic and social issues, including in the areas of development, finance, human rights, migration, humanitarian affairs and UNESCO related matters.
A key element of his charge in New Delhi was climate change and he has been very closely involved with the negotiations at the UNFCCC, including at Bali in December 2007 and thereafter, in the Major Economies Meeting and in the context of the G8/G5 Summits. He was on the Steering Committee for the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit held in February 2009.
Ambassador Puri is on the Advisory Board of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi).
He is married and has two children.
AMBASSADOR CARSTEN STAUR
Carsten Staur has served as Denmark's Permanent Representative to the United Nations since March 2007.
Ambassador Staur has an extensive background in development cooperation. He was State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2001-2007) and in this capacity he had the operational and managerial responsibility for the implementation of Denmark's development assistance programme (Danida). As State Secretary, he was also in charge of Denmark's cooperation with the United Nations system and the World Bank. He was Member of the Board of the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2005-2007) and has served as Chairman of the joint UNDP and UNFPA Board in 2007.
Prior to that Ambassador Staur was Under Secretary for Bilateral Development Cooperation (2000-2001). From 1998 to 2000, he served as Under Secretary for Administrative Affairs (organization, personnel, budgets and information technology) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was Denmark's Ambassador to Israel (1996-1998) and Director for Development Policy and Planning from (1994-1996).
Carsten Staur joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark in 1981. He was born in 1954, married to Ms. Marie-Louise Wandel, Senior Adviser in UNICEF, and holds a MA degree (History and Literature) from the University of Copenhagen.
MODERATOR
AMBASSADOR THOMAS MAYR-HARTING
Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting took up his post as Head of the EU Delegation to the UN in New York on 16 October 2011.
He previously served from December 2008 as the Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations in New York. From 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 he represented Austria on the UN Security Council. He was President of the Security Council for the month of November 2009. In his former capacity as the Austrian Ambassador to the UN, he also served as Vice-President of the 66th General Assembly.
Between 2003 and 2008, Mr. Mayr-Harting served as Political Director (Director General for Political Affairs) of the Foreign Ministry of Austria. From 1999 to 2003 he was the Austrian Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Austrian Mission to NATO. Before his departure for New York, Mr. Mayr-Harting also chaired the supervisory board of the Austrian Development Agency.
Mr. Mayr-Harting joined the Austrian diplomatic service in 1979. In the course of his career he served, inter alia, with the Austrian Mission to the European Communities in Brussels (1982-1986), the Austrian Embassy in Moscow (1986-1990), the Private Office of the Austrian Foreign Minister (1991-1995) and as Deputy Political Director and Director for Security Policy and Policy Planning (1995-1999). From 2002 to 2004, Mr. Mayr-Harting also acted as Special Representative of the Austrian Foreign Minister for the Western Balkans.
Mr. Mayr-Harting received his law degree at the University of Vienna in 1977. From 1977 to 1978, he studied European law at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. In 1978, Mr. Mayr-Harting was also awarded the Diploma of The Hague Academy of International Law.
Mr. Mayr-Harting was born in 1954, is married and has three children.
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